Facilities and Operations Manager - College of Fine Arts

The College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University is searching for a full-time Facilities and Operations Manager to join in the leadership and oversight of its new Performance Research Center.

The College of Fine Arts is developing an interdisciplinary research and production center, focused on technology and performance. This initiative is housed in the former Pittsburgh Filmmakers building at 477 Melwood Avenue, where faculty and students of the School of Drama’s Video & Media Design program (VMD) and the School of Arts Electronic & Time-Based Media program (ETB), have been conducting select courses over the last several years.

Ultimately, this exciting collaboration between Art and Drama will serve as an incubator for a larger performance and technology research center, engaging many schools and outside partners that are actively exploring how new technologies, networked systems, and experimental artistic practices bridge previously separate disciplines and open up new possibilities for storytelling, performance, and art.

We are searching for a full-time Operations Manager to help make this ambitious “program of programs” a reality. This position requires the ability to work in an autonomous manner, bringing in stakeholders from different academic units, and working across existing institutional boundaries to support new and generative forms of interaction. This position is principally responsible for managing all aspects of curricular, operational, and event support and working with relevant faculty, the CFA Dean's office and outside experts in the planning of the future facility. This position will work closely with faculty from the School of Drama and School of Art and will report directly to the Senior Manager of Resource Operations in the CFA Dean’s Office.

Renovations on the 477 Melwood building are scheduled to begin in earnest in early May 2026, and are planned for specific spaces not the whole building. The manager will work closely with the construction manager, contractors, and Campus Design & Facilities Development personnel, to prepare the building and generally keep the renovation process on track. Once renovations on the new facility are complete, the manager will manage filling out the new spaces, and then engage in programming, scheduling, and policy-related activities in support of the new building, curriculum and faculty.

Core responsibilities will include:

• Curricular Support

• Scheduling of courses and spaces in collaboration with faculty

• Supporting day-to-day course work: setting up and striking equipment with student employees, in consultation with Faculty.

• Production Studio Scheduling & Management

• Planning for growth and budgeting equipment purchases

• Working with stakeholders and outside experts on matching curricular plans with well designed facilities and systems.

• Operational Support

• Equipment Management, Maintenance & Repair Coordination

• Student Labor Management

• Operational and Technological Improvements

• Management of Equipment Lending system and staff.

• Event Support

• Scheduling and management of public events in coordination with hosts.

• Managing multiple theatrical processes and performance spaces in an educational environment

• Facilities Operations

• Oversight of building maintenance including cleaning, security and access control

• Regular inspection of the building (interior and exterior grounds, ensuring proper functionality of HVAC, electrical/lighting systems, plumbing, etc.) and submitting work orders when necessary.

• Planning and coordinating with FMS and other campus department staff (laborers/custodians/technicians) for all necessary maintenance–general and specialized; minor and major rehab or major construction projects–for those areas listed above along with waste removal, landscaping, parking, CS/IT (network, WiFi, contracted Melwood Screening Room technology support), and other related tasks.

Flexibility, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Computing Services. Inclusion, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity are valued competencies at CMU. Therefore, we are in search of a team member who is able to effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Qualifications:

• Education: BFA or MFA

• Years of experience: 3-5

• Experience managing people and facilities in a theater