Director of Research Park Operations

UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Opportunities for advancement

Collaborative working environment

Job summary

A leading research and innovation park in Knoxville is seeking a Director of Operations to oversee strategic growth and daily operations. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree and extensive experience in commercial real estate or operations. This role involves collaborating with diverse stakeholders, driving operational improvements, and ensuring high tenant satisfaction. Competitive salary and benefits offered.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years of commercial real estate or campus-scale operations experience.
• Experience with university-affiliated research parks or innovation districts.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic growth, infrastructure planning, and daily operations of the Research Park.
• Create RFP processes for new construction and evaluate proposals.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for leasing and facility services.

Skills

Leadership in cross-functional teams

Project management

Vendor negotiation

Contract oversight

Education

Bachelor's degree and PE license, PMP certification, MBA, or advanced degree in real estate

Job description

Overview

People-Centered Leader | Strategic Support Professional | Champion of Operational Excellence & Inclusive Collaboration

Why Join UT Research Park

The University of Tennessee Research Park is located just across the Tennessee River from UT’s flagship campus in Knoxville. The park offers an ideal location for companies and entrepreneurs to collaborate with the talent at UT and provides the right connections to foster success.

• Collaborate with the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Lab, and leading industry partners


• High-impact role with long-term influence on research, development, and regional growth


• Competitive salary and benefits with opportunities for advancement.

Learn more at tnresearchpark.org.

About the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

What began in 1794 as a small college has grown into Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university and premier public research institution. UT Knoxville, which includes theUT Space Instituteand theUT Institute of Agriculture, serves the state by educating its citizens, enhancing its culture, and making a difference in people’s lives through research and service. We embody excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement.

• UTK is Tennessee’s flagship university and premier public research institution.


• Classified as producing very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (Doctoral Universities R1 category).


• A Carnegie Community Engaged university.

Role Overview

The UT Research Park is seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Operations to lead the strategic growth, infrastructure planning, and daily operations of our rapidly evolving research and innovation ecosystem. The Director will be a key driver in executing our development strategy and tenant-experience enhancements, coordinating property-management functions, and aligning operations with the Park’s long-term mission, research goals, and university partnerships.

• Translate master-plan goals into actionable milestones


• Create RFP processes for new construction; evaluate proposals and manage vendor relationships


• Collaborate with architects, engineers, and city officials


• Interface with university officials and capital projects for space planning

Operational Process & System Design

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for leasing, on-boarding, and facility services


• Implement processes to track occupancy, service requests, and tenant feedback

Tenant Experience, Stakeholder Engagement & Property Management Oversight

• Serve as primary operational liaison to building managers, university facilities, developers, and industry partners


• Align property management initiatives and ensure Research Park guidelines are followed


• Maintain issue-resolution metrics, utilizing data analytics to inform operational improvements, tenant satisfaction, and strategic planning to help tenants project future growth needs

Performance & Strategy

• Establish and track KPIs related to space utilization, project performance, and tenant satisfaction


• Drive quarterly reviews, identify improvement opportunities, and oversee corrective action plans


• Oversee risk management, emergency planning, and sustainability strategies across the park and future innovation districts

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with university-affiliated research parks, innovation districts, or technology campuses


• Collaborative leader who builds trust with diverse stakeholders


• Strategic thinker with a hands-on operational mindset

Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree and either a PE license, PMP certification, MBA, or advanced degree in real estate, engineering management, or related field

Experience: 7–10 years of commercial real estate, engineering, or campus-scale operations

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Proven leadership in cross-functional teams and infrastructure projects


• Strong project-management skills; comfortable with RFPs, vendor negotiation, and contract oversight


• Regular on-site presence at the UT Research Park in Knoxville, TN

Position Details

• Seniority level: Director


• Employment type: Full-time


• Job function: Management and Manufacturing


• Industries: Research Services