Vice President Operations

Milton Hershey School; Hershey (PA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Milton Hershey School seeks an exceptional executive to serve as Vice President of Operations, overseeing a large residential campus with extensive facilities and services. The role requires strategic leadership to sustain a thriving student community, drive operational excellence, and align resources with the school’s mission.

The successful candidate will lead complex operations, collaborate with the executive team, and foster high-performance teams while upholding MHS values of mission,

Qualifications

• Ten or more years of progressive leadership in large-scale operational environments.
• Experience overseeing facilities, construction, campus services, safety, budgeting, and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong financial, analytical, and people leadership skills.
• Commitment to servant leadership and engagement with students and the school community.

Responsibilities

• Translate institutional strategy into actionable operational plans.
• Direct campus master planning, facilities strategy, and capital projects.
• Ensure safety, compliance, risk management, and regulatory readiness across operations.
• Oversee facilities, maintenance, grounds, construction, food/clothing services, safety, shared services.
• Drive innovation, technology adoption, and process improvement.
• Lead multi-year capital planning and investment prioritization.
• Develop leaders through coaching and succession planning.
• Strengthen resilience via crisis management and business continuity.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Facilities management

Budgeting

Capital planning

People leadership

Communication

Risk management

Campus services

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Milton Hershey School (MHS) is one of the world’s premier private Pre-K–12 schools, providing approximately 2,200 students from disadvantaged backgrounds with a life-changing career-focused education, a nurturing home, and comprehensive support—all at no cost to families. Founded in 1909 by Milton and Catherine Hershey, MHS is fully endowed and has empowered more than 12,000 graduates to lead meaningful, productive lives. Today, our school continues to grow its impact and expand opportunities for future generations.

MHS is seeking an exceptional executive leader to serve as Vice President of Operations, overseeing one of the nation’s largest residential educational campuses with more than 7,200 acres and 6.5 million square feet of facilities. This is a unique opportunity to lead the services, infrastructure, and operational strategy that supports a thriving student community and advances a mission that transforms lives every day. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a key member of the executive leadership team, the Vice President of Operations will provide strategic leadership for campus operations, facilities, construction, safety, and shared services. This leader will balance long-range vision with operational excellence, ensuring the school’s resources, people, and infrastructure continue to support an extraordinary student experience and future growth.

The successful candidate will be a collaborative, mission-driven executive who inspires high-performing teams, drives organizational effectiveness, and delivers exceptional service in support of MHS’s mission and is aligned with MHS’s values – commitment to mission, integrity, positive spirit, and mutual respect.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with executive leadership to translate institutional strategy into actionable operational plans.
• Lead enterprise operations through clear performance measures, fiscal stewardship, and continuous improvement.
• Direct campus master planning, long-range facilities strategy, capital projects, renovations, and campus enhancements.
• Ensure exceptional safety, compliance, risk management, and regulatory readiness across operational functions.
• Oversee facilities, maintenance, grounds, construction, food and clothing services, campus safety, and other shared services.
• Drive innovation, technology adoption, process improvement, and operational modernization.
• Lead multi-year capital planning and investment prioritization aligned with institutional goals.
• Build and develop high-performing leaders through coaching, accountability, and succession planning.
• Strengthen organizational resilience through crisis management, business continuity planning, and risk mitigation.
• Foster trusted partnerships across the school community and with external stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred. Degrees in business administration, finance, accounting, engineering, facilities management, or related fields are desirable.
• Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience, including senior-level operational leadership with comparable scope and complexity.
• Proven success leading complex operational organizations with responsibility for facilities, construction, campus services, safety, capital planning, budgeting, and large multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated expertise in facilities management, construction, campus services, safety, budgeting, and organizational leadership.
• Exceptional communication, financial, analytical, conflict resolution, and people leadership skills.
• High integrity, a commitment to servant leadership, and a passion for engaging with students and the school community.
• Strategic Thinking: Anticipates future needs and aligns operational priorities with long-term institutional goals.
• Driving for Results: Delivers measurable outcomes while effectively managing complexity and accountability.
• Courageous Communication: Builds trust through transparent, thoughtful, and decisive leadership.
• Coaching & Developing Others: Creates opportunities for growth, mentorship, and leadership development.

Why Join Milton Hershey School?

This is more than an operations leadership role—it is an opportunity to shape the future of one of the nation’s most distinctive educational institutions. Every decision made by the Vice President of Operations directly supports the well-being, safety, and success of students while preserving and strengthening Milton Hershey School’s mission for generations to come. If you are a seasoned, strategic, mission-driven executive who’s built high-performing teams, led complex operations, and created lasting impact through innovation, we invite you to explore this extraordinary opportunity.