Senior Director, Research Operations & Space Strategy

Tufts University; Medford (MA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Tufts University is seeking a Senior Director of Research Operations and Academic Space Management to shape the future of research and academic space across the Medford/Somerville campus. You will lead strategic planning, space governance, and facilities operations to support faculty success and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Reporting to senior deans in Arts & Sciences and Engineering, you will manage a team, develop multi-year space strategies, and coordinate with campus partners to align

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline with experience in a wet-laboratory environment.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in research operations, laboratory management, academic administration, facilities management, space planning, or related field.
• Significant experience supporting research space planning and management, laboratory operations, facilities projects, and/or academic space management.
• Experience supervising professional staff and coordinating across faculty, departments, facilities teams, vendors, and university partners.
• Excellent communication, organizational, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for research operations, laboratory and academic space planning, building operations, and space governance.
• Partner with faculty, department leaders, and university stakeholders to ensure spaces support faculty success, recruitment, growth, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Oversee space assignments, renovations, and new construction planning across research and academic portfolios.
• Maintain space inventories and reporting tools to support data-informed decision making.
• Coordinate with Campus Planning, Facilities Services, UIT, EHS, and vendors on research and teaching laboratory operations.

Skills

Leadership

Space planning

Facilities management

Data analysis

Project coordination

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, or related

Tools

Archibus

Microsoft Office

Space management software

Job description

Tufts University is seeking a Senior Director of Research Operations and Academic Space Management to shape the future of research and academic space across the Medford/Somerville campus. You will lead strategic planning, space governance, and facilities operations to support faculty success and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Reporting to senior deans in Arts & Sciences and Engineering, you will manage a team, develop multi-year space strategies, and coordinate with campus partners to align