ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR CAPITAL ASSETS

AUSTIN, TX

The University of Texas System invites nominations and applications for the inaugural position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Capital Assets (AVCCA). This inaugural System-level role brings Capital Projects and the Real Estate Office together under a single executive leader for the first time. The successful candidate will set the vision and strategy for two offices with distinct operational frameworks and stakeholder environments, creating a high performing, service-oriented function that delivers consistent, system-wide support across a complex multi- institution enterprise and provide comprehensive guidance to System leadership on all matters related to capital assets while supporting institutional priorities.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

For more than 140 years, The University of Texas System has been committed to improving the lives of Texans and people all over the world through education, research, and healthcare. With an enrollment of more than 270,000 students at academic and health institutions across the state, and an operating budget of more than $36 billion, the UT System is one of the largest public university systems in the nation and the world. UT institutions produce more than 66,000 graduates annually and award more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees and more than half of its medical degrees. Across the UT academic and health institutions, federal research and development expenditures total nearly $4.8 billion. The research enterprise is among the nation’s most innovative, ranking No. 1 in Texas, No. 2 in the U.S. for total research expenditures, and No. 3 for federal research expenditures.

The UT System is one of the largest employers in Texas, with more than 160,000 faculty, health care professionals, researchers, support staff, and student workers. The System’s faculty members, researchers, and clinicians are consistently honored by their peers, professional associations and academies, and other organizations for contributions to their fields. Honors and distinctions among the System’s internationally distinguished faculty include six Nobel Prize laureates, two Shaw laureates, one Abel Prize, two Japan Prizes, one Pulitzer Prize recipient, 48 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 55 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 52 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 28 members of the  American Law Institute, 75 members of the American Academy of Nursing, 38 members of the National Academy of Medicine and 73 members of the National Academy of Inventors.

Austin, where the UT System offices are located, the state capital of Texas, is known for its eclectic live music scene centered around country, blues, and rock. The city’s official slogan promotes Austin as “The Live Music Capital of the World,” a reference to the city’s many musicians and live music venues. Its many parks and lakes are popular for hiking, biking, swimming, and boating. U.S. News & World Report named Austin the No. 1 place to live in the U.S. for 2017 and 2018, and in 2022, it topped the list as the best place to live in Texas. A formidable hub for technology, business, the arts, nature, culture, and history, Austin is a warm and inviting community.

The University of Texas System SmartBook, produced by UT System’s Office of Institutional Research, provides an overview of the mission areas of the System and all UT institutions. It also includes annual data for UT students, faculty, and employees, as well as budget and finance data.

GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP

The UT System is governed by the nine members of the UT System Board of Regents a prominent group of Texans appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Texas Senate and one Student Regent. The Chancellor of The University of Texas System oversees day-to-day operations. Chancellor John Zerwas, MD, serves as the chief executive officer of the UT System and reports to the Board of Regents. He has direct line responsibility for all aspects of the UT System's operations. The Chancellor’s direct reports at the System include:

·         Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer

·         Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

·         Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

·         Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer

·         Deputy Chancellor & Sr. Policy Advisor for Governmental Relations

·         Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, Communications and Advancement Services

·         Vice Chancellor and General Counsel

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Capital Assets will report directly to Terry Hull, the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer at the UT System. Mr. Hull was named Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer effective September 1, 2026, after serving as Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Chief Financial Officer since 2025 and as Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance since 2011.

UT SYSTEM CAPITAL ASSETS

Overseeing the offices of Capital Projects and Real Estate, the new area of Capital Assets will be led by the Associate Vice Chancellor of Capital Assets. Together, these teams drive the strategic acquisition, development, construction, and stewardship of millions of square feet of academic, research, clinical, and residential space across Texas.

As one of the nation’s largest and most prominent public higher education systems, the UT System encompasses 13 institutions (9 academic universities and 4 health institutions) supporting a massive, world-class research and healthcare enterprise. To fuel this mission, the UT System manages a vast physical infrastructure footprint, anchored by more than $21 billion in net capital assets and a multi-billion-dollar Capital Improvement Program. The UT System manages one of the most extensive and impactful physical portfolios in higher education.

Spanning 1,969 buildings and encompassing 126.3 million gross square feet of total space, the UT System infrastructure represents a Current Replacement Value (CRV) of over $75.2 billion.

