ResMed is deploying an interim Director of Administration to its San Diego headquarters to execute a rapid organizational turnaround. In this administrative workflow directive, you are stepping into a classic “fixer” scenario. You are not hired to build a long-term legacy; you are deployed to audit legacy vendor contracts, reorganize underperforming staff, and absorb the political friction of restructuring so the eventual permanent hire inherits a stabilized operation.
Corporate Facilities & The Interim Reality
Effective facility management at an enterprise scale is highly political. As an interim director, you lack the entrenched political capital of a permanent executive, but you carry the full weight of a multi-million dollar facility budget. Your objective is immediate stabilization and relentless cost optimization. You must establish authority and psychological safety simultaneously, executing unpopular restructuring decisions rapidly.
Operational Logistics & Vendor Management
- Operational Leadership: Direct daily corporate administrative functions while managing a staff that is likely anxious and resistant to structural change.
- Budget Management: Oversee the operating budget, identifying bleeding margins in the facilities ledger and halting unnecessary expenditures immediately.
- Vendor Relations: Audit legacy contracts and demand strict SLA compliance from external service providers, canceling agreements that previous management rubber-stamped.
- Process Optimization: Evaluate workflows and implement standardized procedures to systematically eliminate operational bottlenecks.
- Team Development: Supervise administrative personnel, establishing clear, metric-driven performance expectations.
Administrative Leadership & Financial Acumen
- Experience: Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in corporate administration, with at least 3 years in a director capacity.
- Financial Acumen: Proven track record of managing departmental budgets exceeding $2M and executing complex vendor negotiations.
- Operational Expertise: Strong understanding of corporate real estate logistics and health and safety compliance.
- Contract Readiness: Deliver a forensic audit of departmental failures and a turnaround plan within your first few weeks. There is no 90-day onboarding grace period for interim leadership.
Compensation & Contract Dynamics
The compensation reflects the high-stress, temporary nature of the role. You must manage your own financial expectations accordingly.
- Base Compensation: $150,000 – $185,000 USD / Year. As a contractor, you are excluded from executive bonuses, RSUs, and severance packages, requiring strict personal financial management.
- Executive-Level Autonomy: Direct control over administrative restructuring initiatives with reporting lines to the C-suite.
- Career Growth: Exposure to enterprise-level operations within a global medical device leader.
- Corporate Benefits: Generous contractor benefits package including health coverage options and accrued sick leave.
Deployment Logistics & On-Site Requirements
- The Physical Presence Directive
- Location: San Diego, CA. Status: Contract, 100% On-Site. Facility management is inherently physical. You cannot manage a broken HVAC system, a security protocol breach, or a disgruntled on-site staff member over a screen. Prepare for a strict five-day commute.
- Relocation Posture
- Zero relocation assistance. ResMed strongly prefers local San Diego candidates who can deploy to the campus immediately.
Green Flags
- Advantage: The Mercenary Autonomy: As an interim fixer, you do not need to worry about long-term political posturing. You have the executive cover to make necessary, unpopular decisions—like canceling bad vendor contracts and restructuring departments—that permanent leaders often avoid.
- Advantage: High Compensation Floor: Earning $150,000 to $185,000 as a base rate provides an excellent financial cushion for a contract role, assuming you budget correctly for self-employment tax liabilities.
Red Flags
- Warning Sign: Zero Grace Period: You are inheriting a deeply flawed operational system. The C-suite expects a forensic audit of the previous administration’s failures and an actionable turnaround plan delivered within weeks, not months.
- Warning Sign: Contractor Economics: While the base pay is high, operating as a contractor means you are entirely excluded from the lucrative Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), executive bonuses, and severance packages that define permanent leadership roles in medical device companies.
