Director of Facilities & Operations

University of Wisconsin Madison • Madison, WI

1d • $115,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Facilities & Operations for Recreation & Wellbeing provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all indoor and outdoor recreation facilities across campus, including multiple large indoor complexes and nearly 60 acres of outdoor recreation space. This role directs a broad portfolio of service areas, including indoor and outdoor maintenance, custodial services, audiovisual systems, ice operations, aquatics, and facility operations, to ensure safe, high- quality, and welcoming environments that support the wellbeing of the UW– Madison community. In this position, the director establishes and implements custodial and maintenance standards, oversees preventative and emergency repair programs, and guides the planning and scheduling of maintenance, remodeling, and renovation activities. The role plays a key part in capital project support, high- dollar repair initiatives, and long- term facility planning, collaborating closely with university and state architects, engineers, project managers, and contractors. The director ensures compliance with workplace health and safety expectations, manages unit budgets, and maintains strong operational systems for work orders, purchasing, and grounds projects. This position directly supervises two full- time staff members and provides leadership to more than 55 indirect full- time professionals and over 600 student employees. Through effective supervision, relationship building, and operational excellence, the Director of Facilities & Operations ensures that Recreation & Wellbeing’s facilities meet the evolving needs of students, staff, and the broader campus community.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in facilities operations, maintenance, or capital project oversight within a complex, multi‑facility environment.
• Demonstrated experience supervising full‑time professional staff, including performance management, hiring, and workforce development.
• Proven ability to manage large‑scale maintenance programs, custodial operations, and preventative maintenance systems.
• Experience coordinating construction, renovation, or high‑dollar repair projects in collaboration with architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers.
• Strong knowledge of workplace safety standards, building systems, and operational compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, track expenditures, and make data‑informed operational decisions.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse teams and stakeholder groups.
• Master’s degree in facilities management, engineering, architecture, recreation administration, higher education administration, public administration, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in higher education, municipal recreation, or another large public‑sector environment.
• Leadership experience overseeing large, diverse teams, including indirect supervision of 50+ staff and management of large student‑employee workforces.
• Familiarity with recreation‑specific facility operations such as aquatics, ice arenas, audiovisual systems, and large‑scale indoor and outdoor recreation environments.
• Experience implementing or optimizing computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and automated work‑order processes.
• Demonstrated success in developing operational standards, custodial programs, and long‑term maintenance strategies.
• Experience supporting or leading capital planning efforts, including feasibility studies, design review, and construction coordination.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, service‑oriented environment that supports student wellbeing and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Develops priorities and implementation strategies for creating custodial and maintenance standards, schedules, and labor requirements for routine and emergency repairs, housekeeping, preventative maintenance programs, grounds work, warehouse functions, renovations, and capital improvement projects
• Determines and directs standards for routine and preventative work orders, warehouse/purchasing tracking, building and grounds projects, and use of automated maintenance
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Develops and fosters a working relationship with university and state professional architects and engineers, project managers, building construction superintendents, and outside contractors while representing staff and residents
• Directs the planning and scheduling of building maintenance and remodeling activities, incorporating operational requirements and priorities
• Develops and audits the unit budget
• Acts as the primary liaison between Recreation & Wellbeing and key institutional partners, including Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M), UW System, and the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), ensuring clear communication, coordinated project planning, and alignment on construction, renovation, and major maintenance initiatives.
• Reviews work place health and safety expectations with employees and provides instruction as needed
• Represents the division in cross‑functional planning groups related to capital projects, long‑range facility planning, sustainability initiatives, emergency preparedness, and campus infrastructure improvements.
• Serves as an active member on Recreation & Wellbeing, Health & Wellbeing, Student Affairs, and campus‑wide committees, contributing operational expertise and representing the division’s facility needs and priorities.
• Engages in strategic planning efforts for the division, contributing data‑driven insights on facility performance, staffing models, and long‑term maintenance needs.

Benefits

• generous paid time off
• competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance
• tax-advantaged savings accounts
• participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director