Assistant Director, Business

Northeastern University; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Dental

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Wellness & life

Job summary

Northeastern University is seeking an Assistant Director of Business & Auxiliary Operations in Oakland to lead the Mail/Copy Center and support Dining, bookstore, laundry, vending, and other auxiliary services. The role emphasizes customer-centric outcomes, data-driven decision-making, and adherence to university policy.

The position oversees budgets, vendor relationships, and safety training while partnering with the Director to enhance service delivery and campus experiences across revenue

Qualifications

• BA/BS with 4+ years in managing auxiliary operations and supervising staff.
• Strong financial acumen to manage budgets and KPI analysis.
• Data-driven to leverage analytics for efficiency improvements.
• Effective communicator across students, staff, faculty and administrators.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in operations.
• Proven skills in operations, project management, and contract management.
• Organizational skills with a customer-focused orientation.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervises the Mail & Copy Center team and staff. Oversees parcel/mail processing and regulatory compliance.
• Manages procurement, data analysis, revenue and expense tracking; maintains SOPs and safety training.
• Oversees policy updates and compliance, audits, and reporting with Finance and HR partners.
• Forecasts revenue, assists in budget development, and tracks OKRs and variances.
• Supports Director with vendor relations, service delivery, and overall customer experience across the auxiliary portfolio.

Skills

Team supervision

Financial management

Data-driven decision making

Communication

DEI leadership

Operations management

Project management

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

Windows/macOS

Job description

Assistant Director, Business & AuxiliaryOperations

About the Opportunity

Job Summary

The Assistant Director, Business & Auxiliary Operations servesas a key operational leader and proxy for the Director across the auxiliary enterprise portfolio, with direct supervisory ownershipof the Mail/Copy Center and its staff. Innovation and outstandingservice are central to this leader's focus, with an emphasis onbuilding programs that create an inclusive campus environment forstudents, staff, administrators, faculty, and guests whilepromoting excellence in every experience. The Assistant Director supports the Director in delivering high-quality, customer-centricoutcomes across dining, bookstore, mail and print production, laundry, vending, and additional auxiliary enterprises. This role stewards operational budgets with integrity, advances the Division's values and principles for both contracted and non-contracted staff, and serves as a thought-partner to the Director and the broader Oakland campus community. The Assistant Director must be agile in supporting multiple revenue streams while successfully balancing student, faculty, and staff experiences with contract obligations and service delivery.

Minimum Qualifications

• BA/BS required with a minimum of four years' experiencemanaging business or auxiliary operations, including directsupervision of a team, in hospitality, higher education, or an comparable industry; or a combination of education and experiencethat is commensurate.
• Financial acumen with an ability to understand and track keyperformance indicators, manage budgets, and support varianceanalysis.
• Technologically savvy and able to leverage data to modernizeand gain efficiencies across business units.
• Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to buildcollaboration with students, staff, faculty, andadministrators.
• Adept at leading diverse work teams with emphasis on diversity,equity, and inclusion.
• Proven skills in operations, project management, teamdevelopment, and contract management.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and conflict resolutionskills with strict attention to detail and a customer/student-centric orientation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with diverse groups in an educational orother non-profit organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work with faculty, students, andstaff.
• Self-motivated, goal-oriented, strategic thinker, and able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Experience in project management is highly desirable.
• Strong computer skills in Windows and Mac platforms.
• Experience using and supporting Workday or similar ERPsoftware.

Key Responsibilities

Management & Operations

Directly supervises the Mail & Copy Center team, including three full-time employees and seasonal/temporary workers. Provides tactical, day-to-day operational leadership for parcel and mail receiving and processing, ensuring regulatory compliance(city/state/federal), service excellence, and customer-centric outcomes. Develops and maintains standard operating procedures, leads safety training, and serves as the Auxiliary point of contact for emergency response preparedness. Serves as the Director's operational proxy for Dining, supporting vendor relationships, service delivery, and customer experience in alignment with the Director's oversight and strategic direction. Facilitates smooth operations across the full auxiliary portfolio - including contracted laundry, vending, and parking permits - aligning enrollment and admissions patterns with service planning.

Administrative

Manages administrative operations across the auxiliary portfolio in support of the Director, including purchasing and procurement of goods and services, data analysis, revenue and expense tracking, and maintenance of standard operating procedures. Leverages technology and data to identify efficiencies and modernize business unit operations. Communicates operational status accurately to the Director and partners with Finance, HR, and divisional stakeholders to ensure adherence to University policy and industry best practices. Applies problem-solving skills and sound judgment in decision-making; manages project calendars, deadlines, and deliverables.

Policy & Compliance

Supports the Director in implementing and upholding university-wide policies across Division Services, reviewing operational practices for relevance, consistency, and alignment with institutional standards. Coordinates policy updates and contributes to compliance through internal audits, reporting functions, and engagement with University partners including Finance and HR. Promotes sustainability efforts and participates in University-wide initiatives to advance broader institutional goals.

Budget

Supports the Director in annual revenue forecasting, budget development, and ongoing financial management across auxiliary operations. Organizes and analyzes productivity and budgets against OKRs, tracking variance and surfacing budget variances as required. Contributes to fiscal stewardship by developing realistic sales estimates, supporting contract management, and identifying creative approaches to improving operational efficiencies.

Other Duties as Assigned

Position Type

General Administration

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate workexperience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefiteligible employees.

• medical
• vision
• dental
• paidtime off
• tuition assistance
• wellness & life
• retirement- aswell as commuting & transportation

Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receiveconsideration for employment without regard to race, religion,color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disabilitystatus, or any other characteristic protected by applicablelaw.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

109S

Expected Hiring Range:

$74,640.00 - $105,427.50

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.