The System’s active portfolio management is anchored by a robust $15.8 billion total portfolio funding commitment distributed across 82 active projects spanning 15 portfolio institutions, plus UT System Administration. The active capital pipeline supports continued investment in academic, research, clinical, infrastructure, and institutional facilities across the System, with portfolio execution distributed across 68 institutionally managed projects representing $14.18 billion, 12 OCP-managed projects representing $1.43 billion, and 2 jointly Institution/OCP- managed projects representing approximately $204.7 million. The portfolio remains balanced across 44 academic institution projects representing $6.19 billion (53.7 percent of projects), 37 health institution projects representing $9.56 billion (45.1 percent), and one UT System Administration project representing $61.0 million (1.2 percent).

The broader real estate and space portfolio is characterized by high asset retention and strategic utilization, with 83.78 percent of space located on-campus and 81.73 percent owned title-debt-free. Asset functionality is heavily weighted toward general-purpose academic spaces (51.47 percent), auxiliary services (22.54 percent), and critical hospital and clinical care facilities (13.4 percent). Furthermore, the portfolio is supported by a proactive capital renewal and facility condition framework managing a $3.73 billion backlog, ensuring long-term asset preservation across a portfolio where over 70 percent of facilities maintain an excellent condition rating.

Capital Projects serves as the centralized engine and strategic resource responsible for the governance and execution of the UT System’s facilities stewardship, infrastructure operations, and extensive Capital Improvement Program (CIP). While maintaining operational integrity across the UT institutions, it also oversees a continuous pipeline of major construction and renovation projects which span advanced medical research centers, high-tech academic facilities, and student life spaces, the office manages billions of dollars in active development. The office establishes rigorous standards for project delivery, design quality, cost control, and schedule performance, ensuring that every facility directly enhances the System's educational, research, and patient-care missions.

The Real Estate Office provides high-level professional expertise and comprehensive transaction management across the UT System’s extensive real property portfolio. The office oversees complex commercial and academic transactions, including property acquisitions, strategic leasing, ground leases, easements, and the evaluation and stewardship of complex real estate gifts and bequests. Operating at the intersection of public stewardship and commercial strategy, the team ensures compliance with state laws and Board of Regents policies while maximizing the long-term value and operational efficiency of System real estate holdings.

For more information across Capital Assets, the following dashboards are available: UT System CIP FY 2027-2032

UT System Space Inventory

UT System Capital Renewal Model

THE ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR CAPITAL ASSETS

The AVCCA will have direct responsibility for the Real Estate Office and Capital Projects and will manage the performance of the directors who lead each office. The AVCCA will foster a highly collaborative and supportive working relationship across both teams, roughly 21 employees, and with the institutions they serve, to ensure efficient, effective, and ethical stewardship of the System’s physical and real property assets. The AVCCA will manage an operational budget of $10.8 million.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR CAPITAL ASSETS

Additionally, the AVCCA will hold the following key responsibilities:

 ·         Lead the strategic integration of the Real Estate Office and Capital Projects into a unified, mission-aligned Capital Assets function, establishing shared operating approaches, stakeholder expectations, workflows, service models, and standards across both teams

·         Develop, communicate, and oversee the strategic direction of both offices in alignment with the System’s mission, vision, and values, and provide regular updates to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer on operations and strategic progress

·         Manage the performance of direct reports by setting clear expectations, ensuring accountability for outcomes, and building leadership and organizational capacity within both offices

·         Take overall responsibility for designing, developing, and delivering the System’s strategy and outcomes for construction projects across its institutions, from academic campuses to medical centers and specialized research facilities

·         Initiate and lead the governance and delivery of construction programs, applying appropriate program and project management methodologies, and oversee budgets for complex, high-value projects, including post-completion analyses and budget progress reporting

·         Oversee the System’s asset management strategy, including property evaluation, market trend analysis, growth opportunity identification, and risk management procedures

·         Oversee property valuation strategies for all property segments, in alignment with UT System and State of Texas policies and guidelines 

·         Provide strategic advice to UT System leadership on capital asset policy, project design and implementation, and change initiatives affecting the physical plant

