Chief of Staff​/Vice President of Operations

Overview

Description and recruitment details are provided below. Recruitment Period: 01/16/2026 - 02/13/2026. Status:
Full-Time, 40 hours/week. Salary Information:
Annual Minimum Salary-$199,445;
Annual Maximum Salary-$275,000.

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Pro-rated based on hours/week.

Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) does not sponsor employment visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment with PNWU. Employment eligibility will be verified in accordance with federal law.

PNWU was founded as a 501(c)(3) non-profit medical institution in 2005 aimed at increasing access to health care in medically underserved areas of the Pacific Northwest. The University currently offers the degrees of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Master of Arts in Medical Science, and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy enrolling over 550 students annually with plans to develop other programs and/or colleges.

Interprofessional education partnerships with other universities adds another 100 students to the population. The campus includes 300 employees with academic programming spread over a five-state region.

PNWU is located in Yakima, WA, a city of approximately 95,000 located in the south-central part of the state near the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in a major agricultural and outdoor recreation region. It is approximately 140 miles from Seattle, 170 miles from Portland, and 200 miles from Spokane. The Yakima Valley is a wonderful place to live, work and play.

For more information, visit without external links.

• Provide supervision/oversight to Information Technology;
  Facilities and Maintenance;
  Campus Safety and Security;
  Risk and Compliance and other operational areas as designated by the President.

• Maintain efficient team structure and performance through analytics, processes and tools.

• Lead, oversee, and direct a broad range of high-level projects on behalf of the President, including convening task forces and committees pertaining to institutional priorities, while ensuring that ongoing projects are effectively designed, coordinated, managed, implemented, evaluated, and meet scheduled deliverables.

• Plan, direct and coordinate operations with the President, as well as other members of university administration, to determine the University's priorities and strategic direction.

• In conjunction with the Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost and Vice President of Enrollment Services, ensure academic endeavors that maximize student engagement.

• Promotes a positive image and engagement of the University by attending campus, community, regional and state activities as applicable.

• Partners with the Institutional Development office to advance major gift cultivation and fundraising strategies with active involvement in signature University and donor engagements events.

• Coordinates ongoing research and evaluation to provide the President with actionable insights on PNWU issues, policies, and initiatives, supporting a culture of continuous improvements.

• Serve as the President’s liaison with campus constituencies, as well as outside community constituencies as needed.

• Facilitate the Executive Leadership Group meetings, provide perspective and recommendations and ensure that the group is accountable for following through on their workplans and assignments.

• Contribute to the overall success of the University by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

• Performs other related duties as assigned and based on departmental need.

Education:

• Required:
  
  Master’s degree in Business Administration, higher education leadership, public administration, or related field

• Preferred:
  Terminal degree (PhD, EdD, JD)

Experience:

• Required:
  
  10+ years in higher education administration or a similarly complex organizational environment

Desired Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities:

Ability to manage multiple priorities, including direct oversight of multiple functional areas (e.g., IT, Facilities, Compliance and…