Assistant Director, Business & Auxiliary Operations

NU USA Northeastern University; Michigan; On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Vision benefits

Dental benefits

Tuition assistance

Retirement plan

Commuting & transportation

Job summary

Northeastern University is seeking an Assistant Director of Business & Auxiliary Operations to lead the Mail/Copy Center and related services on the Oakland campus. You will ensure high-quality, customer-centric outcomes across dining, bookstore, mail, print production, laundry, vending, and parking, while balancing student, faculty, and staff experiences with contractual obligations.

You will supervise staff, manage budgets, analyze data, and partner with Finance and HR to uphold university

Qualifications

• BA/BS required with a minimum of four years’ experience managing business or auxiliary operations, including direct supervision of a team.
• Financial acumen with ability to understand and track KPIs, manage budgets, and support variance analysis.
• Technologically savvy and able to leverage data to modernize operations.
• Strong communication skills with collaboration across students, staff, faculty, and administrators.
• Experience leading diverse teams with emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Proven skills in operations, project management, and contract management.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills with a customer/student-centric orientation.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervises the Mail & Copy Center team and staff.
• Oversees parcel/mail receiving, processing, and regulatory compliance to deliver service excellence.
• Develops SOPs, leads safety training, and coordinates emergency response preparedness.
• Supports Dining operations and vendor relationships in line with Director’s guidance.
• Facilitates operations across the auxiliary portfolio including laundry, vending, and parking permits.

Skills

Financial acumen

Data-driven

Communication skills

Diversity & inclusion

Operations

Project management

Contract management

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Conflict resolution

Education

BA/BS

Tools

Workday

Job description

Job Summary

Assistant Director, Business & Auxiliary Operations serves as a key operational leader and proxy for the Director across the auxiliary enterprise portfolio, with direct supervisory ownership of the Mail/Copy Center and its staff. Innovation and outstanding service are central to this leader’s focus, with an emphasis on building programs that create an inclusive campus environment for students, staff, administrators, faculty, and guests while promoting excellence in every experience. The Assistant Director supports the Director in delivering high-quality, customer-centric outcomes 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’ experience managing business or auxiliary operations, including direct supervision of a team, in hospitality, higher education, or a comparable industry; or a combination of education and experience that is commensurate.
• Financial acumen with an ability to understand and track key performance indicators, manage budgets, and support variance analysis.
• Technologically savvy and able to leverage data to modernize and gain efficiencies across business units.
• Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to build collaboration with students, staff, faculty, and administrators.
• Adept at leading diverse work teams with emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Proven skills in operations, project management, team development, and contract management.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills with strict attention to detail and a customer/student-centric orientation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with diverse groups in an educational or other non-profit organization.
• Demonstrated ability to work with faculty, students, and staff.
• 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 ERP software.

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.

Position Type

General Administration

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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.

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real-world experience with education, research, and innovation empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact. Our global university system provides our community and academic, government, and industry partners with unique opportunities to think locally and act globally. The system- including 14 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide- serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. The university’s residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London, and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are in the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley, California; Toronto; and Vancouver. Northeastern’s personalized, experiential undergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through the doctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learning emphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and human literacies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the future and lives of fulfillment and accomplishment. Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegie classification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Our faculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not just disciplines, but also sectors-aligned around solving today’s highly interconnected global challenges and focused on transformative impact for humankind.