Primary Work Address: 19700 Helix Drive, Ashburn, VA, 20147
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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Campus is a
pioneering research center in Ashburn, Virginia, where scientists
pursue fundamental questions in the life sciences. Our integrated
teams of biologists, computational scientists, and tool-builders
innovate research practices and technologies to solve biology’s
deepest mysteries. HHMI launched Janelia in 2006, establishing an
intellectually enriching environment for scientists to do creative,
collaborative, hands-on work. We share our methods, results, and
tools with the scientific community.
Summary of Role
This is a role for someone who wants to run a physical,
people-facing operation personally, not manage it from a dashboard.
You lead by being visible on campus, known by residents and
colleagues, and trusted by a small team to make good calls without
needing everything spelled out.
Janelia Research Campus recruits some of the best scientific talent
in the world. Housing and transportation are often the first things
a new resident experiences. Campus Life makes that experience
effortless, remarkable, and personal, and as Janelia grows, this
team's work becomes more visible, not less.
You will direct Campus Life operations across housing, shuttle
service, resident and community events, and the art and furniture
that shape how campus feels. You will partner across Facilities,
Campus Operations, and outside vendors to keep services running
smoothly, and you will step in personally when a resident situation
gets complicated.
You will also sit on the Campus Operations leadership team,
bringing operational insight and analysis to strategic decisions,
and represent Campus Life in cross-campus planning.
What You Will Actually Do
- Housing operations. Direct day-to-day operations for
340+ residential units: reservations, resident agreements,
occupancy, and payroll deductions, and the systems that keep it all
running accurately. You partner with the cross-functional teams
housing depends on, and you step in personally on complex or
sensitive resident situations.
Resident services and community. Oversee move-ins,
move-outs, key management, housing tours, and resident
communications. Guide your team's planning of events, from family
favorites to campus-wide gatherings that make Janelia feel like a
community, not just a workplace.
Team leadership. Lead, coach, and grow a small team.
Distribute work thoughtfully, set clear expectations, remove
obstacles, and invest in cross-training so the team has real
depth.
Transportation. Oversee the daily shuttle service
between Janelia and Arlington: contract oversight, vendor
relations, billing, and rider issue resolution. Keep service levels
ahead of ridership as it evolves.
Furniture, artwork, and vendor coordination. Oversee
purchasing, vendor administration, and furniture logistics,
including procurement, installation, inventory, and donations.
Monitor the campus’s existing art program, including the permanent
collection, temporary displays, and sculptures. Partner closely
with Facilities and apply sound aesthetic judgment that stays true
to Janelia's look and feel.
Budget planning and financial oversight. Build and
manage the Campus Life budget, forecasting for housing,
transportation, events, and furniture spend. Track actuals against
plan, flag variances early, and make the case for resourcing.
Analysis and reporting. Deliver occupancy, financial,
and operational reporting to senior leadership, including the
annual housing market survey. Analyze housing trends, service
levels, and program performance, benchmark against peer
institutions, and turn findings into recommendations.
What We Are Looking For
- Hands-on by choice. You would rather walk the property
and know the residents than run the operation from a
dashboard.
- Big picture and small details, at once. You can hold
budget and staffing strategy in one hand and a resident's move-in
date in the other.
- Trust, quickly. You build credibility fast with people
at every level, from a new resident to senior leadership.
- Steps in without losing the thread. You are comfortable
jumping into a task personally when the team needs it, without
dropping the longer-term priorities.
- Wants to build a team, not inherit one. You see
developing people as part of the job, not a distraction from
it.
- A negotiator's instinct for vendors. You know a fair
shuttle contract or furniture agreement from a weak one, even
though Legal drafts the language.
- Hard conversations, well done. You can hold a resident
or vendor accountable without burning the relationship.
Nice to Have
- Experience with lease administration, compliance, or property
management systems.
- Comfortable with AI tools: streamlining vendor and purchasing
workflows, organizing data, or automating routine tasks. No deep
expertise required.
What This Role Is Not
- A back-office role. You produce real financial and
occupancy reporting, but the job lives on campus and in front of
residents, not behind a screen.
- A strategic sourcing or procurement role. You negotiate
and manage vendor relationships day to day, but Legal drafts the
contracts and broader sourcing decisions sit elsewhere.
- An entry point into people management. This is a senior
post. You are expected to already know how to build and run a team,
not learn it here.
Practical Details
This role is based on Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia,
on-site given the nature of the work. You will report to the Chief
of Campus Operations. We are looking for a bachelor's degree (a
master's is preferred) and 5+ years of operations or hospitality
management experience, ideally including residential, property, or
housing operations.
Physical Requirements
Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extended
periods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) or
arm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for example
using a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word;
ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to move
about workspace. The position requires mobility, including the
ability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as a
laptop computer or tablet).
Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential
duties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests for
reasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individual
basis.
Please Note:
This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties,
responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed as
an exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word
“may,” the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described above
are “essential functions” of the job, as defined by the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Compensation and Benefits
Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective in
many ways for their contributions to our mission, including
competitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans,
time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visit
our
Benefits at
HHMI site to learn more.
Hiring Pay Range
$124,236.80 - $155,296.00
Pay Type:
Annual
The posted range reflects HHMI’s good faith estimate of the
anticipated hiring salary range for this role at the time of
posting. Actual hiring compensation is determined by a candidate’s
qualifications, experience, and internal equity.
HHMI is an Equal Opportunity
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