Salary will be competitive and commensurate with experience. The UC Merced campus is located 5 miles from downtown Merced, an hour north of Fresno, two hours south of Sacramento, and two hours southeast of the San Francisco Bay area and Silicon Valley. The city of Merced is a highly diverse and youthful city that hosts theaters, galleries, museums, numerous restaurants, and frequent cultural events. The city is home to Merced Regional Airport, with regular commercial flights to Los Angeles and Sacramento, as well as Amtrak and Greyhound stations. The campus is adjacent to Lake Yosemite, an ideal setting for swimming, walking, barbecues, or other activities. Merced is known as the “Gateway to Yosemite” and it is common for students to take the 90-minute day trip to Yosemite National Park to hike, snowboard, rock climb, and camp overnight. To learn more about Merced, please see cityofmerced.org/.
Job Closing Date
Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters and diversity statements should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/8102. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.
Rebecca Kennedy and Jaime Morgen
Isaacson, Miller
263 Summer Street, 7th Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(617) 262-6500
About UC Merced
The University of California (UC) Merced, the youngest campus in the world-renowned University of California system, seeks a new Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer (VC-COO) to help lead this unique institution into an exciting new era of rapid growth and distinction within the UC system and among research universities globally. With many aspirations and a recent $1.3 billion physical expansion, UC Merced is at a pivotal moment — a young campus moving into maturity. With many of its foundational needs now met, the institution seeks an innovative and collaborative Vice Chancellor and COO to help continue its incredible trajectory.
Opened in 2005, the University of California, Merced was the first new University of California campus created in 40 years, and the first American research university of the twenty-first century. After only 16 years of operation, UC Merced now ranks #38 among public universities and #93 overall among national universities in the annual US News & World Report rankings. In the past four years, the campus has risen 72 spots. Times Higher Education ranks UC Merced #3 in the US among young universities, and #7 in Sierra Magazine’s “2021 Cool Schools.” UC Merced achieved R2 status (“doctoral-granting university with higher research activity,” per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education) in record time and is now setting a very ambitious trajectory toward quickly earning R1 status.
Additionally, the campus has earned Carnegie’s prestigious Classification for Community Engagement, a testament to its deep commitment to the Central Valley. Since welcoming its first freshman class, UC Merced has grown in enrollment to approximately 9,100 students, including 770 graduate students in its three Schools: School of Engineering; School of Natural Sciences; and the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. Additionally, the Ernest & Julio Gallo School of Management is currently being established and will be the first new school since the campus’ opening. Envisioned as a “management school of the future,” this school will encompass interdisciplinary areas like cognition, economics, complexity, data science, sustainability, and management.
The next major capital project for the campus will be a 182,698 gross square foot Health, Behavioral Sciences and Medical Education (HBS-ME) building, currently in the planning and design phase and estimated to cost approximately $210 million. The building will be programmed and designed to provide instructional facilities for medical education and other allied healthcare-related courses that are able to evolve as these programs mature. Project sustainability targets and goals include Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) minimum building certification level of Gold, with incentives for Platinum. The HBS-ME building is anticipated to be the first fully electrified capital project on campus.
Working with faculty, staff, and students across the UC Merced community, as well as with leaders from the UC System and regional communities, the next VC-COO will continue to enhance the campus’ reputation by helping to address a set of key opportunities and challenges, as follows:
Support UC Merced’s path to R1 status through careful planning and stewardship of physical space and operations Embed UC Merced’s deep commitment to diversity and inclusion in all strategies and activities of the VC-COO’s division Continue to support UC Merced’s proven commitment to sustainability Strengthen relationships and trust across the University by providing regular, clear, and transparent communications about campus planning, operations, and safety Lead a cohesive unit by managing the departments within the COO’s portfolio through continued change Serve as an excellent citizen and representative of the campus
UC Merced was founded as part of an effort to increase access to the University of California system for California's top achievers, enhance the University of California’s presence within the rapidly growing San Joaquin Valley, and strengthen and diversify the economy of one of the world’s most productive agricultural regions. Following a careful and competitive selection process, the UC Board of Regents chose the site in eastern Merced County as the location for the 10th campus of the University of California. Faculty members began to arrive in 2003, with the first graduate courses beginning in fall 2004, and the campus celebrated its official grand opening and the arrival of the first class of undergraduate students on Sept. 5, 2005. Since UC Merced’s doors officially opened in 2005, the UC system has continued to invest in the newest campus, most recently with significant financial support for the 2020 Project campus expansion spearheaded by UC Merced’s third chancellor, Dorothy Leland, and completed under the current chancellor, Juan Sánchez Muñoz. The campus represents an important point of pride for the city of Merced (pop. 84,000), a city within driving distance of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada, as well as the state capital in Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley, and the Monterey coast.
