Manager, Plant Growth Facility

Duke University:

 

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

 

Occupational Summary

Direct and coordinate the operation and maintenance of the Biology Phytotron and Greenhouse Facilities to support the Department of Biology’s research, teaching and outreach missions.

 

Work Performed

Direct, plan and coordinate daily operation and maintenance of the Phytotron and Greenhouse—PG (plant growth) facilities.  These facilities provide all services necessary to conduct many types of controlled environment experiments, from the simplest to the most complex.  This includes monitoring and maintaining control systems, monitoring building systems, scheduling of space and coordinating projects with researchers.  Also manage the use of Phytotron and Greenhouse controlled environment space leased from Duke by corporate users.

 

Operational management: 50%

• Oversee the staff in the PG facilities. Provide leadership and direction as the subject matter expert.
• Manage the day-to-day operations and activities of the PG facilities.
• Direct various personnel functions including but not limited to, hiring, training, conducting performance evaluations, and recommending annual merits/promotions as well as providing guidance and support as needed.
• Manage work schedules and tasks to ensure efficient operation and maintenance of the facilities.
• Oversee the PG policies and procedures and website update.
• Coordinate Phytotron research activities with the adjacent Biology Department Research and Collection Greenhouses.
• Maintain active membership in and attend meetings of professional organizations (NCER-101and AERGC).  Attend other seminars and training classes to stay abreast of new developments in controlled environment plant research.
• Collaborate with faculty, researchers and students to support their research needs.
• Provide technical advice and assistance in the setup and maintenance of the experiments.
• Facilitate the use of plant growth facilities for teaching purposes.
• Formulate short and long-range goals for the PG facilities. Develop and implement strategic plans for facility improvement and expansion.
• Stay current with advances in plant growth technologies and incorporate new methods as appropriate.

 

Facility management: 25%

• Evaluate current and proposed services and facilities, conferring with faculty, students and research personnel to align services with the needs of the research community. 
• Act as building contact person with the facilities office of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, and Duke Facilities Management Department. Confer with the Department Manager and Facilities Management personnel as appropriate to secure resources. 
• Serve as point person for all facility infrastructure improvement projects. Coordinate all sustainability efforts in the Phytotron and Greenhouse.
• Ensure that all staff, experiments and facilities are following all applicable Federal, State and Local regulations.  Particular care should be taken in the areas of OSHA, WPS and GMO regulations.  Comply with all Duke Safety rules.
• Implement and enforce safety protocols to protect faculty, staff, students and users.
• Plan and arrange meetings with staff to ensure compliance with established practices, to implement new policies and procedures and to keep employees abreast of current changes and standards.
• Ensure that all equipment and facilities are properly maintained and in good working order.
• Coordinate with university maintenance staff and external vendors for repairs and upgrades.

 

Budget and resource management: 25%

• Determine fiscal requirements and prepare budgetary recommendations.
• Develop and manage the facilities’ budgets, including revenues and expenses.
• Review and approve expenditures for equipment, repairs and supplies.
• Provide billing data to accounting staff for Duke and outside researchers. 
• Review fiscal reports provided by accounting staff. 
• Identify and implement cost reduction and efficiency improvement strategies.
• Collaborate with the departmental leadership on budgetary matters as neede