Assistant Facilities Manager - Student and Campus Life

Student and Campus Life (SCL) inspires transformation in all Cornell students on their journey of individual, academic and personal evolution. Our division is comprised of leading student affairs experts who support our campus on pressing student life matters including public service, health, wellness, social justice, residential living, food services, sports, recreation, career services, and student activities and organizations including sorority and fraternity life. We provide support and services to roughly 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on multiple campuses in the U.S. and abroad.

As a part of the SCL Office of the Vice President's unit, the SCL Facilities team supports the student campus experience, by ensuring safe, clean, and operational spaces for students to live, eat, recreate, connect, and engage with each other. With this mission in mind, the team is focused on helping our customers and end-users navigate critical decisions regarding the use and maintenance of their space. They do this through analyzing risks and associated costs, exploring additional services that add value, considering safety and security factors, and ensuring business continuity. Members of this group are passionate about helping customers, think critically about how small decisions can have large impacts, and have a knack for integrating people and physical places. This team is literally the “foundation” upon which the student experience here at Cornell is built.

   

As part of a team of facilities professionals, the Assistant Facilities Manager coordinates the day-to-day maintenance operations and small project activity for assigned client groups within the Student and Campus Life (SCL) portfolio and serves as liaison to central facilities zone structure. This role supports Facility Managers in assessing building or facility conditions and manages compliance and long-term needs including responding to routine and emergency maintenance and operation needs. While fostering strong partnerships and collaborating with a wide variety of key stakeholders, this role will receive, understand, prioritize, schedule and ensure completion of on-going and emergency repairs through our workflow management system. Additionally, this role will help to ensure appropriate communication and guidance to building occupants to ensure safe and consistent practices related to procedures and policies.

Success Factors

• Effectively demonstrate excellent communication skills (both customer-facing and internally with team members) to make complex facilities issues understandable for clients
• Ability to foster strong partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Possess facilities management knowledge and a desire to continually learn new skills and technical functions to support solid decision making and critical thinking skills while fulfill all the responsibilities of a facility manager in their absence.

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree or other formal training program with at least 5 years of experience in facilities management, maintenance, or construction or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• General knowledge of a variety of building systems, such as electrical, HVAC, ATC controls, piping, fire protection, roofing, fenestrations, etc.
• Technical familiarity with office software applications
• Ability to lift 20 lbs. independently (and occasionally more with assistance)
• Ability to navigate facilities on routine basis in support of inspection process and follow up to maintenance needs. Must be able to negotiate stairs, ladders and a variety of mechanical spaces
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive and equitable working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree or additional professional experience beyond 2 years in a related field
• Prior experience performing facilities related work in a large-scale or highly complex environment
• Previous experience working in an academic or campus setting
• Project management or project lead e