Director of Divisional Facilities

Director Of Divisional Facilities

The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for facility development, maintenance, policies, procedures and expansion to support the strategic mission of the unit. Manages day-to-day operations of facilities services, safety, and maintenance. Reporting to the Associate Dean and Chief of Staff, the Director of Divisional Facilities will oversee and execute on the development of complex and highly technical space plans and layouts for all SSD space across 20 buildings on the University of Chicago campus. This position provides leadership and direction for the ongoing facilities needs and capital projects delivery process, from the design phase through commissioning and close-out. The role is responsible for managing the maintenance, construction and renovation of physical assets and bringing assets online in the most efficient and effective manner. The Director will work with faculty and staff to plan and design lab, research, administrative, and other spaces, and develop schedule and budget estimates that meet the tactical and strategic long-range goals of the SSD. The Director will oversee and respond to the general day-to-day operations of SSD facilities, maintain a log of projects underway, track budgets, and keep a current roster of SSD units and departments and contacts within each SSD building.

Responsibilities include :

• Leading the development of complex and highly technical space plans and layouts for the renovation, infrastructure augmentation, and / or remodeling of office space, research labs, core facilities, and teaching labs.
• Working with the Associate Dean and leadership on the assignment of space.
• Maintaining a database of architectural, infrastructure, and technical plans.
• Being instrumental in the strategic considerations, design and development of expansion space and future infrastructure.
• Ensuring operational and commissioning standards compliance from internal and external project delivery partners to highly sophisticated and sensitive research environments.
• Overseeing, as needed, the reconfiguration of all SSD-assigned office and administrative spaces and relocation of Faculty and their research from one space to another, including the development of logistics plans and coordinating the transfer of specialty scientific equipment and / or hazardous materials.
• Inspecting work performed by University of Chicago facilities or other designated 3rd party facilities management vendors and providing technical assistance to ensure operational compliance within tight control parameters.
• Troubleshooting and competently advising on repair of direct design or implementing technical solutions with moderate guidance.
• Demonstrating familiarity with monitoring and assessing power consumption, cooling, HVAC, and other mechanical needs. Responding to environmental fluctuations swiftly to ensure maintenance of tightly controlled humidity, temperature, airflow, and other systems, and prevent compromise of experiments due to system failure with a 'Safety First' mindset.
• Assisting researchers with the planned installation of rarefied and highly technical equipment, including space and / or infrastructural renovation to accommodate them.
• Routinely conducting inspections of the building for deficiencies, scanning space for improvements, and working with faculty and Divisional leadership to build out capital projects to address any identified deficiencies. Tracking maintenance and repairs and installations in labs and working to identify and mitigate potential disruption to ongoing research due to environmental perturbation.
• Overseeing divisional space data semiannually to ensure informational accuracy and regulatory compliance essential for space audits, indirect cost negotiations, and Division-wide planning.
• Monitoring the development of functional / architectural design solutions. Managing, planning, and participating in multi-unit teams addressing space use and space planning issues. Managing consultants and consultant selection process; negotiating and managing contracts, budgets, and capital renovation projects.
• Working with Campus Security and Facility Services to ensure real-time awareness of all natural disaster and / or safety incidents which occur in any SSD building, and being the point person for resolution and communication of these incidents to the relevant faculty, staff, and students.
• Developing facilities maintenance policies and procedures. Planning renovation and other facilities-related projects, including ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget. Receiving requests for facilities services and supervising delivery of appropriate services.
• Managing movement of equipment and materials, maintaining building security, and maintaining information on building blueprints, space utilization data, and equipment.
• Performing other related work as needed.

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in a related field and 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline. Preferred qualifications include a Bachelor's degree, preferably in facilities planning, design, architecture, or engineering, or in a social sciences discipline, and five years of experience with facilities planning and management, preferably in a university setting.