Chief Operating & People Officer; ADMIN MGR

Job Summary

The Chief Operating & People Officer (COPO) is a senior executive leadership role responsible for the overall health, effectiveness, and alignment of CPE’s people, operations, and internal administrative systems. Reporting directly to the Dean, the COPO serves as the division’s chief advisor on workforce strategy, organizational culture, and operational excellence.

This role is intentionally designed to provide unified executive leadership across Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, and Dean’s Office Operations, ensuring that internal systems, people practices, and service standards operate cohesively and proactively. The COPO is charged with moving CPE from fragmented, reactive operational practices toward a modern, prevention-focused, metrics-driven operating model that supports growth, accountability, and a healthy workplace culture.

The role reflects the Dean’s commitment to clarity, transparency, and sustained organizational excellence.

For full consideration, applicants are encouraged to upload license and/or certification if required of the position.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Higher Education Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and substantial, relevant professional experience.
• Minimum of 10–12 years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including service in senior executive, deputy, or enterprise-level roles with oversight of multiple operational and administrative functions (e.g., Human Resources, Information Technology, facilities, administrative services, or equivalent) within a complex organization.
• Demonstrated success leading organization-wide operations and internal services, aligning people strategy, operational systems, and organizational practices to institutional mission, strategy, and long-term sustainability—particularly in resource-constrained or self-supporting environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale organizational change, including operational redesign, systems modernization, workforce or service-delivery transformation, and cultural change in complex, matrixed, or decentralized environments.
• Strong background in people, culture, and workforce leadership, including employee relations, conflict resolution, talent development, performance management, and building organizational trust through clear communication, transparency, emotional intelligence, and consistent follow-through.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable senior leaders and managers, fostering high standards of performance, service quality, collaboration, and shared ownership across diverse functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with and oversee enterprise technology and data-informed operations, including workflow optimization, systems implementation, service standards, and the use of metrics-driven management practices (e.g., OKRs, KPIs, dashboards) to improve accountability, decision-making, and organizational performance.

• Master’s degree (MBA, MPA, MA, JD, or related field).
• Experience in higher education or the UC system, including academic personnel processes.
• Experience leading organizational transformation, workforce modernization, or digital operations improvement.
• Experience directing HR and operational teams during periods of growth, restructuring, or cultural change.
• Familiarity with UC labor relations, HR systems, and collective bargaining environments.

• 35% - Operational Leadership & Strategy
• 35% - People, Culture & Workforce Leadership
• 15% - Change Management & Organizational Development
• 15% - Executive Collaboration & Communication

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) is the lifelong learning arm of the university. The division maintains the most diverse portfolio on the campus, with programs spanning pre-college, professional continuing education, workforce development, international academic and cultural exchange, and training services for corporate and agency partners. As a global leader in…