The impact of UC Merced’s rapid ascent reaches beyond its campus and continues to transform the region academically, economically, and environmentally. UC Merced maintains a focus on sustainability, research, diversity, and community. It leads the UC system in the percentage of students from underrepresented ethnic groups, low-income families and families whose parents did not attend college and has been designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. UC Merced is becoming well-known nationally for its state-of-the-art facilities and extensive growth plan, its talented and diverse student body, and for its already well-established recognized research programs in fields such as cognitive science, precision agriculture, psychology, artificial intelligence, climate-change science, biological sciences, renewable energy and sustainability, biophysics, and nano-engineering. The next Vice Chancellor will build upon this strong foundation to contribute to the continued evolution of the Merced campus as it strives to become a Carnegie R1, or “Highest Research Activity,” institution.
One of the hallmarks of the UC system is shared governance. Each of UC Merced’s schools has an elected Executive Committee that advises the dean on policy and resource allocations. In addition, faculty are organized into departments with chairs that oversee hiring, promotion, and retention of faculty, and programmatic curricular matters. These departments develop strategic plans to address research and teaching needs and collaborate to administer undergraduate and graduate programs. Together, Executive Committees, the Deans, department chairs, and program chairs work together to foster excellent research, support graduate education, and deliver high quality undergraduate education. For more information about the UC system and the Merced campus, please refer to this document’s appendix.
Leadership and Governance
In May 2020, Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D., was appointed as UC Merced’s fourth chancellor. He joined UC Merced from the University of Houston Downtown, where he served as president and, within his first year, launched the university’s largest capital campaign and led recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey. He presided over increases in enrollment, retention and graduation, and new degree programs
Muñoz has also served on the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence, and is currently on the board of directors of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the American Council on Education. He is a graduate of the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership offered jointly by Arizona State and Georgetown Universities, ACE’s Spectrum Executive Leadership Program, Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership, UC Berkeley’s Executive Leadership Academy and the University of Texas Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Policy’s Governor’s Executive Development Program.
Research Aspirations
UC Merced has already established distinctive research strengths. Faculty members are working on solutions to some of society's biggest challenges, including brain development, climate change, cancer drivers, cellular processes in drug addiction, artificial intelligence, the long-term effects of oil spills, political torture, sustainable agriculture, big data systems, artificial intelligence, quantum information systems, language development, ocean deoxygenation, data drones and voter behavior, to name just a few current projects. UC Merced offers undergraduate student’s opportunities to work directly with faculty on research, to a greater extent than most public universities. Research grants awarded to university faculty members totaled $31.6 million (FY17-18) and $56.9 million (FY18-19), with research expenditures in FY19 at $45.9 million. UC Merced’s approximately 300 ladder-rank faculty members have a wide range of interdisciplinary research interests and have won numerous awards.
The campus has several research institutes and centers: the Sierra Nevada Research Institute; the Health Sciences Research Institute; the Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines (CCBM), a multidisciplinary center of research excellence in Science and Technology recently funded by the NSFCREST program; the Center for Information Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), an inter-campus research center; UC Solar and UC Water, two other multi-campus research centers for which UC Merced serves as the lead; and the Center for the Humanities. Furthermore, the campus has created partnerships with signature research entities, such as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Joint Genome Institute, and the National Park Services. UC Merced offers undergraduate students the opportunity to work directly with faculty on research, to a greater extent than most public universities. To learn more about research at UC Merced and its various centers and institutes, please see ucmerced.edu/research.
The 2020 Project Campus Expansion
In October 2016, UC Merced broke ground on the 2020 Project, a $1.3 billion capital expansion project that is providing the physical space to accommodate UC Merced’s planned growth to 10,000 students and beyond. By leveraging private sector expertise through an innovative public-private partnership (P3), the 2020 Project has enabled UC Merced to advance its teaching, research, and public service mission in the most cost-effective and rapid way possible.
In total, more than 1.2 million gross square feet of LEED Platinum-certified facilities has recently been added to the existing 1.4 million gross square foot campus. Notably, to meet the existing and future demand for on- campus housing, the project added 1,700 new beds in student housing and 1,570 new parking spaces. It also added a competition pool, recreation amenities, student, dining and conference facilities, and wellness center. Because of its scale, the project has provided a once-in-a-generation opportunity to adopt a mission-oriented realignment of space within the entire campus.
The campus expansion builds upon the University’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, demonstrating sustainable economic, social, and environmental systems that preserve the ability for future generations to meet their own needs. UC Merced is proud to be the first public research university in the nation to achieve carbon neutrality. Since its founding, UC Merced has demonstrated success in this area in everything from green buildings to water conservation to efficiency. Further pushing the definition of success, UC Merced has established the Triple Zero Net Goals, a set of aspirations for the campus to ultimately produce as much as it uses, create zero landfill waste, and achieve climate neutrality.
