Assistant Director, Facilities Maintenance

University of St Thomas•St. Paul, MN

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Facilities Maintenance coordinates, executes, and oversees daily maintenance activities across University building systems and trades to support reliable building performance, regulatory compliance, and effective work execution. The role directly manages in-house maintenance staff and selected contracted-services personnel performing electrical, mechanical, carpentry, painting, and locksmith duties. It implements operational priorities, supports supervisors, and ensures consistent, high-quality service delivery. The Assistant Director is the primary operational partner to the Sr. Director and may act on their behalf when assigned. The position requires participation in an on-call rotation and response to after-hours and emergency situations as needed. The role oversees daily maintenance and repairs, preventive maintenance, small- to mid-scale projects, life-safety and compliance activities, and maintenance systems and documentation. It also provides operational reporting and backup support to the Director, and develops staff through training, cross-training, coaching, and performance support. The position is part of the Facilities Maintenance Team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in facilities management, construction management, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Five years of progressive facilities maintenance experience, preferably in an institutional or commercial environment.
Strong working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and life-safety building systems.
Familiarity with NFPA standards, OSHA requirements, and applicable codes.
Proficiency with CMMS platforms and maintenance documentation systems.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and coordination skills.
Ability to respond effectively in emergency situations.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide comparable knowledge and skills may be substituted.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily maintenance and repair operations across mechanical (HVAC/plumbing), electrical, carpentry, painting, and locksmith services.
Coordinate workflow, prioritize work orders, and allocate labor for timely, efficient service delivery.
Provide leadership and technical oversight to supervisors and in-house staff, including performance management and professional development.
Conduct periodic quality-control inspections to ensure work is safe, consistent, and meets established standards.
Develop, implement, and maintain preventive maintenance programs for building systems, equipment, interiors, architectural components, and related infrastructure.
Use manufacturer recommendations, code requirements, asset criticality, operational history, and seasonal needs to establish maintenance standards and frequencies.
Manage and coordinate small- to mid-scale maintenance projects, renovations, and infrastructure improvements.
Develop project scopes, coordinate schedules with internal staff and contractors, and track progress, costs, and completion.
Support the capital renewal plan through accurate documentation of completed work and system updates.
Ensure fire protection, life-safety, and other critical building systems remain operational, maintained, and compliant with applicable standards, requirements, codes, insurance requirements, and University policies.
Coordinate staff and vendors to complete repairs, address deficiencies, and minimize risk or disruption to building operations.
Maintain compliance records, inspection documentation, corrective-action logs, and status updates; promptly escalate significant deficiencies, operational risks, and unresolved compliance issues to the Sr. Director.
Use the CMMS to track work orders, preventive maintenance, and asset histories; monitor data accuracy and ensure timely close-out of completed work.
Oversee maintenance of building system summaries, compliance records, and infrastructure documentation, including accurate capital-renewal and infrastructure-improvement data.
Execute operational priorities established by the Director of Facilities Maintenance and provide data, reporting, and analysis to support strategic decisions.
Communicate operational challenges, resource needs, and compliance risks promptly; serve as backup to the Director when unavailable.
Develop staff through technical training, safety education, cross-training, coaching, feedback, mentoring, and hands-on guidance.
Assess individual and team skill needs and create development plans for trade expertise, equipment knowledge, customer service, supervisory capability, and safety and regulatory compliance.
Promote a collaborative, accountable team culture that shares knowledge across trades and responds to campus operational needs.
Participate in the on-call rotation and respond to after-hours and emergency situations as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.