Director of Facility Operations

Metropolitan State University of Denver•Denver, CO

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Facility Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across Metropolitan State University of Denver’s physical infrastructure and capital assets, as well as emergency management and environmental health and safety programs. The role oversees building operations, maintenance, lifecycle asset management, maintenance strategies, emergency management, and environmental health and safety in a collaborative urban campus environment. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director drives operational excellence and partners with administrative and academic units, particularly the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC), which owns and manages shared campus grounds and general-use facilities. The Director leads two senior facilities managers, an environmental health and safety manager, a fiscal and office manager, and a forthcoming emergency manager, and oversees the third-party management company for the university’s new residence hall. The position is responsible for facilities operations, capital and lifecycle planning, campus partnerships, safety and emergency preparedness, and financial and administrative leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Management, Engineering, Architecture, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
At least 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in facilities management, physical plant operations, or corporate or higher-education space.
Demonstrated experience directly supervising, coaching, and mentoring a multidisciplinary team.
A strong track record of building a collaborative culture, setting clear performance expectations, and driving team success.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Experience in a higher-education or public-sector environment.
Professional certification such as Certified Facility Manager (CFM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Professional Engineer (PE), or Certified Energy Manager (CEM).
Experience evaluating and applying APPA level standards.
Experience with TMA.
Experience managing facilities operations in higher-education housing or high-density residential environments.

Responsibilities

Direct day-to-day operations and maintenance programs across university-owned, leased, and operated facilities.
Oversee third-party property managers, outsourced service providers, and specialized trade contractors; establish performance benchmarks and service-level agreements and ensure contract compliance, accountability, and cost control.
Oversee the residence hall property manager contract, including responsive and planned operations and maintenance, space turnover, and collaboration with Housing and Residence Life.
Develop and maintain a capital asset management plan focused on useful asset life and prioritized capital investment.
Evaluate equipment condition and asset lifecycles; develop end-of-life replacement plans, rough-order-of-magnitude estimates, and optimized replacement cycles.
Prioritize, track, and execute preventative, deferred, and controlled maintenance plans, integrating facility condition assessments into multi-year capital budget requests.
Develop financial and functional thresholds for maintaining assets versus running them to failure; apply code-specified preventative maintenance frequencies and predictive maintenance techniques.
Manage CMMS corrective actions, repairs, and work-order requests.
Determine total cost of ownership for proposed capital developments, major renovations, and new academic or operational programs, including long-term utility, custodial, maintenance, and capital-renewal costs.
Collaborate with university leadership on capital intake processes and project readiness for facility openings.
Partner with Planning, Design, and Construction on campus physical-environment initiatives.
Build relationships with academic departments, student affairs, athletics, housing partners, and executive leadership to align facilities operations with institutional mission and enrollment goals.
Serve as the primary operational liaison with AHEC teams, coordinating shared building operations, infrastructure projects, grounds maintenance, and tri-institutional spaces.
Represent the university on campus-wide capital, safety, and facilities committees.
Direct the university’s EHS program through the EHS Manager and ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, state, and local regulatory standards.
Promote campus safety and partner with AHEC’s Emergency Preparedness, Coordination, and Recovery Committee through monthly tri-institutional coordination.
Develop the framework for the future Emergency Management function and campus crisis, severe-weather, and facility-emergency response protocols.
Lead, coach, and manage the performance of the Facilities Operations team, fostering proactive service delivery, rapid issue resolution, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Develop, manage, and monitor annual operating, maintenance, and capital expenditure budgets.
Manage administrative office staff and departmental purchasing, work-order dispatching, contract administration, and customer service operations.