Associate Director of Design, Operations

Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Planning and Design, this role provides senior-level design management for HBS capital and Improvements & Alterations (I&A) projects, from study through schematic design (SD) and design development (DD) phases, and leads the stand-up and ongoing governance of a Building Information Management (BIM) program for HBS facilities and space data. Planning and design strategy remains the responsibility of the Senior Director;

this role executes against that strategy at the project level - translating direction into concept plans, design standards compliance, and consultant/vendor management. The BIM program is oriented toward facilities and space management - extending and enriching the existing CAFM system - rather than construction-phase modeling, which remains the responsibility of Capital Programs. This role is expected to build deep institutional and technical knowledge over its first year;

in that period, decisions on BIM standards and program direction are made in close partnership with the Senior Director.

• Executes project-level design management in support of planning and design strategy set by the Senior Director.
• Negotiates and prepares standard Harvard University agreements for design and planning consulting.
• Works with an Operations-wide team on development and updating of campus-wide space, interior, and architectural standards.
• Supervises vendors, outsourced technical consultants, and student interns as assigned.

• Manages assigned capital and I&A projects through study, schematic design (SD), and design development (DD) phases.
• Supports development of the annual and multi-year Capital Budget (led by the Senior Director of Capital Programs) in defining, planning, and scoping potential projects.
• Works with campus departments on space-related requests; develops and enforces campus design and specification standards.
• Develops architectural test fits and concept viability studies as needed.
• Facilitates user discussions and ensures architects' plans meet the school's functional and aesthetic needs.
• Works closely with project managers in supporting all aspects of project design and delivery, advising on design-related objectives from preconstruction through project closeout.
• Collaborates with the Interiors and Furniture Manager and outside design consultants to ensure a coordinated furniture, finish, and interior design process.
• Coordinates interior design and sustainable material discussions with Harvard and external resources and consultants.
• Prepares reports, analyses, and presentation materials related to project design management and BIM program status.

• Leads the stand-up of an HBS BIM program: defines scope, data standards, and information architecture for space and facilities data, in coordination with Harvard University Planning and Design (HUPAD) and University standards where applicable.
• Selects, contracts, and manages outsourced technical BIM vendors responsible for model development, data conversion, and ongoing technical support; reviews vendor deliverables for quality and consistency.
• Partners with the Associate Director of Furniture and Moves to ensure the BIM program integrates with and enhances the existing CAFM system (MRI Center Stone) rather than duplicating it.
• Establishes BIM governance: naming conventions, model-update protocols, access permissions, and a long-term maintenance plan.
• Owns coordination of all project closeout documentation across capital and I&A projects - as-built drawings, submittal records, O&M manuals, warranties, and other project-related materials - ensuring materials are captured, organized, and fed into the BIM and CAFM systems as the authoritative source of project record.
• Builds on existing groundwork - including preliminary BIM guideline documentation - developed by the Planning and Design student intern, incorporating it into the formal program as a starting reference point.
• Keeps abreast of developments in BIM standards and technology relevant to campus facilities management; recommends program adjustments as the field evolves.

Phase two (once BIM program governance is established, generally year two and beyond): extends BIM and space-data governance to support space-utilization and occupancy analytics - including badge-scan data and dashboard/visualization work - in partnership with the Senior Director. This is a…