Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President for Operations

The Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President for Operations (SVPO) provides executive-level support to the SVPO, with a focus on leadership support along with formal oversight of the daily office operations. As a key strategic advisor, the Chief of Staff helps advance institutional priorities and strengthen operational excellence across the SVPO portfolio.

The SVPO is responsible for supporting the University’s mission through oversight of the following University units that total nearly 2,500 staff: Office of the Architect; University Building Official; Business Services; Facilities Management; and Real Estate and Leasing Services. The Chief of Staff will serve as a member of the SVPO leadership team and work closely with that team on a wide range of projects and assignments across the SVPO portfolio.

Reporting directly to the SVPO, they will work on data and fact finding, budget oversight, communications, and projects that are highly privileged and confidential, thus requiring discretion, tact, sound judgment, and trustworthiness. In addition, they will be assigned special projects that may be ongoing and/or non-recurring in nature.

Success in this role includes effectively driving executive priorities and ensuring follow-through across the Operations leadership team; strengthening cross-unit communication and alignment; and building a trusted advisory relationship with the SVPO as a sounding board on sensitive, complex, and strategic matters.

Leadership Support

• Research and analyze issues to prepare briefings, reports, correspondence, talking points, and presentations for the SVPO and other senior leaders, including regular meetings with the President and members of his senior team.
• Coordinate with colleagues, within the Operations organization and Grounds-wide, to create and finalize briefing materials for the SVPO’s meetings. Develop agendas for SVPO-led meetings.
• Track communications and deliverables requested by and of the SVPO to ensure timeliness and accuracy.
• Provide confidential counsel and advice on existing or emerging issues, serving as a thought partner to the SVPO.
• Respond and sometimes act on behalf of the SVPO with tact and diplomacy in sensitive and confidential matters.
• Represent the SVPO at meetings, functions, and on committees as appropriate; coordinate participation by other SVPO leadership team members where necessary.
• Track the annual operating and capital budgets for the SVPO office as well as for the Operations organization.​

Organization Support

• Facilitate bi-directional communication between the SVPO, the SVPO leadership team, and other University leaders around key meetings/events/activities and decisions that are important to shared goals.
• Work closely with other University leaders and chiefs of staff in senior leadership to enhance coordination, collaboration, and communication between and among key University partners.
• Partner and collaborate with the SVPO and the SVPO leadership team to facilitate the work of Operations organization as a whole.
• Provide guidance and advice to colleagues on matters that require a broader institutional and/or Operations-wide perspective.
• Serve as a key resource to numerous offices both on-Grounds and external to the University.

Office Management

• Supervise and develop staff, including providing growth opportunities and coaching for each to expand knowledge and skills.
• Develop and oversee a system for electronic file organization for the SVPO that can be easily accessed.
• Given the SVPO’s meeting schedule, be available and prepared to provide guidance and counsel on problems/issues that arise in their absence. ​

Core Competencies

The Chief of Staff will demonstrate:

• Commitment to the University’s mission, vision, and values, and the ability to navigate the culture and priorities of a large, complex academic institution.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and collaborate effectively with diverse colleagues, leaders, and external partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, exercising tact, discretion, and sound judgment in sensitive or confidential matters.
• Advanced organizational and analytical capabilities, with the capacity to manage multiple priorities, respond to time-sensitive needs, and operate effectively under pressure.
• A collaborative leadership style, promoting teamwork, positive dynamics, and shared understanding across units.
• A high level of professionalism and integrity, reflected in careful attention to detail, accuracy, and consistent follow-through.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Ten years of relevant experience required, with a preference for progressively responsible roles in a related field—ideally within higher education or a similarly complex, collaborative setting. A proven ability to lead and influence both formal and informal teams is desired.
• To fulfill the core responsibilities of this position, the Chief of Staff is expected to maintain regular onsite presence, with occasional ability for remote/hybrid work up to one day per week.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.

This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, primarily on-site with the potential for 1 day/week remote work.

To learn more about UVA and the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship at this time.

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0078435. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

​Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

For questions about the application process, please contact Karon Harrington, fak3ph@virginia.edu.