Director, District Operations and Maintenance

Wayne State University•Detroit, MI

11d

About The Position

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Director, District Operations and Maintenance at its Detroit campus location. Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society. The Director, Regional Operations and Maintenance is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, repair, and operational activities in one of two campus regions at Wayne State University. This role ensures that all facilities are safe, functional, and conducive to the educational and research environment. The Regional Director will lead a team of operations and maintenance professionals, manage budgets, and develop strategies to improve operational efficiency and sustainability. In this role you will be responsible for customer satisfaction, budget, and preventative maintenance management oversight of approximately 50% of the campus physical facilities environment, comprised of three districts. In this role, you will manage a group of direct reports consisting of three Associate Directors, 3 planning and scheduling managers, various skilled trades and operating engineers.

Requirements

Minimally a bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Engineering, Business Administration or a related field OR 7-10 documented experience in a leadership role within facilities operations and maintenance.
Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in facilities operations and maintenance, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
Strong knowledge of building systems, maintenance practices, and regulatory requirements with detailed understanding of coordination of technical field services activities in the facilities environment.
Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Functional knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems (WebTMA preferred)

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree in business management and/or a licensed professional in mechanical, electrical or skilled trades is preferred.
Previous hands-on experience as tradesman or operating engineer working on large commercial HVAC, Boilers and Chiller systems.
Ideally, trained and experienced in industrial/commercial electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic applications.

Responsibilities

Hire, Mentor and Supervise the management team of associate directors, managers, supervisors and planners.
Develop and implement a planned and preventive maintenance culture.
Develop and monitor team goals and objectives including performance evaluations and job ratings.
Develop and implement technical training to enhance the skills of the overall operations team
Foster a culture of safety, accountability and continuous improvement
Identify and manage facility capital upgrades and improvements with a focus on reduction and elimination of deferred maintenance.
Collaborate with academic, administrative and faculty departments to align facilities management with institutional goals within the area of responsibility
Implement sustainability initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of campus operations
Oversee the maintenance and repair of buildings, grounds and equipment.
Ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulations including OSHA and environmental standards.
Review the scope of work and perform field walk-downs to ensure a high level of safety, training and job plan compliance are met within district teams.
Coach, motivate and lead teams to achieve high preventative maintenance success with the objective of 90% or greater planned scheduled compliance to weekly assignments
Review and manage backlog reports - developing planned and scheduled countermeasure and recovery tasks when scheduled items are missed.
Manage to our Campus Commitment metrics for response to emergency, urgent, routine and PM tasks and reporting campus wide KPI’s on a monthly basis.
Working with our Business Operations Administration (BAO) Team - Prepare and manage the annual fiscal budget for facilities operations and maintenance.
Track O&M costs by building, district and region, against annual budgets monthly.
Monitor and approve requisitions for materials, labor and contracted services
Monitor and report on expenditures, including reduction of reliance on contracted services for routine repairs and replacements.
Optimize resource allocations.
Prepare and present reports to senior leadership.
Partner with Design and Construction services project managers to coordinate and oversee construction, renovation and refurbishment projects.
Liaise with contractors, architects and engineers.
Ensure all facilities comply with health, safety and environmental regulations and policies.
Conduct regular inspections and audits to identify and mitigate risks
Respond, develop and implement emergency response plans.
Maintain a culture of safety first for all employees, staff, faculty and students across campus.
Collaborate with academic and administrative departments to understand and meet their facility’s needs.
Communicate effectively with stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students and external partners,
Represent Facilities Planning and Management department in meetings and committees.
Implement quality standards through surveys from stakeholders to create a culture of continuous improvement.