Assistant Vice President, Facilities Operations

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

1d•$243,309 - $286,246

About The Position

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Facilities Operations is the senior operating executive accountable for the day-to-day performance of building operations and maintenance, skilled trades, grounds, work control, service partners, assigned residential properties, and Energy Programs. The role reports to the Associate Vice President of Facilities Services, and the Senior Director of Energy Programs reports directly to the AVP. The AVP is accountable for service delivery, asset performance, labor-management relations, safety, emergency response, operating and utility budgets, contracts, customer experience, and continuous improvement. This is a visible, field-engaged leadership role that works with skilled-trades employees, managers, campus customers, and University executives. Near-term priorities include stabilizing operations; evaluating and implementing an effective zone model; right-sizing spans of control and administrative support; rebuilding trust and morale; standardizing leadership practices, procedures, and CBA administration; and moving operations toward disciplined, technology-enabled use of Maximo, data, AI, and automation. The AVP leads Facilities Operations and Energy Programs, developing operating structures, workforce capability, asset-management strategies, budgets, service standards, and operational readiness. The role oversees reliable and compliant building and utility operations, energy and sustainability initiatives, emergency response, customer service, procurement and contracts, and the operational and financial performance of Residential Properties. The position requires regular campus and off-site field presence and availability for emergency response 24/7.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, facilities management, business, construction management, or a related field.
At least 12 years of experience, including facilities management at a large corporate campus or higher education institution, utility, manufacturing or government institution, or comparable experience delivering resource- and personnel-intensive operations and services in a decentralized environment.
At least 8 years of supervisory experience, including experience leading unionized personnel.
Demonstrated success in client management and management of large operating staffs, significant operating and utility budgets, and major change initiatives.
Proven budget experience with forecasting, analysis, cost containment, and execution of multi-million-dollar budgets in a service-oriented environment.
A track record of involvement in energy conservation and sustainability initiatives.
Excellent client-service and communication skills, including the ability to model effective communication for staff at all levels and with people outside the department.
Energy, tact, diplomacy, and excellent communication skills.
Attention to detail; ability to meet deadlines, read technical and administrative materials, maintain confidentiality, solve problems, handle ambiguity, exert informal authority, manage competing priorities, and respond to crises and emergencies.
Ability to review plans, specifications, operating procedures, collective bargaining agreements, contracts, and technical assessments.
Ability to maintain regular field presence throughout campus and assigned off-site locations and availability for emergency response 24/7.
Ability to work in office, shop, mechanical, utility, construction, residential, and outdoor environments.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Property management experience.
Experience in a university, academic medical center, or other decentralized institutional setting.
Experience with property-management budgets.
Extensive knowledge of building operations and successful management of real-estate operations, housekeeping, general trades, utility operations, HVAC, space management, landscaping and grounds, and engineering.

Responsibilities

Build and lead an inclusive, high-performing Facilities Operations organization with clear roles, aligned goals, and shared accountability for service, reliability, safety, and stewardship within approved budgets.
Evaluate and refine zone structure, spans of control, field leadership, decision rights, scheduling, and on-call coverage; implement the model approved by the Associate Vice President.
Develop the senior leadership team through talent assessment, recruitment, coaching, succession planning, and feedback; model visible, field-engaged leadership and a no-surprises culture.
Own the Maximo operating model, including data standards, work-intake rules, asset hierarchies, preventive-maintenance schedules, labor and material coding, and closure requirements; establish Maximo as the single source of operational truth.
Build and publish executive and shop-level dashboards and lead recurring accountability reviews with direct reports.
Lead the adoption of AI and analytics for uses such as predictive maintenance, work-order optimization, utility anomaly detection, workforce scheduling, and contract analysis; govern data quality and model outputs and measure results.
Build workforce fluency in AI and technology through training, coaching, and integration of approved tools into daily workflows.
Partner with Information Technology on system integration, cybersecurity, data governance, and roadmap priorities for Maximo, building automation, metering, and related platforms.
Manage buildings, engineering systems, utility infrastructure, grounds, and operating practices for safety, reliability, resilience, efficiency, regulatory compliance, and sustainability.
Maintain a controlled library of standard operating procedures, audit adherence, and require disciplined Maximo data practices across shops and zones.
Develop and execute a risk-based asset-management and deferred-maintenance strategy; lead FMEA and central utility plant assessments and conduct root-cause reviews after significant failures.
Ensure reliable 24/7/365 monitoring, alarm routing, escalation, and response for critical building and utility systems.
Through the Senior Director of Energy Programs, provide executive oversight of the central utility plant, building automation, utility planning and procurement, commissioning, and infrastructure reliability; use metering, monitoring-based commissioning, and AI-driven analytics to improve equipment performance and demand management.
Integrate Facilities Operations and Energy Programs into annual capital and non-capital planning; ensure maintainability, commissioning, and operational readiness before facilities are accepted; lead risk-rating, support facility-condition assessments, and provide information for annual capital and operational budget planning.
Implement and champion energy efficiency, conservation, and sustainability initiatives supporting the University’s greenhouse gas reduction goals; partner with Campus Planning + Sustainability to update the utility master plan in support of climate action goals.
Define and manage service-delivery levels; develop service-level agreements for units requiring specialized service; standardize customer communications and lead service recovery when performance falls short.
Develop a multi-year workforce plan and address succession risks across leadership, trades, grounds, administrative, energy management, and controls roles.
Administer collective bargaining agreements and workplace policies fairly and consistently; partner with Human Resources and Labor Relations on employee relations, grievances, and negotiations.
Promote a measurable safety culture; lead front-line emergency and utility-interruption response, maintain practiced continuity plans, and remain available 24/7.
Lead Facilities Operations and Energy Programs operating budgets, including development, reforecasting, variance analysis, cost containment, and year-end reporting, in coordination with Finance and Business Services.
Partner with Procurement on solicitation schedules, scopes, performance measures, and supplier-diversity expectations; review contracts, fleet, and in-house versus contracted service models while protecting mission-critical reliability.
Lead the operational and financial performance of Residential Properties, support an asset-by-asset strategic review, and implement the approved strategy for investment, repositioning, third-party management, or divestiture.
Perform other related work as needed.