Facilities Planner (Architect or Engineer)

University of Chicago Medicine•Chicago, IL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Are you a visionary thinker with a passion for designing and building the future? Our team is looking for a talented Architect or Engineer to join us in creating innovative, sustainable, and impactful projects. Be a part of a world-class academic healthcare system, UChicago Medicine, as a Facilities Planner at our Hyde Park Location. This position is a hybrid opportunity. You will need to be based in the greater Chicagoland area. Job Summary Works with employees, administrators and faculty to develop project descriptions and preliminary plans that can be used for further design development. Facilitates interaction between the users and designers. Manages user expectations throughout the planning and construction process.

Requirements

Good interpersonal skills and group process skills. He/she must be responsive to user needs and desires while meeting institutional standards, budget constraints, time constraints and regulatory requirements.
Degree in architecture, engineering or related field
At least five years of experience in health care equipment planning. He/she should have (or must quickly develop) a good working knowledge of building codes and regulations applicable to health care.
Competent and tireless problem-solver, and an excellent communicator. He/she should have a good working knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet programs (Microsoft Word and Excel preferred).
A working knowledge of CAD (AutoCAD preferred) is desirable.
Previous experience in healthcare medical planning and design is required.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare experience

Responsibilities

Provide facilities planning consultation to senior managers; estimating space and capital requirements for potential projects, as well as possible locations.
Define specific projects by interviewing senior managers and other users individually and/or by working with a committee. Then work with the individual users and/or the committee to develop a functional and space program, preliminary schematic design and written project description.
Apply utilization and room size standards to prepare a space program for the project. For unique rooms, determine the size needed from the number of occupants, the work performed and the furniture and equipment required. Determine number of rooms from the number of occupants or the project volumes and estimated procedure or exam times. Prepare functional relationship diagrams from knowledge of hospital operations and from user interviews.
For small projects (5,000 sq. ft. or less), prepare a preliminary schematic design. Prepare the design in accordance with applicable codes. In addition, the design should consider mechanical and electrical requirements of the proposed project location as well as known pipe chases. (If Planner is an architect, may actually do architectural drawings for projects.)
Prepare a written project description following the outline for Hospitals projects. When an outside architect is retained, present the project description at a pre-bid meeting. Meet with the selected architect prior to beginning work to make sure he or she understands the job and related organizational issues.
Provide leadership for design development meetings, resolving conflicting requirements among users and helping those present to find creative solutions to problems. Make sure that the architects are prepared for meetings and that they make correct interpretations of statements made in committee meetings.
Ensure that outside architects receive required project information when needed. This may involve helping users complete information requests, making field measurements and finding data on electrical requirements and heat loads of existing or planned equipment.
Work with the user, the architect and purchasing in developing an equipment list for the project.
Manage the budget for architectural services through the end of schematic design and approve all invoices for payment.
Participate in plan review when construction documents are nearing completion. The primary function of the Planner is to ensure that all user needs have been met, to ensure that applicable life safety and IDPH codes have been followed, and to ensure that the architectural, furniture and equipment plans are coordinated.
Provide support to Project Managers during construction. Walk the user through projects to help spot architectural or construction errors. Assist the Project Manager in handling all user-requested change orders, particularly those that are deliberate changes to the approved design.
Conduct and document post-occupancy reviews with the user to help evaluate the planning and design process, Hospitals standards and the extent to which the project satisfied user needs.
Performs other duties as requested by senior management.