Operations and Facilities Manager - College of Engineering - Chemical Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan with employer contrib.

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Holidays

Life and AD&D insurance

Bus pass (CMU)

Family Concierge

Fitness center access

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA is seeking an Operations and Facilities Manager to lead the department’s facilities and operations team, ensuring space, equipment, utilities, and safety compliance across labs and teaching spaces.

Responsibilities include budget oversight, policy development, space planning, and coordinating with facilities, IT, and EHS. The role blends leadership with hands-on operations to support research and instruction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in facilities management, engineering, business administration, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in facilities management, building operations, or a similar role.
• 2+ years of supervisory or team lead experience.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating facility repairs, renovations, and maintenance projects.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work with faculty, staff, students, contractors, and university administration.
• Working knowledge of building systems, safety codes, and emergency planning practices.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day operations of departmental facilities, ensuring physical space, equipment, utilities, and furniture are available and in good working order.
• Manage facility access.
• Coordinate facility repairs, custodial services, planned infrastructure renovations, and general upkeep, working with campus facilities services and outside contractors as needed.
• Lead emergency planning and response for departmental facilities, including safety protocols, building access, and coordination with university emergency management and EHS.
• Assign office space and manage the office partner program.
• Manage space planning, furnishing, and reconfiguration to support evolving research, teaching, and office needs.
• Serve as the department's primary liaison with university facilities, custodial services, planning, and capital projects offices.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of the operations and facilities team to ensure integrated, efficient support across labs, teaching spaces, and technology systems.
• Set priorities and workflows across the operations and facilities team, balancing facilities, research labs, operations, and IT needs against department goals and deadlines.
• Develop and monitor budgets related to facilities, equipment, and operations, including capital and renovation project costs.
• Work with leadership to establish and maintain operational policies and procedures for facilities use, lab safety coordination, and IT support standards.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for leadership on facilities conditions, project status, and operational needs.
• Support departmental space planning and long-range facilities planning in coordination with department and university leadership.
• Represent the department on relevant university facilities, safety, or space-planning committees.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

5+ years experience in facilities mgmt

2+ years supervisory experience

Strong organizational skills

Effective communication

Building systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in facilities management / eng / business administration

Job description

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here! Since its inception in 1905, the Carnegie Mellon Department of Chemical Engineering has been on the leading edge of research and innovation in chemical engineering. Today, this is truer than ever. With research thrusts across fields such as health and medicine, biofuels, air quality and more, CMU chemical engineering students are paving the way to a healthier, cleaner, more efficient future for all. The Department of Chemical Engineering is seeking an Operations and Facilities Manager to provide leadership and oversight of the department’s physical facilities, infrastructure, and operations team. The Manager ensures that departmental space, equipment, utilities, furniture, and technology systems are safe, functional, and well-maintained, while leading and coordinating the team to deliver integrated support for research, teaching, and administrative operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Facility Oversight and Coordination

• Oversee day-to-day operations of departmental facilities, ensuring physical space, equipment, utilities, and furniture are available and in good working order.
• Manage facility access.
• Coordinate facility repairs, custodial services, planned infrastructure renovations, and general upkeep, working with campus facilities services and outside contractors as needed.
• Lead emergency planning and response for departmental facilities, including safety protocols, building access, and coordination with university emergency management and EHS.
• Assign office space and manage the office partner program.
• Manage space planning, furnishing, and reconfiguration to support evolving research, teaching, and office needs.
• Serve as the department's primary liaison with university facilities, custodial services, planning, and capital projects offices.

Team Leadership and Operations Management

• Supervise and coordinate the work of the operations and facilities team to ensure integrated, efficient support across labs, teaching spaces, and technology systems.
• Set priorities and workflows across the operations and facilities team, balancing facilities, research labs, operations, and IT needs against department goals and deadlines.
• Develop and monitor budgets related to facilities, equipment, and operations, including capital and renovation project costs.
• Work with leadership to establish and maintain operational policies and procedures for facilities use, lab safety coordination, and IT support standards.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for leadership on facilities conditions, project status, and operational needs.

Additional Responsibilities

Support departmental space planning and long-range facilities planning in coordination with department and university leadership.

Represent the department on relevant university facilities, safety, or space-planning committees.

Perform other duties as assigned. Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in facilities management, engineering, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in facilities management, building operations, or a similar role.
• 2+ years of supervisory or team lead experience.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating facility repairs, renovations, and maintenance projects.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work with faculty, staff, students, contractors, and university administration.
• Working knowledge of building systems, safety codes, and emergency planning practices.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a higher education, research, or laboratory environment.
• Familiarity with laboratory safety requirements and EHS coordination.
• Experience overseeing IT support operations or working closely with IT staff.
• Experience managing capital projects or working with campus facilities/planning offices.
• Project management certification (e.g., PMP) or facilities management credential (e.g., CFM).

Working Conditions

Work is performed both in an office setting and throughout department facilities, including labs, mechanical spaces, and building common areas. May require occasional evening or weekend work to respond to facility emergencies or oversee off-hours projects. Some physical activity may be required, such as walking through work sites and climbing stairs.

Requirements

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits. Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions.

Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays, and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance. Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and much more! For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function

Program, Project and Operations Management

Position Type

Staff – Regular Full Time/Part time Full time Pay Basis Salary

More Information

Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

Statement of Assurance

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Additional Recruitment Information

If your heart is in your work, come work with us. We are committed to providing an accessible experience throughout our recruitment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application, interview, or hiring process, please contact Equal Opportunity Services by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 412-268-5072.

Prospective Employee Disclosures

For technical assistance, email HR Services or call 412-268-4600.