Assistant Physical Plant Manager, McDonald Observatory

The University of Texas at Austin; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory seeks an Assistant Physical Plant Manager to supervise facilities maintenance, utilities, and custodial operations across the observatory campus. You will coordinate daily activities and support the Physical Plant Manager in planning and improving infrastructure.

The role is based at the McDonald Observatory in rural West Texas, with a focus on safety, teamwork, and reliable service to research and public facilities.

Responsibilities

• Facilities Maintenance: Manages all staff-led renovation, repair, minor construction, and work-order response maintenance projects.
• Utilities Operations: Maintains functional water and wastewater operations with EHS and TCEQ coordination.
• Custodial Services: Manages custodial services for campus operations and special events.
• Management: Assists with budget prioritization, procurement, inventory, and fleet management.

Job description

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Physical Plant Manager, McDonald Observatory

Job Posting Title:

Assistant Physical Plant Manager, McDonald Observatory

Hiring Department:

McDonald Observatory

Position Open To:

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

Location:

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY

Job Details

General Notes

This position is based at the McDonald Observatory, a major astronomical research observatory 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles from the UT Austin campus). Residence in the Observatory's residential community may be available. Position is considered an essential employee for emergency or critical response. This position reports to the Physical Plant Manager. McDonald Observatory is located on 650 acres of open-range land in rural West Texas; the campus includes some 85 buildings, including 11 domes housing research telescopes, 5 domes housing outreach telescopes, 40 residential units, an 18-room lodging facility, and a roughly 12,000 sq. ft. public visitor center. In addition, McDonald Observatory owns and operates a small water system and a handful of wastewater systems, totaling roughly 180 connections and including both domestic and fire water. The campus is staffed by some 76 people spanning all operational areas (engineers, science staff, admin staff, public outreach staff, and facility staff), is visited by more than 90,000 public visitors annually, and hosts many dozens of researchers and engineers engaged in work at the facility over a year. The observatory fosters an environment that emphasizes personal responsibility, continuous improvement, teamwork, innovation, and safety.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage.
• Retirement contributions: Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid vacation and sick time.
• Paid holidays.
• Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Purpose

This position provides supervision and technical support for facilities maintenance, utilities, and custodial functions at McDonald Observatory. Develops, plans, and coordinates maintenance and custodial work for the entire facility (including research buildings, housing, roads, the Visitor Center, the Astronomers Lodge, and utility infrastructure). Supports the Physical Plant Manager by overseeing daily departmental operations.

Responsibilities

• Facilities Maintenance: Manages all staff-led renovation, repair, minor construction, and work-order response maintenance projects. Establishes, interprets, and implements plans, specifications, and standards for maintenance projects and oversees inspections of work. Provides facility infrastructure oversight, in coordination with the Physical Plant Manager, for all McDonald Observatory campus units. Establishes (with other managers) and executes facility preventive maintenance programs. Allocates staffing resources and schedules to support facilities maintenance needs. Assists with special projects as assigned.
• Utilities Operations: Works closely with the Physical Plant Manager, Utilities Supervisor, the University of Texas at Austin Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) staff, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) staff to maintain a functional and compliant water and wastewater treatment operation at McDonald Observatory. Maintains necessary TCEQ certifications and provides technical assistance and leadership for all utilities operations. Works with the above to maintain state-required documentation and participates in investigations and audits.
• Custodial Services: Manages custodial services for McDonald Observatory campus operations. Ensures adequate staff coverage to maintain clean, functional work and public-facing areas. Sets standards and specifications for custodial staff, performs work area inspections, and assists staff in the field as needed. Ensures additional needs are met in support of special events (e.g., annual Board of Visitors meeting, Orion Festival, Spring Break) and may assign facilities maintenance staff to assist as needed.
• Management: Assists the Physical Plant Manager with budget prioritization and monitors all departmental expenditures. Processes and tracks procurement of materials, supplies, and tools; maintains state, university, and local inventory information. Acts as fleet manager for all McDonald Observatory vehicles, including maintaining fuel logs and supervising the fleet shop. Allocates staffing resources in collaboration with the Physical Plant Manager. Drives a university vehicle. Serves as acting manager as needed and