Director of Building Services and Operations

Department

Law Administration and Budget

About the Department

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind.

Job Summary

The University of Chicago Law School is seeking a Director of Building Services and Operations to lead its facilities operations function for a building complex of 220,000 square feet, including physical plant and grounds maintenance, improvements, and security. The individual in this role will regularly interact with the Law School’s faculty, students, and staff and is the principal liaison with the University’s Facilities Services department and facilities related vendors. This position directly supervises two full time Local 743 Union staff on the building services team, the Law School Visitor Control Attendant, and security guards.

Responsibilities

• Ensures timely and high-quality delivery of services through direct staff support, coordination with University service departments, and arranging contracted work. 

• Evaluates and reviews operating practices and processes for their effectiveness and efficiency on an ongoing basis. Establishes performance metrics and creates tools to measure effective operations. 

• Works closely with the Law School Events department to support high volume of conference, meeting, and event logistics, including set ups and breakdowns, access control needs, and contracted services (security, custodial, etc.). 

• Ensures regular inspections of buildings, equipment and/or surrounding grounds for deficiencies and potential safety, health, or code problems. 

• Manages Law School Reception and supervises the Law School Visitor Control Attendant. Handles temporary coverage needs with security guards. Supervises the building services team.  

• Coordinates all staff and faculty office moves and preparation of offices for new faculty and staff. 

• Maintains building security and safety by owning card access function and oversight of evening/weekend security personnel. 

• Manages the budget process for facilities, including budget forecasting, development, management and reporting. 

• Coordinates parking needs, both for long-term permit holders as well as short-term sales of day passes. 

• Develops short- and long-range plans for facility development, maintenance and expansion to support the needs and goals of the Law School. 

• Serves as the primary liaison with University departments such as Facilities Services, Police, Risk Management, Parking, Environmental Health and Safety, and Security Systems. 

• Sets building hours for academic, holiday, and break periods, updating building signage and card access settings accordingly. 

• Serves as the Law School project manager for capital projects, including new construction and renovation, and other facilities-related projects. 

• Manages telecommunication needs such as new employee setup, voicemail and forwarding services, physical phones for events, and troubleshooting phone issues. 

• Maintains building floor plans, construction documents, space utilization data, and equipment inventory. 

• Manages mail carrier accounts (USPS, FedEx) and interdepartmental billing for outgoing mail. Occasionally renegotiates meter lease. 

• Develops and maintains AHU fan schedules to meet energy efficiency goals. Supports other sustainability initiatives where possible.