Executive Director, Facilities Operations

REED COLLEGE; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 175,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Reed College seeks an experienced Executive Director of Facilities Operations to provide strategic and operational leadership for the college’s physical campus on site. The role oversees maintenance, custodial services, grounds, space planning, and capital projects while ensuring a safe and welcoming campus environment.

The successful candidate will lead an operational and people-centric team, balance immediate needs with long-term planning, and effectively manage budgets, safety, and service.

Qualifications

• Minimum: 10 years of progressively responsible experience in facilities management, including at least five years in a leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for facilities operations, including maintenance, custodial services, grounds, preventive maintenance, space planning, and capital projects.
• Develop and implement policies and strategies for facility maintenance and repair, space utilization, design, construction, and long-term campus infrastructure needs.
• Lead preventive, corrective, and deferred maintenance planning to support safety, functionality, and long-term sustainability of campus facilities.
• Plan and manage capital improvement projects through full project lifecycle: scope design, budgeting, execution, and delivery.
• Direct facilities supervisors and managers and provide leadership to maintenance, custodial, and grounds teams.
• Develop short- and long-term operational plans, programs, contracts, and priorities for Facilities Services.
• Manage contractors, subcontractors, professional service consultants, and vendors, including solicitation, selection, negotiation, and performance oversight.
• Track project and operational performance against budgets, milestones, and other indicators; provide reports to college leadership.
• Communicate facilities projects and operational impacts effectively to individuals, departments, buildings, and the campus community.
• Present complex facilities and strategic matters to senior leadership, Board of Trustees, and other groups.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, inclusivity, service, and continuous improvement.
• Partner with Human Resources in labor relations and collective bargaining, including union negotiations and contract administration.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Facilities operations

Strategic planning

Communication

Labor relations

Capital projects

Vendor management

Space planning

Safety compliance

Job description

Reed College is seeking an experienced and collaborative Executive Director of Facilities Operations to provide strategic and operational leadership for the college’s physical campus. Reporting to the Vice President for Finance & Treasurer, this executive-level position oversees facilities maintenance, custodial services, preventive maintenance, grounds, space planning, and capital projects while ensuring a safe, functional, sustainable, and welcoming campus environment.

About the Role

The Executive Director of Facilities Operations leads both the day-to-day operation and long-term stewardship of Reed College’s facilities. The position develops strategies and policies that support efficient and cost-effective operations, regulatory compliance, effective use of campus resources, and long-term capital needs.

This is a highly visible campus leadership role that works closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, the Board of Trustees, contractors, consultants, and community partners. The Executive Director must be able to translate complex facilities, operational, and capital matters into clear recommendations that support institutional priorities.

The successful candidate will be a strong operational and people leader who can balance the immediate needs of a complex campus with long-term facilities planning. They will bring sound judgment, strong communication and problem-solving skills, and the ability to build productive relationships across organizational levels while maintaining accountability for projects, budgets, safety, and service.

This position is on campus and regularly interfaces with Reed College students, faculty, staff, leadership, and external partners.

Benefits and Compensation

Reed College offers an exceptional benefits package, including comprehensive medical and dental insurance options for you and your dependents, 403(b) retirement plan with 10% employer contribution (after one year of service), educational assistance for employees and their children, 22 days of paid vacation, paid holidays, half-day Fridays in the summer, and many other campus amenities. This is a full-time role with typical work hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a one-hour unpaid lunch.

The starting salary for this position is $175,000 - $185,000 per year. For candidates whose experience significantly exceeds the minimum qualifications, the salary may be up to $195,000. Pay offers are contingent upon experience and are determined through an internal pay assessment. This is an exempt position on exempt grade 13.

Who You Are

• You are a strong, collaborative leader who enjoys developing teams and helping people succeed.
• You communicate clearly and comfortably with a wide range of audiences.
• You bring a strong understanding of building trades and technical facilities operations, gained through hands-on experience or active involvement working alongside skilled trades and technical teams.
• You are experienced in labor relations, employee coaching, and performance management.
• You are comfortable leading through change and looking for better ways to get work done.
• You think strategically while staying connected to day-to-day facilities operations.
• You know how to move capital projects from planning/design and budgeting through successful completion.
• You understand preventive and deferred maintenance and how to balance immediate needs with long-term priorities.
• You are comfortable managing budgets, resources, contractors, consultants, and vendors.
• You understand space planning, infrastructure, and the complexities of maintaining a campus environment.
• You use data, budgets, timelines, and performance measures to guide decisions and priorities.
• You thrive in a busy environment and enjoy managing a varied and interesting to-do list.
• You are adaptable when priorities and plans change, especially when the change leads to a better outcome.
• You value safety, accountability, collaboration, inclusivity, continuous improvement, and excellent service.

What You’ll Do

• Provide strategic leadership for facilities operations, including maintenance, custodial services, grounds, preventive maintenance, space planning, and capital projects.
• Develop and implement policies and strategies for facility maintenance and repair, space utilization, design, construction, and long-term campus infrastructure needs.
• Lead preventive, corrective, and deferred maintenance planning to support the safety, functionality, and long-term sustainability of campus facilities.
• Plan and manage capital improvement projects through the full project lifecycle, including scope design/development, design, budgeting, execution, and delivery.
• Direct facilities supervisors and managers and provide leadership to maintenance, custodial, and grounds teams.
• Develop short- and long-term operational plans, programs, contracts, and priorities for Facilities Services.
• Manage contractors, subcontractors, professional service consultants, and vendors, including solicitation, selection, negotiation, and performance oversight.
• Track project and operational performance against budgets, milestones, and other performance indicators and provide reports and recommendations to college leadership.
• Communicate facilities projects and operational impacts effectively to individuals, departments, buildings, and the broader campus community.
• Present complex facilities and strategic matters to senior leadership, faculty, the Board of Trustees, and other campus and community groups.
• Foster a departmental culture centered on safety, accountability, collaboration, inclusivity, service, and continuous improvement.
• Partners with Human Resources in labor relations and collective bargaining, including union negotiations, contract administration, and implementation of collective bargaining agreements affecting Facilities operations.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• 10 years of progressively responsible experience in facilities management, including at least five years in a leadership role.

Preferred Qualifications

We are particularly interested in candidates who bring experience managing complex facilities operations and who demonstrate:

• Effective budget management and resource allocation aligned with organizational priorities.
• Experience leading facilities operations within a higher education environment.
• Working knowledge of applicable health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Experience supporting sustainability and environmentally responsible facilities practices.
• Knowledge of relevant state, county, and municipal regulations, codes, and reporting requirements.
• Experience leading represented employees and participating in union negotiations and collective bargaining matters

Reed College replies to every candidate. We will confirm that your application is received, and if you are not selected, we will let you know as soon as possible.