Department
Chief Operating Officer
About the University
Metropolitan State University of Denver is Colorado's student-centered public university, offering affordable, high-quality, career-focused education in the heart of downtown Denver - the center of the state's economic and cultural life. Serving 18,000+ students across 100+ undergraduate and graduate programs, certificates, and credentials, MSU Denver offers small classes taught by expert faculty and provides unparalleled access to internships, career and faculty mentors, and career opportunities with top employers.
MSU Denver is designed for today's learners: 53% are the first generation in their families to attend college; 57% are students of color; and their average age is 24. With flexible pathways, rolling admissions, and consistent wraparound support, we meet students where they are and walk alongside them on the path to success.
As Colorado's top transfer destination and a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution, MSU Denver is a national leader in advancing equity and spurring social mobility: 75% of our 115,000+ alumni remain in Colorado, impacting communities and fueling industries and innovation. Employers know Roadrunners are ready to contribute on day one.
For six decades, MSU Denver has been redefining who has access to excellent education, delivering an unmatched return on investment for students, families and Colorado's economy. Be a changemaker at MSU Denver!
About The Department
The University Operations Department at MSU Denver delivers integrated, enterprise-wide services that ensure a safe, efficient, and high-performing campus environment in support of the University's academic mission and student success. The department provides strategic and day-to-day oversight of the institution's physical assets, enterprise assets, service operations, and risk posture, while partnering closely with the Auraria Campus to coordinate across shared campus spaces and campus services. Collectively, the University Operations Department integrates facilities stewardship, capital planning, and enterprise risk management into a cohesive framework that advances institutional effectiveness, enhances the campus experience, and positions MSU Denver for sustainable, long-term success.
Position Summary
The Director of Business Operations provides strategic and functional leadership across the university's portfolio of enterprise assets and operational services including but not limited to hotel operations, event operations, lease operations, facility use management and insurance management. A central priority for this position will be establishing and scaling a new university-wide event management framework, building out the necessary policies, procedures and resources to ensure long-term success.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role drives operational excellence, financial performance, and risk mitigation while serving as a key partner across administrative and academic units. Positioned at the intersection of enterprise management and risk management, the Director will bridge strategy with operational execution to maximize performance, align stakeholder interests, and oversee campus and asset use.
This is a director-level individual contributor role that works collaboratively within the Administration Branch and across the University. As the Event Management framework is established and launched, the role will expand to include oversight of the event management resources.
Metropolitan State University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer.
Job Duties & Responsibilities:
Hotel Operations - ensure the property supports both institutional and financial objectives. Key responsibilities include:
Strategic Alignment: Ensure hotel operations advance the university's mission, enhance campus and community engagement, and meet financial and operational goals.
Financial Oversight: Review budgets, forecasts, and performance reports; monitor revenue and expenses; and ensure responsible use of university resources.
Operational Performance: Work with the asset manager to evaluate service quality, brand standards, and guest satisfaction, maintaining the hotel's role as a reflection of the university's reputation.
Contract Management: Oversee the management agreement and vendor contracts to ensure compliance with terms, performance expectations, and institutional policies. Collaborate with and guide the asset manager in contract negotiations and renewals.
Stakeholder Coordination: Serve as liaison among the university, asset manager, and hotel operator, providing regular updates to Chief Operating Officer, senior leadership and Board of Trustees.
Risk and Compliance: Ensure adherence to university policies, regulatory requirements, and risk management standards.
Educational Integration: Support opportunities for student learning, internships, and academic collaboration within hotel operations.
Reporting and Analysis: Prepare regular reports for executive leadership outlining hotel performance and strategic opportunities
Lease Operations: Oversee all aspects of the university's real estate leasing portfolio-including Dazbog and Summit 1st floor retail operations--to ensure alignment with institutional priorities, financial objectives, and compliance standards. Key responsibilities include:
Strategic Oversight: Develop, recommend and implement leasing strategies that support the university's mission, campus plan, and financial sustainability.
Lease Administration: Manage the full lifecycle of university leases-including negotiation, execution, renewals, terminations, and rent escalations as necessary.
Financial Management: Monitor lease revenue and expenses. In coordination with Controller's Office, ensure timely invoicing and payment of all lease terms including utilities, maintenance and other pass-through costs, and maintain accurate financial tracking and reporting.
Contract Compliance: Ensure adherence to lease terms, university policies, and applicable laws and regulations; coordinate resolution of lease disputes or compliance issues.
Stakeholder Coordination: Serve as the central liaison among internal departments (e.g., Finance, Facilities, Legal, and Academic Affairs) and external tenants, landlords, and partners.
Space Optimization: Evaluate lease performance and space utilization to maximize efficiency and support institutional growth.
Risk and Policy Management: Identify and mitigate operational and financial risks; maintain accurate records and ensure documentation aligns with audit and policy requirements.
Reporting and Analysis: Prepare regular reports for leadership outlining lease performance and strategic opportunities.
Event Management - Under broad strategic direction, build, launch and scale a university-wide framework for event management in university spaces for events that are not supported by the Office or University Events or the Auraria Campus Special Events organization. Key responsibilities include:
Framework Design & Launch: Build, implement, and lead a centralized, campus-wide event management framework, establishing standardized workflows, intake portals, and operational standards from the ground up.
Policy & Governance: Formulate and enforce university-wide event policies, procedures, and guidelines
System & Tech Implementation: Evaluate, select, and deploy an enterprise event scheduling and management system to centralize space requests, ticketing, invoicing, and logistics.
Resource Planning: Assess operational needs to design the long-term organizational structure for event support; recruit, onboard, and manage a high-performing team of direct reports--as needed--and vendor partners as the functio
