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Director of Research Park Operations
University of Tennessee Research Park
Operations
Knoxville, TN, USA
Posted on Aug 13, 2025
Why Join UT Research Park
The University of Tennessee Research Park is located just across the Tennessee River from UT’s flagship campus in Knoxville. The park offers an ideal location for companies and entrepreneurs to collaborate with the talent at UT and provides the right connections to foster success.
- Help shape Tennessee’s foremost innovation ecosystem
- Collaborate with the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Lab, and leading industry partners
- High-impact role with long-term influence on research, development, and regional growth
- Competitive salary and benefits with opportunities for advancement.
Learn more at: https://www.tnresearchpark.org/.
About the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
What began in 1794 as a small college has grown into Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university and premier public research institution. UT Knoxville, which includes the UT Space Institute and the UT Institute of Agriculture, serves the state by educating its citizens, enhancing its culture, and making a difference in people’s lives through research and service. We embody excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, and engagement.
- UTK is Tennessee’s flagship university and premier public research institution.
- Classified as producing very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (Doctoral Universities R1 category).
- A Carnegie Community Engaged university.
Role Overview
The UT Research Park is seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Operations to lead the strategic growth, infrastructure planning, and daily operations of our rapidly evolving research and innovation ecosystem. The Director will be a key driver in executing our development strategy and tenant-experience enhancements, coordinating property-management functions, and aligning operations with the Park’s long-term mission, research goals, and university partnerships.
Development & Master-Plan Execution
- Translate master-plan goals into actionable milestones
- Create RFP processes for new construction; evaluate proposals and manage vendor relationships
- Collaborate with architects, engineers, and city officials
- Interface with university officials and capital projects for space planning
Operational Process & System Design
- Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for leasing, on-boarding, and facility services
- Implement processes to track occupancy, service requests, and tenant feedback
Tenant Experience, Stakeholder Engagement & Property Management Oversight
- Serve as primary operational liaison to building managers, university facilities, developers, and industry partners
- Align property management initiatives and ensure Research Park guidelines are followed
- Maintain issue-resolution metrics, utilizing data analytics to inform operational improvements, tenant satisfaction, and strategic planning to help tenants project future growth needs
Performance & Strategy
- Establish and track KPIs related to space utilization, project performance, and tenant satisfaction
- Drive quarterly reviews, identify improvement opportunities, and oversee corrective action plans
- Oversee risk management, emergency planning, and sustainability strategies across the park and future innovation districts
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with university-affiliated research parks, innovation districts, or technology campuses
- Collaborative leader who builds trust with diverse stakeholders
- Strategic thinker with a hands-on operational mindset
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree and either a PE license, PMP certification, MBA, or advanced degree in real estate, engineering management, or related field
Experience: 7–10 years of commercial real estate, engineering, or campus-scale operations
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
- Proven leadership in cross-functional teams and infrastructure projects
- Strong project-management skills; comfortable with RFPs, vendor negotiation, and contract oversight
- Regular on-site presence at the UT Research Park in Knoxville, TN
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