Director of Facilities & Construction

University of Dubuque; Asbury (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Dubuque is seeking a Director of Facilities & Construction to lead a team of about 50 employees and coordinate campus facilities operations, renovations, and capital projects. The role interfaces with departments, architects, engineers, contractors, and external partners to ensure work is completed safely, on schedule, and within approved budgets.

The Director oversees maintenance, operations, housekeeping, grounds, and utility services, while managing project scopes, schedules,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, facilities management, engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered
• Five or more years of experience in facilities management and construction project coordination
• Experience coordinating projects, contractors, budgets, and schedules
• Knowledge of building codes, safety requirements, accessibility standards, and facilities operations
• Experience managing multiple projects and coordinating diverse stakeholders
• Ability to lift 40 lbs.
• Must be available on-call or delegate responsibilities when away
• Some travel between campus locations required

Responsibilities

• Coordinate facility needs, maintenance priorities, repairs, and improvement initiatives
• Serve as primary point of coordination for facilities-related requests
• Work with staff and service providers to establish priorities, schedules, and resource needs
• Monitor condition of university buildings, grounds, infrastructure, and building systems
• Coordinate preventive maintenance initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement
• Assist with facilities planning, deferred maintenance assessments, and capital priorities
• Communicate facilities issues, project schedules, and disruptions to affected stakeholders
• Represent the University throughout all phases of capital projects
• Serve as primary liaison with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and vendors
• Coordinate project scope, schedules, budgets, design, and stakeholder needs
• Monitor construction progress, budgets, schedules, and compliance with approved plans
• Coordinate construction documents, change orders, pay applications, and project reporting
• Lead project meetings, document decisions, and track outstanding issues
• Coordinate inspections, punch lists, final acceptance, warranties, and project closeout
• Minimize disruption to campus operations during construction and renovations
• Assist with project budgets, cost estimates, funding requests, and capital forecasts
• Monitor project costs and provide budget and status updates to university leadership
• Negotiate contracts, coordinate procurement, contractors selection, and competitive bidding
• Monitor contractor performance and resolve deficiencies
• Maintain project records, contracts, budgets, and closeout documentation
• Escalate significant financial, contractual, operational, and scheduling issues to the Vice President for Finance and Administration
• Coordinate facilities-related compliance with building codes, fire and life safety requirements, accessibility standards, environmental regulations, and university policies
• Work with campus safety to address facility-related hazards and compliance matters
• Identify potential facility risks and recommend corrective actions to protect students, employees, visitors, buildings, and university assets
• Provide oversight of facilities audits and document retention
• Build effective relationships with campus departments and external partners
• Communicate project updates, schedules, disruptions, and planned improvements
• Provide project status, budget updates, and recommendations to university leadership
• Coordinate facilities initiatives across campus departments and all campus locations
• Support university strategic and campus master planning initiatives
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Vice President for Finance and Administration

Skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Work order system proficiency

Architect/engineer/contractor liaison

Construction knowledge

Budgeting and scheduling

Stakeholder coordination

Communication & collaboration

Risk identification & mitigation

On-call availability

Education

Bachelor's degree in construction/facilities management or related field

Tools

Work order software

Job description

Description

The Director of Facilities & Construction manages a team ofapproximately 50 employees with two direct reports and isresponsible for coordinating university facilities operations,overseeing facility-related needs, and representing the Universityin construction, renovation, and capital improvement projects. TheDirector oversees maintenance, operations, housekeeping, grounds,and utility services. The Director serves as the primary liaisonbetween university departments, facilities personnel, architects,engineers, contractors, and other external partners to ensureprojects and facilities initiatives are completed safely,efficiently, on schedule, and within approved budgets.

Requirements

Primary Responsibilities

1. Facilities Coordination and Planning

• Coordinate facility needs, maintenance priorities, repairs, andimprovement initiatives
• Serve as the primary point of coordination forfacilities-related requests
• Work with staff and service providers to establish priorities,schedules, and resource needs
• Monitor the condition of university buildings, grounds,infrastructure, and building systems
• Coordinate preventive maintenance initiatives and identifyopportunities for improvement
• Assist with facilities planning, deferred maintenanceassessments, and capital priorities
• Communicate facilities issues, project schedules, anddisruptions to affected stakeholders

2. Construction and Capital Project Management

• Represent the University throughout all phases of capitalprojects
• Serve as primary liaison with architects, engineers,contractors, consultants, and vendors
• Coordinate project scope, schedules, budgets, design, andstakeholder needs
• Monitor construction progress, budgets, schedules, andcompliance with approved plans
• Coordinate construction documents, change orders, payapplications, and project reporting
• Lead project meetings, document decisions, and trackoutstanding issues
• Coordinate inspections, punch lists, final acceptance,warranties, and project closeout
• Minimize disruption to campus operations during constructionand renovations

3. Budget, Contracts, and Vendor Coordination

• Assist with project budgets, cost estimates, funding requests,and capital forecasts
• Monitor project costs and provide budget and status updates touniversity leadership
• Negotiate contracts, coordinate procurement, contractorselection, and competitive bidding
• Monitor contractor performance and resolve deficiencies
• Maintain project records, contracts, budgets, and closeoutdocumentation
• Escalate significant financial, contractual, operational, andscheduling issues to the Vice President for Finance andAdministration

4. Campus Safety, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Coordinate facilities-related compliance with applicablebuilding codes, fire and life safety requirements, accessibilitystandards, environmental regulations, and university policies
• Work with campus safety to address facility-related hazards andcompliance matters
• Identify potential facility risks and recommend correctiveactions to protect students, employees, visitors, buildings, anduniversity assets
• Provide oversight of facilities audits and documentretention

5. Communication and University Collaboration

• Build effective relationships with campus departments andexternal partners
• Communicate project updates, schedules, disruptions, andplanned improvements
• Provide project status, budget updates, and recommendations touniversity leadership
• Coordinate facilities initiatives across campus departments andall campus locations
• Support university strategic and campus master planninginitiatives
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Vice President forFinance and Administration

Position Skills and Abilities:

• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solvingskills
• Ability to work within software system for work orders andpreventative maintenance
• Represent the University effectively with architects,engineers, contractors, and consultants
• Knowledge of construction practices, project budgets,schedules, contracts, and change orders
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, priorities, andstakeholders
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-buildingskills
• Ability to identify risks, resolve issues, and recommendsolutions
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the University’sMission

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, facilitiesmanagement, engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalentexperience will be considered
• Five or more years of experience in facilities management andconstruction project coordination
• Demonstrated experience coordinating projects, contractors,consultants, budgets, and schedules
• Knowledge of building codes, safety requirements, accessibilitystandards, and facilities operations
• Experience managing multiple projects and coordinating diversestakeholders
• Ability to lift 40 lbs.
• Must be available on-call or be able to effectively delegateresponsibility when away
• Some travel between campus locations required