Executive Director of Facilities Operations and Engineering

Samuel Merritt University•Oakland, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of Facilities Operations and Engineering provides executive leadership, technical direction, and business process oversight for facilities engineering, operations, and maintenance across Samuel Merritt University's Oakland, Sacramento, Fresno, Foster City, and future campus locations. The role leads the strategic direction, capital planning, engineering standards, and financial and vendor stewardship of University building systems and physical infrastructure, ensuring facilities are safe, code-compliant, accessible, and sustainable in support of the University's educational, clinical, research, and administrative missions. As the University's senior facilities executive, this position is accountable to the Deputy Chief Operating Officer & CIO for the strategic performance, regulatory compliance, and fiscal responsibility of Facilities Management. The Executive Director advises executive leadership on infrastructure investment, capital strategy, engineering standards, and risk management. The role ensures facilities and building systems are designed, maintained, and operated in accordance with applicable California codes and regulations, including Title 24, Cal/OSHA Title 8, the California Fire Code, CalGreen, California accessibility standards, ADA, and local Authority Having Jurisdiction requirements. This is an essential position that may be called upon to lead the University's response during emergencies or University closures. The position is onsite at the Oakland campus, with regular travel among SMU campuses, and requires the ability to work nonstandard business hours and respond to emergencies.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, facilities management, construction management, organizational management, public administration, business administration, operations management, or a related discipline; an equivalent combination of education, technical training, certifications, military experience, and progressively responsible facilities leadership experience may substitute.
Degree equivalency may be met with an associate degree and 15 years of related leadership experience, or no degree and 18 years of progressive facilities leadership experience; military facilities management or engineering leadership experience may be considered equivalent.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in facilities management, engineering, operations and maintenance, utilities, or public administration, including at least 6 years in a senior management or executive capacity overseeing multi-site or multi-campus operations.
Experience planning, organizing, implementing, and evaluating facilities projects, programs, and initiatives at an enterprise level.
Experience leading maintenance, capital planning, business, and financial operations.
Experience with strategic planning, design, and deployment of facilities and infrastructure programs.
Experience administering multi-million-dollar operating and capital budgets.
Experience administering enterprise vendor and service contracts.
Ability to resolve conflict and address competing stakeholder interests.
Experience building accountability, respect, and performance within a team.
Experience leading process improvement.
Demonstrated ability to edit and write business correspondence using proper grammar and punctuation, as shown in application materials.
Experience collecting and analyzing data, summarizing findings, and developing strategies for executive leadership.
Valid driver's license and ability to meet policy requirements for driving University vehicles.
Ability to travel regularly among SMU campuses.
Ability to work nonstandard business hours and respond to emergencies and University closures.
At hire or within 24 months of employment, hold a current Professional Engineer (PE) license, APPA Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) credential, or IFMA Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credential.
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Certification.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in engineering, organizational management, construction management, architecture, public administration, business administration, project management, or a related field.
Higher education, healthcare, or multi-campus operational leadership experience.
Experience with FITWELL and California/International Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6) compliance.
Experience with district- and building-level utility systems.
Experience applying project management principles to cross-functional projects or change initiatives.
Experience developing executive performance dashboards and reporting programs.
Excellent writing and analytical skills.
Proactive, strategic approach to work with a strong commitment to quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.
Expertise in prioritizing workflow and managing resources across multiple campuses.
Ability to interact with and influence senior University stakeholders and collaborate across functions, levels, and departments toward shared objectives.
Commitment to community engagement as a representative of the University and Facilities Management team.
Experience with Workday, Smartsheet, PolicyStat, business intelligence and reporting tools (Power BI preferred), TeamDynamix (TDX), and Microsoft 365.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
IFMA Facility Management Professional (FMP) credential.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
Certified Healthcare Facility Manager (CHFM) credential.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership, technical direction, and business process oversight for Facilities Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance across the University system.
Develop and implement short- and long-range facilities strategic plans, departmental goals, service standards, and key performance indicators.
Advise executive leadership on infrastructure investment, capital strategy, and operational performance.
Establish and maintain Facilities Management governance frameworks, policies, standards, and operational governance.
Direct organizational planning, workforce development, and succession planning for Facilities Management.
Provide executive direction, coaching, and performance oversight to the Director of Facilities and departmental managers.
Promote accountability, customer service, innovation, and continuous improvement across the University.
Oversee capital planning and engineering review for University facilities, building systems, and physical infrastructure.
Develop and maintain multi-year capital improvement plans for deferred maintenance, alterations, repairs, and building-system replacement.
Provide engineering support for operations, maintenance, and capital planning, and ensure design and construction compliance with applicable codes and local requirements.
Participate in University capital planning for renovation, expansion, campus activation, and academic growth initiatives.
Ensure a welcoming, safe, and accessible physical environment consistent with ADA and California accessibility standards.
Sponsor return-on-investment and total-cost-of-ownership analyses for major capital and infrastructure projects.
Direct use of facilities technology, including the work order and computerized maintenance management system, in maintenance and operations processes.
Oversee design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the maintenance work order system and preventive maintenance program.
Establish enterprise service levels, KPIs, and performance dashboards for facilities operations and maintenance.
Ensure timely, effective, efficient, and professional customer service for campus users across all locations.
Oversee University-wide facilities emergency response and business continuity planning.
Develop, own, and administer operating and capital budgets for Facilities Management.
Review and approve significant contracts, purchase requests, expenditures, and capital project funding recommendations.
Establish financial controls, procurement governance standards, and departmental pre-spend review processes.
Lead major facilities, utility, and infrastructure vendor and service-provider relationships, including contract strategy, negotiation, and final approval authority.
Ensure responsible stewardship of University financial resources and assets.
Ensure University-wide compliance with applicable federal, state, and local facilities regulations, standards, and accreditation requirements.
Direct responses to regulatory inspections, audits, and corrective action programs at the executive level.
Own emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, and business continuity planning for Facilities Management and serve as an essential-personnel executive during emergencies and University closures.
Escalate and resolve material compliance, safety, or risk issues and report status to executive leadership.
Recruit, develop, mentor, and evaluate senior facilities leadership, including the Director of Facilities and departmental managers.
Build a culture of accountability, respect, safety, customer service, and continuous improvement, and foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Travel regularly among SMU campuses and work nonstandard hours or respond to emergencies as needed.