Manager or Director, Custodial & Grounds Operations (Facilities Maintenance)

Requisition Number: 2026S071 | Job Open Date: 10/07/2026 | Open Until Filled: Yes

About the role

It is the mission of the Facilities Department at Colgate University to create the safest, cleanest, and most comfortable environment that further distinguishes Colgate University as a world-class educational institution. We work hard as part of a unified team, to make everyone who arrives on campus feel welcomed. “One team, one mission” The Facilities Department provides the physical environment, utilities, and facilities support services necessary to promote the educational and research activities of the university. To ensure quality service to our community, we provide strong coordination and communication between multi-functional groups and our customers, with a customer-oriented approach. Training and development of self-directed teams promotes a work environment that encourages employee initiative, engagement and development.

Responsibilities

• Coaches, develops and supports grounds and/or custodial leadership, helping them build teams that take pride in their work.
• Partners with grounds and/or custodial supervisors to keep campus grounds, buildings, athletic fields, and outdoor event spaces safe, well-kept, and up to community standards.
• Sets clear expectations for regular grounds and building inspections, follows up with supervisors on fixes, and proactively catches safety and maintenance issues.
• Coaches supervisors through hiring, scheduling, and disciplinary decisions, ensuring alignment with Colgate's union agreements and employment law.
• Builds strong working relationships across campus, so other departments view grounds and custodial services teams as responsive, trusted partners.
• Oversees both grounds and custodial functions together, coordinating supervisors across both so campus events run smoothly and setup/cleanup don't disrupt the rest of campus.
• Builds a clear operating plan and manages spending across both departments, staying within budget while maintaining the campus standards our community expects.
• Negotiates vendor terms independently and holds vendors to Colgate's standards, so contracts and equipment purchases are cost-effective and dependable.

Requirements

• Demonstrated progression of responsibility in grounds, custodial, or facilities operations, including experience supervising staff and managing budgets.
• Experience supervising union staff and applying collective bargaining agreements to day-to-day staffing, scheduling, and performance decisions.
• A proven track record of building maintenance or operations plans and execution, using scheduling or project management software to keep work on track.
• Experience hiring, coaching, and managing performance for a team, including fair, well-documented decisions.
• Experience managing a budget and working with vendors or contractors.
• Experience independently negotiating vendor and contractor agreements.
• Experience leading both grounds and custodial functions, or leading through supervisors across more than one function at once.
• A track record of setting multi-year operating plans and operating with a high degree of autonomy.
• Experience working in higher education.
• Experience overseeing both grounds and custodial functions.
• Familiarity with landscaping techniques and best practices.

Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in facilities management, horticulture, business, or a related field, or a combination of relevant education and progressive hands-on experience.

Pay

Manager $80,000‑$95,000 / Director $95,000‑$100,000

Schedule

Monday – Friday, 7a‑3:30p — with some evenings/weekends needed for snowstorms, emergencies, and big campus events.