Assoc vp-aux and business svcs

Ensured Consideration Date: August 16, 2026

Michigan Technological University is an R1 technological research university founded in 1885 in Houghton. Our rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Research focus areas include defense, health, energy, automotive, environment, and aerospace.

The area’s waters, forests, and snowfall support year-round recreation, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, and paddling. The University is an integral part of the region, supported by a friendly and welcoming community that takes pride in being a true college town. We embrace our size, climate, sense of adventure, and originality.

Summary

The Auxiliary and Business Services division of Michigan Tech is a broad-based portfolio of revenue-generating and service-oriented units that contribute to the campus experience and support Michigan Tech's mission. Areas of oversight include Residential Living, Dining, the Memorial Union, Transportation Services, Mont Ripley Ski Area, Portage Lake Golf Course, Merchandising Operations, and the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum. The division generates approximately $47 million in annual revenue and is supported by approximately 135 regular staff and more than 500 student employees.

The Associate Vice President for Auxiliary and Business Services (AVPABS) provides strategic and operational leadership for this complex portfolio and is accountable for service quality, financial performance, and advancing the student experience. The AVPABS reports to the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Administration and serves as a senior collaborative partner across the University.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

• Provides strategic oversight and executive leadership for a portfolio of self-operated and contracted auxiliary and business service units, ensuring financial sustainability, operational excellence, and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Drives financial performance across the division, including budget development, long-range forecasting, pricing strategy, and executive reporting of operating results to senior leadership.
• Leads contract strategy and vendor governance for all major auxiliary agreements, including dining services, vending, shuttle service, and pouring rights; ensures contractual, financial, and service expectations are met.
• Directs the division's capital planning and deferred maintenance priorities, including coordination with Facilities Management on construction, renovation, and equipment lifecycle projects.
• Cultivates a culture of leadership excellence by providing coaching and mentoring, supporting professional development, and building a high-performing senior leadership team of 5 direct reports who are accountable for outcomes.
• Evaluates business models and service delivery approaches across the portfolio, informed by peer benchmarking, financial analysis, and curated evaluative criteria.
• Establishes and enforces performance standards, key performance indicators, and operational monitoring systems to drive results and continuous improvement across all business units.
• Builds and maintains strong partnerships with university leadership, faculty, staff, students, vendors, contractors, alumni, and the broader campus community.
• Leads and supports divisional compliance with university policies, health and safety requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Represents the division to the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, and external stakeholders; prepares and presents financial, operational, and strategic reports and exhibits.
• Commits to learning about and applying continuous improvement strategies, including Lean methodologies, in everyday work; actively engages in university-wide continuous improvement initiatives.
• Applies safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, hospitality management, higher education administration, or a related field.

Required Experience

Significant and progressively responsible senior leadership experience in auxiliary services, higher education administration, finance, operations, or a comparably complex multi-unit operation, with demonstrated success managing complex, multi-million-dollar operating budgets, multiple enterprise functions, and direct supervision of professional staff.

Experience must include decision-making authority for financial performance; development of housing, dining, or other auxiliary or retail pricing strategy and fee schedules; contract governance and vendor oversight; and demonstrated accountability for service quality and customer experience outcomes.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

• Master's degree in business administration, higher education administration, or a related field.
• History of positions with increasing scope and executive-level decision-making responsibility in higher education auxiliary services.
• Experience across multiple auxiliary functions such as housing, dining, retail, recreation, transportation, or museum operations.
• Certified Auxiliary Services Professional (CASP) designation or comparable certification.
• Demonstrated record of improving service quality, financial performance, and customer satisfaction through data-informed decision-making.
• Experience with capital planning, construction oversight, or major facility renovation projects.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrated success in aligning resources across divisions and reducing organizational silos.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrated success in improving efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing service delivery.
• Experience evaluating and optimizing administrative structures and shared services.
• Experience supporting or leading revenue growth initiatives.
• Familiarity with pricing strategy, market analysis and program development.
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex financial concepts clearly and effectively.
• Experience working with governing boards, executive teams and external partners.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Proven business, strategic, and financial acumen; ability to plan and manage operating and capital budgets for a complex multi-unit enterprise.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, with demonstrated ability to engage effectively at all organizational levels, including governing boards, senior leadership, students, and external partners.
• Demonstrated success in strategic planning, contract negotiation, and operational oversight of outsourced service providers.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading, managing, and developing high-performing senior administrative and operational teams across diverse disciplines.
• Analytical aptitude with proven problem-solving skills and ability to develop solutions in complex, resource-constrained environments.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively in a rapidly changing environment with a high tolerance for ambiguity.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Familiarity with national auxiliary services, retail, housing, and business trends, benchmarks, and best practices, with the ability to translate industry intelligence into operational and strategic action.
• Experience developing and utilizing key performance indicators and dashboards to drive continuous improvement.
• The successful candidate will possess the following leadership characteristics:
• Strategic and forward-looking, with the ability to connect financial decisions to mission and impact.
• Action-oriented and results-driven, with a strong capacity for execution.
• Collaborative, with an enterprise mindset and a commitment to shared success.
• Analytical and data-informed, with a focus on measurable outcomes.
• Skilled at leading through complexity and change in a shared governance environment.
• Courageous and decisive, particularly in addressing inefficiencies and advancing institutional priorities.
• A trusted and credible leader with high integrity and sound judgment.
• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with persons from diverse backgrounds, creating a sense of belonging, and fostering a fair, objective, welcoming place to work for persons with a wide variety of personal characteristics and viewpoints.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Work is performed primarily in a standard office environment, with regular site visits to a broad portfolio of facilities across campus and in the surrounding community. Visits to outdoor recreational venues, including a ski area and golf course, may require walking on uneven or weather-affected terrain and use of golf carts, snowmobiles, chair lifts, or other site vehicles. The position requires the ability to navigate varied physical environments across seasons.

The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following 4 required trainings; additional training may be required by the department.

Required University Training:

• Employee Safety Overview
• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation Training
• Annual Data Security Training
• Annual Title IX Training

Background Check:

Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed and the results received and assessed.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) % (1=100%)

1

FLSA Status

Exempt

Appointment Term

12 months

Shift

-

Pay Rate/Salary

The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $180,000. However, the final salary will depend on experience and qualifications.

Title of Position Supervisor

Carlos Rodriguez

Posting Type

Internal & External

Dependent on Funding

No

Additional Information

Full ensured consideration will be given to applicants who apply on or before August 16,2026.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

If you require any auxiliary aids, services, or accommodations during Michigan Tech’s hiring process please notify the Human Resources office at 906-487-2280 or hr-help@mtu.edu.

Other Conditions of Employment:

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of your appointment, and maintain eligibility without sponsorship throughout your appointment.

Michigan Technological University is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. Michigan Tech will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the Michigan Tech Public Safety.

In compliance with the federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) and its implementing regulations (34 CFR Part 86), Michigan Tech is committed to maintaining a drug-free campus environment and actively promoting the health and safety of its community. Find our notice that outlines the University’s policies, legal sanctions, health risks, and available support resources related to the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol.