University of California  Los Angeles

Executive Director, Events & Transportation

Transportation
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Proven ability to build and maintain relationships across various groups including faculty, staff, and community leaders.
  • Expertise in negotiating and collaborating on policy formulation with diverse constituencies.
  • Strong verbal communication skills for persuasive presentations and effective participatory meetings.
  • Experience working collaboratively with various interests to reach organizational goals.
  • Ability to maintain composure and political savvy in high-stakes situations.
  • Knowledge of state, federal, and local transportation regulations and legislative issues.
  • Proficiency in managing complex organizations and diverse teams, including budget and strategic planning.
  • Familiarity with unionized environments and human resources principles.

Responsibilities

  • Lead transportation and events portfolio with a focus on strategic direction and operational excellence.
  • Oversee a budget exceeding $48.5 million and a diverse staff of nearly 300.
  • Drive initiatives for major campus planning projects including subway extensions and transit corridors.
  • Manage partnerships with local transit agencies and public transit systems.
  • Coordinate large-scale campus events while ensuring safety and accessibility for all attendees.
  • Advocate for UCLA's transportation needs at various government and community levels.
  • Implement technology investments and process improvements across departments.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits starting from day one of employment.
  • Access to UC Total Compensation Estimator to evaluate overall compensation value.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continued learning.
  • Support for sustainable transportation initiatives within the campus.
  • Access to a diverse and vibrant community at UCLA.
Full Job Description
Position Summary

The Executive Director leads a broad portfolio at the intersection of transportation, events, customer experience, sustainability and campus operations. The portfolio includes transportation demand management; parking and traffic systems; campus transit; bicycle, micromobility and pedestrian safety; shared mobility; public transit partnerships; fleet acquisition and maintenance; commuter programs; event and film-shoot access to campus spaces; and the Central Ticket Office (CTO), which supports ticketing for thousands of events annually.

The scope and complexity of E&T offer an exceptional platform for a leader who can connect long-range strategy with operational excellence. The Executive Director oversees a transportation and events enterprise with more than $78 million in revenues, a combined operating budget exceeding $48.5 million, annual debt service/non-operating expense of $5.5 million, and a staff of nearly 300 FTE/headcount of 485. The organization also manages substantial physical and financial assets and provides important financial support to campus programs.

Operationally, the portfolio includes a 22,000+ space parking system across more than 50 facilities; a fleet of approximately 950 University vehicles (including 50% zero-emission vehicles); nearly half a million annual transit boardings with directly operated service; agreements with seven local transit agencies, including more than 400 public transit buses visiting campus each weekday; approximately 84,000 daily vehicle trips;; more than 3,000 bicycle parking spaces; and 800 shared micromobility modes. E&T also supports 850 annual campus events and extra-curricular activities including high-profile events such as UCLA Commencement with up to 65,000 daily attendees and provides strategic oversight of CTO ticketing services for 8,000+ campus events annually.

The Executive Director establishes the long-term vision and strategy for a sustainable, accessible, safer, and well-connected UCLA campus, balancing service excellence, sound business practices, regulatory requirements, and the needs of the University and surrounding communities. The leader oversees Commuter & Parking Services, Events, Fleet & Transit, Mobility Planning & Traffic Systems, and the Central Ticket Office, driving operational excellence, innovation, and integrated transportation and event strategies. The role provides strategic leadership for major transportation and campus-planning initiatives, including the Metro D Line Subway Extension and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor subway project, while representing UCLA with government agencies, transit partners, community organizations, and industry stakeholders to advocate for campus interests and expanded sustainable mobility. The Executive Director also leads long-range financial and operational planning across multiple multi-million-dollar enterprises, including pricing, revenue management, asset stewardship, and performance measurement; oversees coordination of major campus events; and advances technology, process improvements, and customer-focused services across transportation, parking, traffic, fleet, events, and ticketing operations.

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished leader who combines enterprise-scale operational leadership, sophisticated stakeholder management, and strong business judgment, with the ability to operate effectively in a highly visible and politically sensitive environment and navigate the complexities of an urban transportation ecosystem with competing resource demands. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience leading large, complex organizations and diverse workforces, along with strong budgetary and strategic planning capabilities, exceptional relationship-building skills, and highly developed negotiation, collaboration, and communication abilities. They will bring strong business and political acumen, including the ability to advocate effectively at federal, state, and regional levels; analyze qualitative and quantitative information, trends, and policies; and translate insights into organizational strategies, focused plans, and sound decisions. Knowledge of applicable state, federal, and local industry trends, and sustainable transportation fundamentals is essential, as is human resources leadership experience in a primarily unionized environment. Familiarity with University policies, programs, and management practices is preferred.

