Associate Director, Parking Technology & Operations

The Associate Director, Parking Technology & Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for Vanderbilt University’s parking technology and enforcement programs. The position is responsible for ensuring the systems, technologies, policies, processes, and teams that support parking operations work together effectively to provide reliable, efficient, customer-focused, and data-informed services.

The Associate Director oversees parking technology administration and improvement, enforcement operations and staff, policy and compliance, data and reporting, vendor and resource management, and related operational initiatives. Working collaboratively with University partners and external vendors, the position identifies operational needs, implements technology and process improvements, and ensures parking operations remain effective, secure, scalable, and aligned with departmental and University objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Parking Technology & Systems Administration

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the University’s parking technology ecosystem, including T2 Flex, Genetec Security Center/AutoVu LPR, mobile enforcement, payment platforms, access-control systems, and related integrations.

• Oversee the configuration, administration, performance, security, and continuous improvement of parking systems to support reliable operations, accurate data, effective enforcement, and customer service.

• Develop and maintain a multi-year technology roadmap and coordinate system implementations, upgrades, testing, releases, integrations, and technology transitions with VUIT, vendors, and University partners.

• Establish system standards, documentation, data definitions, access controls, and change-management practices, and ensure timely resolution of technology and integration issues.

Parking Enforcement Operations & Leadership

• Lead the University’s parking enforcement program, including the direct or indirect supervision of enforcement supervisors and officers.

• Oversee staffing, scheduling, deployment, training, coaching, performance management, employee development, and other workforce activities.

• Develop and maintain enforcement procedures, training standards, and deployment strategies that support consistent application of parking regulations, customer service, safety, and operational effectiveness.

• Monitor field operations through observations, audits, performance reviews, and operational data, and coordinate enforcement activities for major events, construction, temporary restrictions, special parking needs, and emergency operations.

LPR, Parking Policy & Compliance

• Provide operational leadership for mobile and fixed LPR operations and ensure parking systems, payment platforms, and enforcement technologies work together effectively to validate parking permissions and support enforcement.

• Establish and maintain standards for LPR accuracy, officer verification, data access, retention, security, privacy, and appropriate use in collaboration with University partners.

• Support the development, interpretation, implementation, and administration of parking regulations and enforcement policies, including citations, warnings, immobilization, towing, appeals, and repeat violations.

• Monitor enforcement activity, citation trends, appeals, errors, exceptions, and customer concerns to promote consistent application of regulations and identify opportunities for policy, training, system, and process improvements.

Data, Reporting & Process Improvement

• Develop and maintain operational dashboards, performance measures, and management reporting related to parking compliance, enforcement activity, LPR utilization, system performance, citation accuracy, equipment availability, and customer service.

• Analyze parking, enforcement, permit, payment, utilization, and other operational data to identify trends and inform staffing, deployment, policy, technology, and operational decisions.

• Monitor data quality across parking systems and resolve discrepancies affecting enforcement, customer accounts, transactions, or reporting.

• Lead technology and process improvements that increase efficiency, strengthen data accuracy, reduce manual work and duplication, and improve business continuity across parking operations.

Vendor, Contract & Budget Management

• Manage operational relationships with parking technology and enforcement vendors, including service performance, escalations, implementations, upgrades, renewals, and product planning.

• Participate in procurement, contract development, competitive solicitations, vendor evaluations, and negotiations for parking systems, services, and enforcement technologies.

• Develop technology and enforcement operating and capital requirements, support departmental budget planning, and maintain lifecycle replacement plans for vehicles, equipment, hardware, software, and related technology.

• Review vendor invoices, licensing and maintenance costs, equipment purchases, and technology investments to support effective financial stewardship.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as a member of the Parking & Commuter Services leadership team and contribute to departmental planning, policy development, parking operations, capital planning, and customer-experience initiatives.

• Collaborate with VUIT, Public Safety, and other University partners on technology, cybersecurity, integrations, infrastructure, traffic and parking operations, major events, emergencies, and other shared operational needs.

• Build effective relationships with faculty, staff, students, University leadership, vendors, and departmental partners; resolve escalated concerns and communicate technical, operational, and policy matters to diverse audiences.

• Monitor emerging parking technologies and industry practices and evaluate new products, automation opportunities, and operating approaches that may improve compliance, customer service, reporting, and operational efficiency

• Perform other duties as assigned to support the operational needs and objectives of Parking & Commuter Services and the University.

Supervisory Responsibility: 

This position reports to the Senior Director of Parking & Commuter Services.  The position is responsible for the oversight and direction of parking enforcement team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, information systems, transportation, operations management, criminal justice, technology, or a related field. Relevant progressively responsible experience may be considered in lieu of education.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in parking operations, transportation operations, parking technology, enforcement operations, public safety operations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading employees and managing field-based operations, including staffing, training, scheduling, performance management, and employee development.
• Experience administering or supporting an enterprise parking management system such as T2 Flex or a comparable platform. Extensive experience with License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology, preferably Genetec Security Center/AutoVu, is strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of parking technologies and operations, including virtual permitting, mobile enforcement, citation management, payment applications, access control, system configuration, integrations, immobilization, towing, appeals, and compliance processes.
• Experience developing and implementing policies, standard operating procedures, training, quality-control practices, and business-continuity processes.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze operational data and use findings to inform staffing, enforcement, policy, technology, and operational decisions.
• Experience managing technology vendors, contracts, budgets, system implementations, or capital equipment purchases.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and address issues involving technology, data, policy, people, and operations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical, operational, and policy information to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience in a university, healthcare, municipal, airport, public safety, or similarly complex parking environment is strongly preferred. CAPP, CPP, project management certification, or a similar professional credential is preferred.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to operate University and LPR-equipped enforcement vehicles. 
• Ability and willingness to support operations outside normal business hours for major events, emergencies, system disruptions, or significant operational needs.