Executive Director, Centralized Core Facilities

Title: Executive Director, Centralized Core Facilities

Executive Area: Research and Engagement

College/School/MBU: Institute Applied Life Science

Department: Institute Applied Life Science

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement:Onsite

The Executive Director, Centralized Core Facilities provides strategic, administrative, fiscal, and operational leadership for the centralized Core Facilities at UMass Amherst within the Institute for Applied Life Sciences. A Core Facility is a multi‑user research unit that offers shared instrumentation, services, and expertise to UMass researchers, external academic partners, and industry, government, foundations or medical‑center users. The Executive Director ensures that the Core Facilities operate effectively and sustainably and that their activities align with institutional priorities and research needs.

• Provides strategic leadership and institutional level accountability for the centralized Core Facilities, ensuring their operational effectiveness, fiscal stability, and long-term sustainability. Directs the development and execution of the strategic plan for the Cores; in coordination with other IALS leadership, develops, implements, and oversees policies, SOPs, and MOUs related to Core Facilities; ensuring completion of periodic SWOT analyses; and establishes and provides oversight of Steering Committees for centralized Core Facilities.
• Directs and evaluates the work of Core Directors and Managers, establishing performance expectations, organizational priorities, workforce planning strategies and professional development objectives to ensure effective leadership across the Core Facilities.
• Provides strategic financial leadership for the Core Facilities, interpreting financial information to guide operational decisions and long-range planning in conjunction with the Finance & Operations Director, IALS. Serves as a principal advisor to the Director, IALS, and the IALS Executive committee on the long-term plan for each core, including capital and operational investment, transference, and operational risk of the core.
• Provides strategic oversight of equipment planning and lifecycle management across the Core Facilities. Identifies and prioritizes equipment needs (new acquisitions and updates); develops repair and replacement timetables with projected budget estimates and justifications; monitors equipment usage and duty cycle percentages for each Core to inform planning and prioritization; and provides guidance on equipment related components of faculty start up packages and equipment match proposals, ensuring incoming faculty are aware of Core Facilities capabilities.
• Provides leadership and coordination for grant application activities across the Core Facilities. Prioritizes applications by need and institutional impact; develops and maintains a grant submissions calendar; prepares justification and information slide decks outlining space, staffing, cost, and revenue implications; and contributes to application teams (typically including a Core Director and key PIs).
• Provides strategic oversight and analysis of Core Facilities performance, utilizing financial reports prepared by the Director of Finance & Operations, who manages all operational financial management. Defines and standardizes portfolio-wide financial and impact metrics; implements dashboards and scorecards to monitor performance; and uses aggregated data to inform strategic decisions regarding portfolio composition, pricing, investment, marketing, and service sun setting. Prepares synthesized Core Facilities performance reports for senior leadership and advisory committees.
• Provides oversight of space and infrastructure planning across the Core Facilities. Identifies space and infrastructure needs within existing Cores; contributes to assessing space and infrastructure requirements for prioritized new equipment; and supports emergency preparedness and response activities in Core Facilities in situations such as floods, fires, or major equipment malfunctions.
• Provides guidance on the prioritization and need for service contracts across the Core…