Vice President, Real Estate & Facilities

UL Research Institutes; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 211,276 - 290,506; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision and life insurance

401k matching structure

Paid time off including vacation, holiday, and sick days

Job summary

UL Research Institutes is seeking a Vice President, Real Estate & Facilities based in Evanston, Illinois. This role provides executive leadership across facilities and real estate strategy, ensuring safety and operational efficacy in support of scientific excellence.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 15 years of leadership experience, with expertise in capital project delivery and environmental health and safety principles. The position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years of leadership experience in facilities and real estate.
• Expertise in capital project delivery and environmental health and safety.
• Strong communication skills for executive-level guidance.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for facilities and real estate strategy.
• Establish long-term facilities and real estate strategies.
• Lead governance of major capital and construction projects.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic thinking

Facilities and real estate strategy

Risk management

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Vice President, Real Estate & Facilities at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, based in our Evanston, Illinois, office.

The Vice President, Real Estate & Facilities provides executive leadership for UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) across facilities and real estate strategy, capital expansion, and health, safety, and environment (HSE). This role ensures that ULRI’s laboratories, research facilities, and work environments, as well as ULSE’s offices are safe, compliant, operationally effective, and positioned to support scientific excellence and organizational growth.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President works in close partnership with the Chief Research Officer, Research Institute and Office leaders, and senior leaders across the organizations to translate strategy into scalable infrastructure, disciplined capital delivery, and a strong culture of safety and environmental responsibility in support of UL’s mission to create a safer world.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for facilities, real estate, capital expansion, and HSE functions across ULRI and ULSE.
• Establish and execute long‑term facilities and real estate strategies aligned with research priorities, geographic needs, and growth plans.
• Oversee the planning, modernization, and optimization of laboratories, research facilities, and office environments.
• Lead governance and execution of major capital and construction projects, including construction of major, highly technical, and regulated laboratory facilities, over the next several years.
• Oversee feasibility studies, site evaluation, zoning, entitlements, permitting, and environmental assessments to support leadership decision‑making.
• Ensure disciplined capital planning, budgeting, cost control, risk management, and reporting across the project portfolio.
• Set the organization’s vision and strategy for health, safety, and environmental programs, fostering a strong culture of safety and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable environmental health and safety laws, regulations, and ULRI and ULSE policies across all operations and projects.
• Integrate HSE requirements into facility design, laboratory operations, capital projects, and contractor management.
• Sponsor audits, inspections, incident investigations, and corrective action planning to drive continuous improvement.
• Establish and manage positive relationships with key external stakeholders, including suppliers, economic development, community organizations, and municipal and state officials as required.
• Lead, mentor, and develop senior leaders and teams responsible for Facilities & Real Estate and HSE.
• Collaborate closely with Finance, Legal, Procurement, IT, Strategy, Communications, and HR to ensure alignment, efficiency, and accountability.
• Lead other functions, projects, or activities as required.

Environment and Experience at UL

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement: We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.
• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.
• Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.
• Values: Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.
• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are eligible for bonus compensation based on the level of the position. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

Qualifications

• Executive leadership skills with the ability to lead complex, cross‑functional portfolios in a matrixed organization.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to align infrastructure, capital investments, and safety priorities with long‑term organizational goals.
• Deep understanding of facilities and real estate strategy, laboratory and technical facility development, and lifecycle asset management.
• Strong knowledge of environmental health and safety principles, regulatory compliance, hazard identification, and risk mitigation.
• Proven ability to establish governance, manage risk, and deliver results across large‑scale, high‑impact initiatives.
• Financial and commercial acumen, including capital planning, cost controls, and contract negotiation.
• Positive, collaborative interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and build trust across diverse stakeholders.
• Engaging and approachable leadership style that sets high standards for accountability and performance.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels, with attention to detail and a strong bias toward execution.
• Demonstrated ability to grow and lead geographically distributed high performing teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, decision‑ready guidance to executive leadership.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in facilities, real estate, capital project delivery, and/or environmental health and safety, preferably within research, laboratory, industrial, or other regulated environments.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in engineering, architecture, environmental science, safety, business, or a related field strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading large capital programs and facilities portfolios with strong governance and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience setting and overseeing enterprise‑level safety and environmental programs in complex operating environments.

About UL Research Institutes And UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well‑being.

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

Salary and Benefits

Salary Range
$211,276.86-$290,505.68

Pay Type
Salary