The Executive Director for Facilities Operations (Executive Director) is responsible for the strategic leadership, management, and oversight of the department of Facilities Operations for the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn). UM-Dearborn is one of three campuses of the University of Michigan located in Dearborn, Michigan only twenty minutes from downtown Detroit. UM-Dearborn offers a nationally ranked, practice-based, affordable education, with small class sizes, renowned faculty, and an extensive alumni network. UM-Dearborn recently received an R2 designation by the Carnegie Foundation indicating high research activity.
Facilities Operations is responsible for the planning, construction, and ongoing maintenance and operation of the campus' buildings, infrastructure, grounds, and utilities. Facilities Operations oversees energy efficiency, sustainability, and environmental health of the campus to support the highest level of occupational health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff. The department provides general services for the campus community, including mail and deliveries, shuttle and parking services, and fleet management. The department also manages internal and external campus events.
Facilities Operations has a crucial partnership with the academic units in support of faculty research. Facilities Operations ensures the proper functioning of research buildings, facilities, and equipment, as well as managing safety, compliance, and environmental aspects of research.
The units of Facilities Operations include:
- Building Services
- Environmental Health and Safety
- Facilities Planning and Construction
- Mail Services
- Parking Services
- Plant Operations
- Grounds and Fleet
- Sustainability and Energy Team
- University Unions and Events
The Executive Director reports directly to the Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs / Chief Financial Officer of UM-Dearborn and is a key leader in the Business Affairs division. The Executive Director collaborates with executive and senior leadership and other campus constituents to implement strategic priorities and practices that advance the UM-Dearborn academic and research mission.
Leadership and Team Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Facilities Operations department fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service.
- Set departmental goals and objectives, ensuring alignment with broader institutional priorities.
- Collaborate with campus leadership to set campus priorities and problem-solve emergent issues.
- Collaborate with academic leadership and research administration to assess facilities needs for the faculty research enterprise, identifying and implementing space solutions that accommodate research growth initiatives and support the university's strategic research objectives.
- Participate as a key member of the All Hazards Committee responsible for developing emergency management plans, exercises, and protocols.
Budget and Resource Management
- Prudently manage Facilities Operations' annual operating and capital budgets holding unit leaders accountable to operate within the allocated unit budget.
- Oversee procurement and contract negotiations.
- Optimize the use of resources through sustainability initiatives and energy management programs in support of the University of Michigan's sustainability goals.
Capital Planning
- Develop and implement short-term and intermediate-term capital improvement strategies that are congruent with the University's active Facilities Master Plan.
- Develop deferred maintenance strategies balancing campus priorities, risk profile, and funding availability.
- Lead future efforts to update or renew the University's Comprehensive Campus Plan.
Project and Contract Management
- Ensure construction projects are appropriately planned, executed on-time, and within the allocated budget.
- Serve as the main liaison with the University of Michigan Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (UM-AEC) department in the planning, coordination, and execution of major capital projects.
- Serve as a liaison with external architects, engineers, contractors, and regulatory agencies on capital projects and construction management.
Operations, Maintenance, and Safety
- Ensure our campus buildings, grounds, and infrastructure are properly maintained providing a safe and accessible campus for our students, faculty, and staff.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local building codes, environmental regulations, and occupational safety standards.
- Develop preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
- Ensure efficient and cost effective campus services meeting and exceeding the needs of our students, faculty, and staff.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, facilities management, construction management, or other relevant field of study
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive high-level leadership and supervision experience in a related field.
- Significant professional experience in at least one of the following areas:
- Building operations management
- Facilities planning
- Construction management
- Demonstrate ability to effectively lead a multi-faceted team.
- Demonstrate ability to lead an efficient, customer focused facilities operations team.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal.
- High level of integrity, ethics, and professionalism.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
- A demonstrated capacity to conduct strategic planning, build consensus, determine institutional readiness for change and act decisively in plan implementation.
- The ability to develop and clearly communicate institutional strategies, key measures of institutional success and accountabilities to both internal and external stakeholders.
- A commitment to creating challenging roles, responsibilities and developmental assignments for facilities operations personnel that leverage and grow talent to meet University needs.
- A proven ability to interact with others in a friendly, open and accepting manner.
- A record of demonstrated respect for the opinions of others.
- A deep respect for the value of each person's contributions to a team, as well as a demonstrated commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion in higher education.
- A proven ability to successfully address and manage conflict and a significant record showing strong interpersonal and team building skills.
- Master's degree in engineering, architecture, facilities management, construction management, or other relevant field of study preferred.
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.
