Senior Director, Facilities Operations/Maintenance

Key Accountabilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive strategic plans for facilities maintenance, operations, utilities, grounds, and organizational structure, while overseeing the solicitation and management of major external service provider contracts.
• Supervise and direct an integrated department of 48 exempt and non-exempt staff (including 3 direct reports), with a strong focus on cultivating trade competencies, professional growth, and internal advancement.
• Analyze and forecast data-supported budget requests for all buildings, grounds, utilities, and snow removal activities, managing expenditures to strictly align with an operations budget exceeding $30M.
• Develop, maintain, and execute long-term plant preservation (deferred maintenance) plans for academic, residential, and athletic facilities, managing an additional annual allocation of $9M to $11M.
• Lead procurement and selection processes alongside university counsel, enforce strict performance metrics, and collaborate closely with vendors to proactively scale operations for adverse events.
• Formulate and manage the multi-year capital plan for deferred maintenance and infrastructure improvements while overseeing the procurement of consultants, vendors, and contractors in strict alignment with university policies.
• Establish and execute long-term renewal and replacement plans for utility infrastructure while overseeing short- and long-term commodity purchases to maximize resources and mitigate the cost impact of adverse weather.
• Develop and lead comprehensive strategies to reduce energy intensity, conserve water, minimize waste, and lower greenhouse gas emissions through targeted facilities sustainability initiatives.
• Propose and advance alternative energy, campus electrification, and demand-management initiatives to modernize university energy use and support long-term environmental goals.
• Cook up and execute day-to-day operations and plant preservation projects with the Planning, Design + Construction (PD+C) team, identifying early-stage projects that require design input and providing accurate as-built drawings to ensure seamless project execution.
• Provide critical technical and operational feedback on all interior, exterior, and infrastructure aspects of major projects, contributing directly to the creation of university design standards to guarantee long-term maintainability and efficiency.
• Cook up and execute coordination with regulatory, government, and utility agencies regarding campus operations, while serving as the primary source of accurate, timely facilities information for the university community.

  Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical or Civil)
  • At least eight years of related work experience
  • Professional engineering license preferred
  • Proven senior leadership experience in facilities, operations, or campus/property management at significant scale
  • Demonstrated ability to manage capital projects and infrastructure programs within complex institutional environments
  • Strong working knowledge of regulatory compliance, building codes, and environmental standards
  • Experience developing operational strategies that balance service quality with fiscal responsibility