About the Job
The Role of the Vice Chancellor-Chief Operating Officer
This leader will be both visionary and operational in their thinking, taking into consideration the nuances of a continually operating University campus. A strategic and forward-thinking mentality will be imperative for success, as will special attention to stakeholder relationships with varying viewpoints. The shared governance environment in which this leader will operate requires authentic and genuine communication and the ability to balance varying viewpoints while advocating for one’s own staff.
The VC-COO will be uniquely positioned to work with UC Merced at a crucial time as they support various resource needs around key areas. A key player and strategic advisor on the Chancellor’s leadership team, the VC-COO will initially oversee the following departments: Facilities Management; Planning, Design & Construction Management; Real Estate & Space Strategies; Sustainability; Environmental Health & Safety; University Police; Emergency Management; and Fire and Building Safety. The Environmental Health & Safety area also has a dotted line to the Vice Chancellor for Research, which will likely be made permanent later this year. As the leader of the Physical Operations, Planning & Development (POPD) division, the Vice Chancellor-Chief Operating Officer oversees 8 direct reports, 170 staff and a budget of approximately $29 million.
Key Opportunities and Challenges
UC Merced has made significant progress and requires ongoing outstanding vision and leadership to move into its next phase and secure its reputation as a major public research institution following the strong tradition of the other nine campuses in the UC system. As an emerging institution, UC Merced has exceptional freedom to pioneer new models for teaching, research, and service, as well as through its development and implementation of systems, processes, and flexibility in moving forward in a new growth paradigm for public universities. In helping lead UC Merced into its next stage of growth, the Vice Chancellor-Chief Operating Officer will address several key opportunities and challenges, which are detailed below:
Support UC Merced’s path to R1 status through careful planning and stewardship of physical space and operations
With the ambitious goal of achieving R1 status within the next 10 years, it will be imperative to support the ongoing development of and planning for increased research facilities and lab space on campus as the campus builds off the success of Merced 2020. Through a close partnership with the EVC/Provost, Vice Chancellor for Research, VC/CFO, and other senior leaders, the VC-COO will help develop new research and teaching facilities, repurpose existing spaces, and support sophisticated space planning and facilities maintenance operations. An understanding of the administrative and financial processes that allow academic research to prosper will be crucial as the VC-COO develops and aligns the structures and policies with the needs, goals, and incentive structures appropriate for a major research university on the rise. Through engaging with various stakeholders across campus, notably faculty, the VC-COO will re-imagine processes with an eye toward service and efficiency that enable research and education goals. As the research portfolio continues to grow, and reliance on state appropriations decreases, UC Merced can move closer to reaching its goal of R1 status.
Embed UC Merced’s deep commitment to diversity and inclusion in all strategies and activities of the VC-COO’s division
UC Merced has a deep commitment to academic excellence and diversity to provide the best possible environment for working and learning. The University is committed to recruiting and retaining faculty, administrators, and staff from underrepresented backgrounds to support inclusive excellence. The VCCOO should be dedicated to supporting those ideals and promoting them across the institution. Specifically, the VC-COO will be expected to recruit and retain a diverse staff and cultivate an environment of inclusiveness and transparency across the Division. At the core of UC Merced is a focus on academic success for all students, and the VC-COO should foster a culture in their work and collaboration that reflects and promotes that important priority.
Continue to support UC Merced’s proven commitment to sustainability
As the campus moves from a start-up campus to one that is more established, the VC-COO will work to support sustainable and scalable practices, structures, and policies. Based on UC Merced 2020 Triple Net Zero Goals and its desire to become an R1 institution within the next decade, the VC-COO will continue to support the campus’ efforts in everything from green building, water conservation and efficiency, and procurement practices to fulfill these goals. The VC-COO and their team supports a variety of initiatives impacting transportation, dining, energy, maintenance, and building operations and will need to be forward-thinking in terms of sustainability initiatives. As the campus has already seen significant success in this area, the VC-COO will be a true leader in both the region and the greater University of California system.
Strengthen relationships and trust across the University by providing regular, clear, and transparent communications about campus planning, operations, and safety
Consistent with the spirit of UC Merced, the VC-COO will foster relationships across the campus through openness, transparency, and respect. Utilizing exceptional interpersonal skills in working with others, the VC-COO and their team will cultivate strong working partnerships with other campus units, communicating and interfacing exceptionally well around complicated planning, facilities, and safety matters, ensuring that all stakeholders at the University are appropriately informed or and knowledgeable about current and future planning needs, and ensuring that campus leaders have straightforward access to the data that allows for clear decision making. The VC-COO will take the needs and aspirations of constituencies into account in their work, prioritizing honesty and integrity in the process. In doing so, the VC-COO will maintain close working relationships and seek input from academic and administrative leaders to determine future directions consistent with the University mission.
