Associate Vice President Facilities Management

Wmujobs; Kalamazoo (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Michigan University seeks an Associate Vice President for Facilities Management to lead planning, design, construction, engineering, maintenance, and operations of campus infrastructure on WMU’s Kalamazoo campus.

The role oversees master planning, sustainability, co-generation power, and strategic facility operations, aligning design with asset maintenance and long-term financial sustainability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, management, facilities management or related field.
• Progressive facilities management experience in a large, complex organization.
• Minimum of five years of administrative experience at the Director level or above.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion and a welcoming professional environment.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple, complex projects.
• Extensive knowledge of capital planning, financial planning, land-use planning, and master planning.
• Demonstrated commitment to resource stewardship from economics and sustainability.
• Excellent interpersonal and team-building abilities, outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to represent WMU to the Board of Trustees and other agencies.

Responsibilities

• Seek out, evaluate, and implement new approaches to facilities.
• Maintain buildings, grounds, and facilities and proactively manage deferred maintenance.
• Build redundancy in energy systems for campus-wide distribution (steam, chilled water, electricity).
• Manage all functional areas of Facilities.
• Foster inclusive, collaborative environment within Facilities and across campus.
• Improve service levels and identify efficiencies in campus facilities management.
• Oversee budget management and accountability of Facilities funds.
• Direct campus facilities planning and major construction programs with stakeholders.
• Coordinate funding with state and federal agencies and report on progress.
• Plan, assess, report, and lead team efforts.
• Ensure adherence to AFSCME and MSEA contracts.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Facilities management

Budgeting

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Master’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management or business

Job description

Associate Vice President Facilities Management

Posting Summary

College

College VP Business And Finance-DIV

Executive Area

Executive Area VP Business And Finance

Department

Department FacilMgmt-Assoc VP

Posting Number

Posting Number S1776P

Job Type

Job Type Full Time, Regular

Pay Type

Pay Grade

Pay Grade Z2

Campus Location

Campus Location WMU-Kalamazoo - East Campus

Salary Range

Salary Range Pay is commensurate with qualifications and experience, combined with an excellent benefits package.

Number of Vacancies

Number of Vacancies 1

General Summary

Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Budget and Finance, the Associate Vice President for Facilities is an integral member of the Business and Finance leadership team and is responsible for the planning, design, construction, engineering, maintenance and operation of campus buildings, grounds, utility systems and supporting infrastructure. The Associate Vice President for Facilities oversees an office that provides master planning, design and construction management support, sustainability expertise, co-generation power plant, innovative partnering expertise, and other facility operation expertise to WMU . This position is instrumental in leading the planning and development of new facilities and future development of campus environments, while maintaining a strong link between those that design and build physical assets and those that operate and maintain the assets.

Major Duties

• Seek out, evaluate, and implement appropriate new approaches to facilities.
• Maintain all buildings, grounds and facilities and continue to proactively manage deferred maintenance.
• Continue to build and maintain redundancy in critical systems such as energy management and large campus distribution systems for steam, chilled water and electric.
• Manage all functional areas of responsibility for Facilities.
• Maintain an inclusive and collaborative environment within Facilities, across campus and with external constituencies.
• Work to continuously improve the service levels to optimize facilities management support and identify efficiencies across campus.
• Responsible for overseeing the proper budget management and accountability of funds available to Facilities.
• Developing and directing campus facilities planning and major construction programs; working with key WMU stakeholders to meet space planning needs.
• Work with various state and federal governmental agencies to coordinate project funding and related reporting/record-keeping.
• Planning, assessing, reporting and leading team efforts.
• Ensuring that the provisions of the AFSCME and MSEA contracts are followed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, management, facilities management or a related field from an accredited institution.
• Significant years of experience demonstrating progressive responsibilities in facilities management in a large, complex organization, including management of department leaders and a substantial overall team of full-time employees.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion and a track record of creating a welcoming professional environment.
• Minimum of five years of administrative experience at the Director level or above in a large, complex organization.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple, complex projects.
• Extensive knowledge of capital planning, financial planning, land-use planning, and master planning.
• Demonstrated commitment to resource stewardship from the perspective of both economics and sustainability.
• Excellent interpersonal and team-building abilities, outstanding oral and written communication skills.
• Problem solving skills to reach efficient and effective solutions in a collaborative manner.
• Demonstratable ability to nurture relationships in an inclusive and collaborative manner with a wide range of internal and external constituencies.
• The ability to represent and advocate for WMU needs to the Board of Trustees, other policy making agencies, community groups and other wide-ranging audiences.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction management or business from an accredited institution.
• Professional certification as Professional Engineer, Licensed Architect, Certified Educational Facilities Professional, or LEED certification.
• Five years’ experience in a state organization, college or university setting.
• Extensive experience managing an energy facility and large campus distribution systems for steam, chilled water, and electric.
• Experience working with unions and labor agreements.
• Demonstratable engagement with nationally recognized professional organizations.

Additional Position Information

• Western Michigan University offers generous benefits to its employees including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, retirement, and tuition discount for the employee and tuition remission for eligible dependents. To access information about the specific benefits available for this position, go to: https://wmich.edu/hr/benefits-officers .
• Founded in 1903, Western Michigan University is a nationally recognized public research institution enrolling more than 16,000 students from across the United States and 94 countries. The University offers a broad and dynamic academic portfolio encompassing more than 150 undergraduate programs and over 160 graduate degrees and certificates across eight degree-granting colleges. Through its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and global engagement, WMU prepares students to lead, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to their professions and communities.
• Western Michigan University is entering an important period of transformation, with a renewed focus on institutional effectiveness, strategic investment, and long-term sustainability. The University continues to invest in its campus infrastructure and student experience, including the opening of the new Student Center in 2023, the renovation of Dunbar Hall, and the opening of Valley Oaks, a new residential facility, in fall 2026. These investments reflect WMU’s commitment to providing a modern, welcoming, and supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff.
• As WMU looks toward the future, effective stewardship of its physical assets, modernization of campus infrastructure, and strategic management of facilities resources will be essential to the University’s continued success. The Associate Vice President for Facilities Management will play a critical leadership role in advancing these priorities, strengthening operational effectiveness, and ensuring that campus facilities support the University’s academic mission and long‑term financial sustainability. Western Michigan University has approximately 8M square feet of facilities and is sited on 1200 acres. We own and operate our own co-generation power plan and have 49 miles of utilities.

Physical requirements and working conditions

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

WMU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Protected veterans, individuals with disabilities and all other qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.