The Executive Director is entrusted with significant University assets and is expected to exercise a high degree of prudence and integrity. E&T is responsible for construction and maintenance associated with more than 7.6 million square feet of facilities with an approximate asset value of $767.97 million, as well as debt-capacity analysis related to more than $45.1 million in long-term financing.

To apply for the position, please submit a resume as well as a cover letter that expands upon your relevant experience, prior roles held and specific accomplishments within those roles.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.
Qualifications

  • 1. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong and enduring relationships with a wide variety of constituencies, including faculty, staff, students, University administrators, community leaders, government officials, the general public, and the media. (Required)
  • 2. Skill in negotiating and in exchanging ideas, information and opinions with a variety of constituencies to formulate policies and programs, and arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions or solutions. (Required)
  • 3. Highly developed and effective verbal communication skills for making persuasive oral presentations to senior management, as well as internal and external constituencies, and to conduct participatory meetings, gain acceptance of decision, and to advise and collaborate with others. Demonstrated written communication skill to prepare concise, logical, accurate, and grammatically correct reports, presentations, project proposals, correspondence, etc. to address sensitive, complex and broad ranging issues in a university and business setting. (Required)
  • 4. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with a variety of constituencies, with multiple interests, to define and achieve organizational objectives. (Required)
  • 5. Demonstrated ability to perform with a high degree of composure, judgment and political acumen to effectively address varied issues of a politically sensitive, highly visible or closely scrutinized nature. (Required)
  • 6. Demonstrated business and political acumen, and the ability to advocate effectively at federal, state and regional levels. (Required)
  • 7. Knowledge of applicable state, federal and local ordinances, codes, laws, rules and regulations, and legislative issues. (Required)
  • 8. Demonstrated ability to manage a large, complex organization with a highly diverse staff and student body, including budgetary and strategic planning skills. (Required)
  • 9. Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of human resources, and the ability to apply these principles in a primarily unionized environment and in accordance with collective bargaining agreements. (Required)
  • 10. Demonstrated ability to clearly and logically analyze qualitative and quantitative information, trends and policies; ability to develop broad organizational assessments and initiatives, as well as more selected and focused plans, solutions and advice. (Required)
  • 11. Knowledge and understanding of University policies, programs and management principles, practices and trends. Ability to apply policy to ensure fair and consistent outcomes. Including knowledge and understanding of University policies and strategies related to inclusive excellence. Ability to collaborate with senior leaders to integrate EDI policies and best practices into workplace practices and programs. (Preferred)
  • 12. Knowledge of sustainable transportation fundamentals. (Required)

  • Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

  • Must possess, upon hire, and maintain a valid CA noncommercial Class C License in accordance with the California (CA) Department of Motor Vehicles. (Required)

  • Special Conditions for Employment

  • Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
  • Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
  • Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.
  • Driving Record: The position is subject to the California DMV "Pull Notice System" and continued employment is contingent upon proof of a satisfactory driving record.

  • Schedule

    Flexible Schedule Required to Meet Organizational Needs
    Union/Policy Covered

    99-Policy Covered
    Complete Position Description

    https://universityofcalifornia.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=38&JDName=Parking%20and%20Transportation%20Manager%204%20(40064356)

    About University of California Los Angeles

    The University of California, Los Angeles is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California State Normal School. This school was absorbed with the official founding of UCLA as the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1919, making it the second-oldest of the 10-campus University of California system. UCLA offers 337 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines, enrolling about 31,600 undergraduate and 14,300 graduate and professional students. UCLA received 174,914 undergraduate applications for Fall 2022, including transfers, making the school the most applied-to university in the United States. The university is organized into the College of Letters and Science and 12 professional schools. Six of the schools offer undergraduate degree programs: the School of the Arts and Architecture, Samueli School of Engineering, Herb Alpert School of Music, School of Nursing, Luskin School of Public Affairs and School of Theater, Film and Television. Three others are graduate-level professional health science schools: the David Geffen School of Medicine, School of Dentistry and Fielding School of Public Health. The School of Education & Information Studies, Anderson School of Management and School of Law round out the university.
    Learn more about University of California Los Angeles

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