Lead a cohesive unit by managing the departments within the COO’s portfolio through continued change
As a leader of a large division comprising many diverse departments, the Vice Chancellor-Chief Operating Officer will work to strengthen and manage a team that continuously improves internal processes and tools, with an eye toward service and innovation. To further UC Merced on its journey to R1 status and to meet the needs of a growing and diverse student population, it will be imperative that the VC-COO leads a team that operates cohesively and collaboratively. Through consistent and effective communication with their unit, the VC-COO will ensure that the team feels supported and celebrated in this fast-paced and ever-changing environment. In their work, the VC-COO will need to make difficult decisions and ensure that these decisions are effectively and transparently communicated within the Division and the rest of the University. The VC-COO will work to lead and promote a culture of responsiveness, collaboration, safety, and efficiency to meet the needs of Merced’s diverse intellectual community.
Serve as an excellent citizen and representative of the campus
To be successful, the VC-COO will need to truly and unapologetically embrace the collective ambitions of the campus community, the City of Merced, and the Central Valley. This will involve listening carefully to all University, system, and community constituents to fully understand hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the campus and surrounding communities, and delivering on these, where possible. Through leveraging the strength and uniqueness of the Central Valley, the VC-COO will continuously look to build connections and partnerships with the surrounding community. The VC-COO will also be an excellent representative of UC Merced in all interactions outside campus, including in the UC System, with the UCOP, and with other community organizations. As a key leader on campus, the VC-COO will work strategically to cultivate credibility with city, state, and federal officials and other community leaders to promote the university and its important mission.
Qualifications
UC Merced will search nationally for candidates, with emphasis on facilities management, design and construction and physical operations, and proven effectiveness in an academic environment. The University will also consider candidates with relevant experience in non-academic settings of similar complexity. While no one person will likely embody all the professional qualifications, skills, experiences, and personal qualities desirable in this role, the successful candidate will bring many of the following:
Strong record of competencies in physical design, construction and operations of multi-use buildings; Experience leading and managing within complex building and land use environments, including P3 projects; Demonstrated experience leading in a complex decentralized and matrixed organization; Strong leadership and interpersonal skills necessary to working proactively across the campus at all levels, including with peers, community leaders, and colleagues within the UC System and UCOP; Proven record of achievement and understanding in diversity, equity, and inclusion; Exceptional written and oral communication skills necessary to prepare and communicate clear and concise correspondence and reports to audiences at all levels of the organization; Demonstrated skill in the development of a team environment and the professional development of team members; Experience in an organization committed to sustainability; Ability to lead workgroups and cross-functional teams and to motivate stakeholders, focus on results, and construct action plans with achievable goals, results, and deadlines; Experience with automated facilities planning and management systems; Ability to work with great autonomy and exercise independent judgment; Proven record of driving organizational change; and Bachelor’s degree in related field required. Advanced degree preferred. Ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a closely related professional field.
Background Check
Background check and fingerprinting may be required.
Policy Statement
How to Apply: (Do not apply on UC Merced application website)
Send all inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters and diversity statements must be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/8102. Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.
Rebecca Kennedy and Jaime Morgen, Isaacson, Miller
263 Summer Street, 7th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(617) 262-6500
Equal Employment Opportunity:
The University of California, Merced is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, pregnancy, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or other protected categories covered by the UC Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy. UC Merced intentionally promotes and maintains a discrimination- and harassment-free workplace by demonstrating it neither condones nor tolerates employment practices that discriminate against or harass any person or specific group of persons on the basis listed above. We seek candidates who will support our vision to cultivate a vibrant, equity-minded, inclusive excellence university community. When applying to UC Merced, we strongly encourage you to reflect on our Principles of Community and our 2021 strategic plan.
Vaccination Program Policy:
As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Policy. All Covered Individuals under the policy must provide proof of Full Vaccination or, if applicable, submit a request for Exception (based on Medical Exemption, Disability, and/or Religious Objection) or Deferral (based on pregnancy) no later than the applicable deadline. For new University of California employees, the applicable deadline is eight weeks after their first date of employment.
Smoke and Tobacco Free Policy:
The University of California, Merced is a smoke and tobacco free workplace. Information and the Smoke and Tobacco Free policy is available at http://smokefree.ucmerced.edu.
E-Verify:
All employers who receive Federal contracts and grants are required to comply with E-Verify, an Internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA). E-Verify electronically verifies employment eligibility by comparing information provided on the I-9 form to records in the DHS and SSA databases. Certain positions funded by federal contracts/subcontracts requires UC Merced to notify job applicants that an E-Verify check will be conducted and the successful candidate must pass the E-Verify check.
Pay, Benefits & Work Schedule:
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University of California visit: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/