·         Manage strategic third-party relationships, including contract review and the establishment of new vendor and partner relationships, and engage stakeholders up to and including UT System Executive Officers through clear communication of decisions and plans

·         Set and manage operating budgets for both offices in alignment with UT System strategy, and oversee delivery of the System’s facilities management program when needed, ensuring exceptional customer service to all stakeholders and institutions

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Strategically unite two offices into one Capital Assets function. As an inaugural role, the AVCCA has the opportunity to define and build a Capital Assets function that has not existed before. The Real Estate Office and Capital Projects have operated as independent units with distinct operating models, dynamics, and workflows, and the AVCCA will set the integration agenda, establishing the foundations of a collaborative service department within the first months of tenure. The AVCCA will be an exceptional change leader, strategic problem solver, and effective communicator who can embrace ambiguity and build a shared identity from previously separate functions.

Build a service-oriented culture and a strong team. The AVCCA will assess the capabilities of both teams, support, train, and realign people and processes to the offices’ customer service mission and the System’s strategic needs. The goal is a responsive, “white glove” model that treats each institution as a valued internal client and reduces unnecessary delays in real estate and construction processes. The AVCCA will energize and motivate both teams, including them in shaping the vision for the new function, and hold them accountable for outcomes, with opportunities for dynamic team building and professional development.

Establish clear escalation discipline and trusted communication. The AVCCA will define which matters require executive leadership attention and which can and should be resolved within the Capital Assets function and will empower staff to act with appropriate authority on matters of expertise. Equally important is trust-based upward communication with the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, ensuring that System leadership has timely, accurate visibility into operations, emerging issues, and strategic progress. The successful leader will bring sound independent judgment and the composure to manage high-stakes relationships and high-pressure timelines.

Set a long-term strategy for the System’s capital assets. The AVCCA will develop and begin executing a long-term strategy that addresses the System’s construction pipeline, optimizes the real estate portfolio, and supports the sustainability of its physical assets across a multi-billion- dollar portfolio. This requires the ability to operate at both the strategic and operational levels, setting vision and governance frameworks while remaining willing to engage directly with facilities, construction, and real estate challenges as they arise.

Understand the opportunities and limitations of working in a system structure. The AVCCA will serve institutions that retain meaningful autonomy and will need to build credibility and trust-based relationships quickly with campus leadership across the System. Success will depend on balancing system-level authority with institutional autonomy and on being a reliable, expert resource, who earns confidence through responsiveness and results. The AVCCA will bring patience and flexibility to work with leaders at each institution within a complex, matrixed organization as a representative of the UT System. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate will be a forward-thinking, collaborative leader and skilled change agent who embraces and models the highest ethics and integrity and demonstrates a commitment to creating a respectful and supportive work environment. In addition, the AVCCA will possess the following experiences, capabilities, and personal attributes:

 ·         Doctoral or JD degree and at least 12 years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree and 12 years of experience, or a bachelor’s degree and 14 years of experience, in capital construction, real estate, facilities management, or a closely related field is required

·         At least seven years of supervisory experience leading and developing professional staff in a complex organization is required

·         Significant experience in higher education, healthcare, government, or another complex public-sector environment, preferably within a systemwide, shared services, consortium, or alliance-based operating model is preferred

·         Demonstrated experience leading large-scale capital construction programs, including budget development and management, project governance, and delivery oversight for high-value projects

·         Experience managing a complex real estate portfolio, including leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, property valuation, and title management, in alignment with regulatory and policy requirements

·         Demonstrated success leading organizational integration and institutional change management initiatives, including stakeholder engagement, team restructuring, communications planning, and implementation measurement

·         A strategic mindset, with the ability to see ahead to future possibilities and translate them into actionable plans aligned with institutional mission and long-term asset management goals

·         Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present complex capital and real estate matters clearly to non-specialist audiences, and experience presenting to governing boards, executive leadership teams, or legislative bodies

·         The ability to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders, including campus leaders, System executives, third-party vendors, and regulatory bodies, while maintaining ethical standards

·         Experience managing strategic third-party relationships, including contract negotiation and vendor management in a capital assets or facilities context

·         Strong organizational and talent management skills, with experience assessing staff capabilities, addressing performance gaps, and building a culture of accountability and customer service