Dir Planning, Design & Constrn

About the University

Augusta University is Georgia's innovation center for education and health care, training the next generation of innovators, leaders, and healthcare providers in classrooms and clinics on four campuses in Augusta and locations across the state. More than 12,000 students choose Augusta for educational opportunities at the center of Georgia's cybersecurity hub and experiential learning that blends arts and application, humanities, and the health sciences.

Augusta is home to Georgia's only public academic health center, where groundbreaking research is creating a healthier, more prosperous Georgia, and world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today. The university's mission and values emphasize real-world experiences, community engagement, and partnerships that address health, security, economic, and societal concerns locally and across the state.

About the Department

Facilities Services Division provides quality customer service by maintaining a safe, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing environment in which students, faculty, and staff can function and accomplish their educational objectives. The division supports a patient care culture that continuously improves and is responsible for interior and exterior facilities support, construction, space management, and environmental services.

About the Role

Provides senior-level, strategic leadership, oversight, and day-to-day direction of the planning, design, and construction activities for all Augusta University facilities. Responsible for the successful and timely completion of a designated program of renovation and new construction capital projects. Manages the programming and design process of large and small-capital projects for new university facilities and specific maintenance, repair, and renovation projects for approximately 160 existing university buildings.

Serves as the university facility ADA compliance coordinator, overseeing the identification, assessment, and corrective actions required for modifying existing physical facilities to comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) codes and guidelines. Establishes performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of the Planning Design and Construction team and develops improvement initiatives to continuously enhance the timeliness and quality of the project delivery process.

Responsibilities

• Leadership: Collaborates with other Facilities directorates and space management on facilities-related issues. Leads the submission of bi-annual capital plans to the University System of Georgia (USG). Oversees key planning initiatives fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Builds strong professional relationships with industry professionals and local contractors. Assesses performance of the Planning Design and Construction (PDC) team, provides guidance, and completes annual evaluations. Mentors PDC staff on career development and long-term goals. Delivers project-related status updates to university leadership and issues regular progress reports. Provides leadership to approximately 10 university project managers, architects, coordinators, and administrative staff. Reviews progress of staff-assigned projects and provides guidance on resolution of project-related questions. Oversees assignment of new projects based on staff workloads and capabilities. Meets regularly with the PDC team to review initiatives and adjust workloads. Trains staff on new procedures, processes, and university policies.
• Project Delivery: Oversees the overall planning, programming, design, construction, and acceptance of capital improvement projects. Assesses, completes, and reviews consultant studies and evaluations. Continuously improves the project delivery process from initiation through the warranty period. Selects and procures design professionals, consultants, and contractors using approved procedures. Ensures projects are timely, cost-effective, and of high quality. Ensures all new and renovation project designs meet or exceed current ADA codes. Manages project design, review, design professional selection, contract management, and communications for assigned projects. Develops tools to communicate and present information to leadership and stakeholders. Reviews project costs to ensure alignment with available budgets. Self-manages selected capital projects as assigned.
• Campus Planning: Leads campus planning efforts by developing and analyzing facility and land-use requirements, conducting site planning, and overseeing selection of master plan consultants. Oversees the development, review, and adherence to campus master plans and capital projects plans. Identifies ADA deficiencies and develops plans to address and correct known issues.
• Communications: Provides professional, accurate, tactful, and timely written and verbal communications to Facilities staff, USG, university leadership, and other stakeholders. Establishes effective communication standards to meet stakeholder needs. Maintains positive, respectful, and collaborative working relationships at all levels. Leads group presentations, meetings, and committees as assigned. Provides frequent status updates on Planning Design & Construction initiatives.
• Other: Performs additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in construction management, engineering, architecture, building science, or a related field with at least seven (7) years of experience in facilities planning, design, and construction.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience leading design and construction management teams in a multi-building institutional environment or engineering/architectural firm specializing in institutional facilities.
• Valid driver's license to operate Augusta University vehicles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, or Building Sciences with a minimum of fifteen (15) years of leadership experience in institutional facilities project management.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or American Institute of Architects (AIA) certification.
• Minimum of five years of healthcare project management experience.
• CHFM designation, PE, or NCARB licenses.
• Direct knowledge of compliance requirements in an academic campus setting.

Skills

• Strong attention to detail, judgment, and discretion regarding confidential information.
• Knowledge of institutional facilities management, including program management, facilities design, construction methods, contract management, USG methods, and multi-building infrastructure systems.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and related computer software/database systems.
• Forward-thinking problem solver with the ability to propose sound solutions.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

Schedule

Days, Monday through Friday. Work outside of normal business hours may be required for exempt-level positions.

Benefits

Augusta University offers a variety of benefits to full-time benefits-eligible employees, including:

• Health insurance, dental insurance, and life insurance.
• Teachers Retirement System (or Optional Retirement Plan).
• Earned vacation time, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays.
• Tuition Assistance Program for full-time employees employed successfully for more than 6 months.