Assistant Director of Facilities Operations

Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 53,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Case Western Reserve University seeks an Assistant Director of Facilities Operations to oversee maintenance, triage, and rapid response to facility issues across the College of Arts and Sciences 34 buildings. You will inspect, manage work orders, and coordinate with Campus Planning and Facilities Management.

With 5+ years in facilities or operations, you will lead small capital projects, supervise external vendors, and ensure safety guidelines are followed in laboratories and research spaces,

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years in facilities management or related fields.
• Bachelor's degree required in related field; IFMA FMP favorable.
• Experience with building perimeter security hardware and OSHA/building codes is favorable.

Responsibilities

• Perform frequent walkthroughs to proactively identify maintenance needs and triage issues.
• Manage small capital projects and office refreshes coordinating with Campus Planning and Facilities Management.
• Serve as liaison with service providers and coordinate external vendors and safety protocols.
• Coordinate access control changes and asset logistics during emergencies per on-call protocols.

Skills

Technical aptitude

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Communication

AI tools

Attendance

Education

Bachelor's degree in facilities management

IFMA FMP certification favorable

Tools

AutoCAD

Work order software

Job description

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary range available for this position at the time of its posting. The salary range is between $52,705 and $66,672, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

POSITION OBJECTIVE

Reporting to the Director, the Assistant Director of Facilities Operations focuses on the technical execution of maintenance, physical triage, and the swift resolution of immediate facility failures across the College of Arts and Sciences 34 buildings. This role is responsible for identifying building issues as they emerge, performing frequent physical walkthroughs, managing work orders for faculty and staff, and executing small capital projects (such as office refreshes and single-room renovations) in close coordination with Campus Planning and Facilities Management. The assistant director acts as a primary hands‑on liaison with university service providers and manages the field logistics of key requests, card access hardware, and vendor visits.

Essential Functions

• Perform frequent, systematic physical walkthroughs of the college's portfolio to proactively inspect facilities and triage maintenance needs. Identify building infrastructure, mechanical, or custodial issues as they emerge and manage their immediate resolution with relevant university partners. Follow up on day‑to‑day facilities work orders submitted by faculty and staff, ensuring standard operating conditions are maintained. (35%)
• Manage and implement plans for small capital projects, office refreshes, and single-room or single‑trade construction projects. Coordinate closely with campus planning and facilities management and UTech to manage project execution. Represent the operational interests of the college during these localized activities, collaborating on basic design requirements, requests for proposals (RFPs), and direct site management to ensure projects finish on schedule. (30%)
• Serve as a direct operational liaison with university service providers, including campus planning and facilities management and external contractors. Coordinate, schedule, and physically escort external vendors and specialty subcontractors to job sites within college spaces. Ensure that external maintenance and custodial personnel follow appropriate university safety guidelines, particularly within specialized laboratory and scientific research facilities. (20%)
• Manage the physical logistics and tracking of key requests, card access activations, and perimeter security hardware deployments across college-controlled spaces. Verify and process data for access control changes before routing to the director for final policy approval. Coordinate space evacuation, asset protection, and immediate equipment logistics during facilities emergencies under the direction of established on‑call protocols. (15%)

Nonessential Functions

Perform other duties as assigned. (<1%)

CONTACTS

Department: Continuous contact with the Director of Facilities Operations and Facilities Service and the Communications Coordinator. Frequent contact with department chairs, faculty, administrative staff, and laboratory personnel to triage maintenance needs, update work order statuses, and coordinate small office refreshes.

University: Regular contact with Campus Planning and Facilities Management, Access Services, and Environmental Health and Safety to track facility repairs and verify safety compliance.

External: Regular contact with general/specialty subcontractors and commercial vendors.

Students: Routine contact with students regarding building access and local facility inquiries.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct operational oversight of external trades, general/specialty subcontractors, moving crews, and temporary staff associated with localized minor renovation and repair sites.

Qualifications

Experience: 5 or more years of experience in related facilities management, building operations, property management, construction management, or trade coordination. Experience working within an academic or complex institutional setting preferred. Practical experience with building perimeter security hardware or work order management software preferred. Basic familiarity with AutoCAD, OSHA regulations, and building/fire codes is favorable.

Education/Licensing: Bachelor's degree in facilities management, building technology, construction engineering, or a closely related field is required. An IFMA Facility Management Professional (FMP) or similar operational certification is favorable.

Required Skills

• Strong technical aptitude regarding building systems.
• Excellent organizational abilities and proficiency handling multiple competing maintenance requests under tight deadlines.
• High attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and oral communication skills to work collaboratively with a diverse campus community.
• Good judgment, tact, and problem‑solving diplomacy.
• Willingness to learn and work with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and technologies.
• Ability to demonstrate successful support, education, and advocacy for all students, aligned with the values, mission, and messaging of the university, while adhering to the staff policy on conflict of commitment and interest.
• Ability to meet consistent attendance.
• Ability to interact with colleagues, supervisors, and customers face to face.

WORKING CONDITIONS

May be required to move or lift objects weighing up to 35 pounds. Requires extensive walking, standing, climbing, and physical movement indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions during walkthroughs, site inspections, and minor moving projects. Works in active maintenance and construction environments involving dust, noise, and fumes; will physically review service areas and come into contact with laboratory environments. Position involves operational pressure stemming from urgent facility failures, conflicting priorities, and short lead times. Must meet consistent face‑to‑face attendance requirements. Position not eligible for hybrid remote work program.

Case Western Reserve University is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants are protected under federal and state laws and university policy from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, protected veteran status, disability, age and genetic information.

Case Western Reserve University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the CWRU Office of Equity at 216-368-3066 to request a reasonable accommodation. Determinations as to granting reasonable accommodations for any applicants will be made on a case‑by‑case basis.