Senior Director, Site Operations West

Job Description The Opportunity

Senior Director, Operations – West provides strategic and operational leadership across the University’s Western operations, with a strong focus on organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and alignment with institutional goals. This position offers an opportunity to lead through collaboration, innovation, and data-informed decision-making while supporting the continued growth and effectiveness of teams across the region. The Senior Director will work across functions to strengthen operational excellence, develop partnerships, support organizational change, and ensure that teams are aligned with University strategy.

The role is well suited for an experienced leader who can balance strategic vision with practical execution, build strong relationships, and drive continuous improvement in a complex higher education environment.

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight across Western operations, ensuring alignment with University priorities and organizational goals.
• Develop and execute strategic initiatives that improve operational effectiveness, service delivery, and organizational performance.
• Lead and support managers and teams through goal setting, resource allocation, delegation, performance management, and professional development.
• Build strong partnerships across departments and foster effective cross-functional collaboration.
• Use data and performance metrics to evaluate operations, identify trends, and support informed decision-making.
• Lead organizational change initiatives and help teams successfully adapt to evolving priorities, processes, and institutional needs.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, operational efficiencies, and innovative approaches to enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, employee development, performance evaluation, and recognition initiatives.
• Address complex operational and personnel matters using sound judgment, problem-solving, and ethical leadership.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, professional growth, and continuous improvement.
• Represent the University professionally and serve as a strategic partner to leadership and internal stakeholders.
• Travel may be required for University activities, including Worldwide graduations and staff development.

For over 100 years, Embry-Riddle has been the world's leading aviation and aerospace university, educating more than 30,000 students across residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, as well as through a global network of Worldwide locations and online programs. With more than 165,000 alumni around the world, our impact reaches every corner of the aerospace, aviation, defense and technology industries.

Today, our faculty, researchers and professional staff are advancing innovation across aviation, space, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, autonomous systems and next-generation engineering. Working alongside industry leaders, government agencies and innovators, they are solving real-world challenges and shaping the technologies that will define tomorrow. Whether you are an educator, researcher, administrator, technologist or industry professional, your work at Embry-Riddle will contribute to something bigger than a job.

Join a community driven by discovery, purpose and excellence—and help shape the future of aerospace.

Enjoy up to 18 days of paid leave in your first year, including 3 days granted upon hire and 15 days accrued throughout the year. You'll also receive 9+ paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

Get 100% tuition coverage for yourself for one undergraduate and one graduate degree, and discounted rates for your spouse and dependent children up to age 26.

ERAU contributes 6% of your base salary to your retirement plan and offers a 4% matching contribution – with no vesting period.

Relax with 15 days of personal leave for non-exempt employees or 18 days for exempt full-time employees in your first year.