Associate Director of Facilities Operations

Department

PSD Space and Infrastructure

About the Department

The Division of the Physical Sciences (PSD) is a division whose history is arguably the richest of any such division in any university in this country. The scientists of the Physical Sciences Division have advanced and defined new fields of discovery, and this tradition of innovation continues today. The division includes the academic departments of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geophysical Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics. In addition, PSD includes a number of interdisciplinary research institutes and centers, including the Enrico Fermi Institute, the James Franck Institute, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, and the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics. Many of our researchers have joint appointments at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory, as well as joint affiliations with other Chicago based research institutions such as the Toyota Technological Institute of Chicago, Adler Planetarium, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Field Museum, to name a few.

Job Summary

The PSD Associate Director of Facilities Operations represents the assigned units in the areas of Operations, Renovations, Equipment Inventory, and Space Management. The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for facility development, maintenance, policies, procedures, and expansion to support the strategic mission of the units. They manage day-to-day operations of facilities services, safety, and space maintenance for WERC (PSD portions), MCP, HBRB, Cottage Grove Storage and indirectly Young, Hinds, KPTC, and as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Oversees and manages a staff of building managers and services worker(s) to deliver the highest level of services for the occupants. May act as building manager in other PSD facilities in the absence of staff or to meet other departmental needs. 

• Leads hiring, onboarding and training of new hires to fulfill business requirements.

• Directs communication with department personnel and building managers of new operational requirements or changes in maintenance services.This includes building access, networking/telephone services, and contract services such as custodians.

• Directs the building managers in overall building operations goals.Helps set up tools and processes to track methods to achieve the highest levels of operational goals.

• Develops and oversees implementation of tools to measure client satisfaction.

• Develops managers and staff by identifying skill gaps, developing programs and initiatives that meet staff professional and technical training needs, providing coaching and guidance, conducting or overseeing the annual performance appraisal process, and proactively addressing performance issues as required.

• Oversees multiple project managers over Capital Projects, including laboratory fit outs in PSD Unit assigned space. Participates in meetings with users, architects and/or contractors to ensure adherence to building standards, codes and regulations, and alignment with user requirements.

• Works with the facilities services north campus zone manager to resolve building maintenance issues and escalate the issue to upper management if the problem persists.

• Manages building utility shutdowns with the building occupants and facility services.

• Serves as the liaison between Astronomy, Kavli Institute, Kadanoff Institute, Enrico Fermi Institute, Physics, and Geophysical Sciences and Facilities Services.

• Leads safety officer in buildings; Identifies and resolves unauthorized, unsafe, or ineffective practices.

• Manages machine shops for repairs and access in HBRB, KPTC, and MCP.

• Oversees equipment tagging by helping to locate and identify equipment and updates the university’s equipment inventory as assigned.

• Oversees building security, including building access; which includes electronic access and building keys; serves as the primary liaison with DSS for the CBORD electronic entry system.

• Oversees conference and seminar rooms set up for departmental events as assigned.

• Maintains and upgrades conference room AV equipment.

• Reviews and evaluates safety inspection reports and works with the Divisional Lab Safety Specialists, and EH&S to implement appropriate solutions.

• Manages mail, package receipt and delivery; movement of equipment and materials, and coordinating the activities in MCP, ERC, HBRB, Hinds, KPTC, and Young.

• Develops and maintains relationships with external vendors and suppliers.

• Directs initiatives to improve work e