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,... For full info follow application link.
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.
