Director, Housing Facilities & Operations

Trent University; Peterborough; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Ontario seeks a Director for Facilities & Operations to provide strategic leadership in support of the housing strategy. The role involves developing and implementing strategies for facilities services, overseeing budget management, and ensuring compliance with legal requirements. The Director will lead a diverse team and foster partnerships to enhance student housing access and community relations.

Qualifications

• Minimum eight years of progressive leadership experience in student housing or facilities management.
• Experience supervising management, unionized, and student employees.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop strategies for facilities and operations supporting student housing.
• Negotiate leases and oversee renovation projects.
• Provide financial and human resources leadership for a $10 million budget.

Skills

Leadership

Planning

Problem Solving

Research

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Education

Graduate Degree

Certification in Facilities Management

Job description

Trent University is actively committed to creating a diverse and inclusive campus community and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. Trent University offers accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes. If you require accommodation during the recruitment process or require an accessible version of a document/publication, please contact [e-mail].

Job Purpose:

Reporting to the Senior Director, the Director provides strategic leadership for the Facilities & Operations department to support the university’s housing strategy. The Director has responsibility for developing strategies and systems to provide safe facilities and effective services to support student housing in Peterborough and Oshawa, Ontario. To that end, the Director is responsible for strategic planning and operations related to facility services, marketing and communications, business systems and information technology, residence admissions and occupancy management, access control and service provision, off campus housing supports and services. The incumbent leads with a safety and service-oriented mindset and to support student success in alignment with university objectives.

Key Activities:

• Lead, develop, implement, and assess a multi-year strategy for facilities and operations to support a positive student experience and align with the university’s housing strategy.
• Establish short- and long-term plans to execute, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies, and implement changes as required.
• Lead the department to develop evidence-based initiatives related marketing and communications, admissions and occupancy management, service delivery, facilities renewal, information technology, and off-campus housing.
• Develop and oversee the business continuity planning and system for identifying and responding to potential facilities and operational risks. Ensure that strategies, policies, procedures, and communications are consistent with institutional objectives and legal requirements.
• Negotiate leases with private developers, working directly with legal counsel, and serve as the primary contact for new real estate deals.
• Upon referral from the Assistant Director, investigate and intervene in high-risk student or facilities related situations. Advise the Senior Director of risks and mitigations strategies.
• Develop partnerships with local municipalities, community agencies, and institutions to improve access to student housing and deliver joint initiatives that foster positive community relations and support students living off-campus.
• Provide strategic direction on student housing market and demand, including overseeing the development, operationalization, and evaluation of leases with private developers.
• Oversee renovation and renewal projects, including acting as a project sponsor during implementation.
• Oversee the development of policies and procedures related to areas of expertise.
• Provide financial and human resources leadership to a staff complement of 2 management, 10 OPSEU, and 60 student employees, and an annual department budget scope of $10 million.
• Keep current in advances in the industry, investigates solutions to recommend and oversees implementation of improvement initiatives to ensure efficient and effective operations.
• Participate in a management on-call rotation to provide emergency and crisis response support for on-call staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education Required:

• A graduate degree in a related field is required.
• Certification in one or more areas of facilities management, project management, change management, design thinking, or systems thinking from an accredited body is preferred,

Experience/Qualifications Required:

• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressive leadership experience in student housing, business administration, or facilities management is required.
• Experience with the supervision of management, unionized, and student employees.
• Ability to interpret a variety of university, portfolio, and department policies and procedures for use in decision making.
• Planning skills and the ability to conceptualize and propose new initiatives to meet specific outcomes.
• Ability to identify problems and deal with complex situations by probing for information, analyzing complex issues, and developing solutions for unique situations.
• Ability to research, learn, teach, and disseminate information.
• In-depth understanding of enterprise information management systems, reporting, and forecasting.
• Experience with developing and managing operating budgets.
• Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, Indigeneity, and accessibility.
• Demonstrated understanding of relevant legislation and operations of the university.
• An Ontario G Class driver's license with access to a vehicle.
• A satisfactory Criminal Record Check (“Police Record Check”), dated within the past six (6) months is required as a condition of employment.

Supervision:

• Direct Reports (2):
• Assistant Director, Housing Facilities & Services
• Assistant Director, Housing Administration
• Indirect Reports (70)
• Facility Services Coordinator
• Facility & Operations Associate x2
• Service Centre & Operations Coordinator
• Admissions & Occupancy Management Coordinator
• Admissions & Occupancy Management Associate
• Business Systems Analyst
• Marketing & Communications Coordinator
• Community Housing Coordinator
• Community Housing Associate
• A minimum of 60 student employees