Allegheny College, a small selective liberal arts college located in northwest Pennsylvania, invites applications for the position of Director of Physical Plant. This is a full-time exempt administrative position reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. The Physical Plant Department is responsible for the operations and maintenance, renovations, and construction of all buildings, grounds, and utilities of the College.

The Director of Physical Plant reports to the Chief Financial Officer & Vice President of Finance and Administration and is responsible for a staff of 27 full-time employees including maintenance, construction and grounds personnel. Direct reports include two Facilities Maintenance Supervisors, Facilities Mechanical Supervisor, Technology / Grounds Supervisor, Office Coordinator, and Inventory Control Manager.

The Physical Plant Department is responsible for the operations and maintenance, renovations and construction of all buildings, grounds and utilities of the College. These services are provided to develop and maintain a functional, attractive and safe environment conducive to learning and to support the College’s tradition of excellence. The Department has dedicated, professional staff trained in every principle trade required to provide these services and/or to oversee contracted services that the Department does not directly provide such as custodial services.

Responsibilities

• Support Services
  • Coordination, supervision, and direction of the support services of the facilities and campus community including:
    • Project and construction management.
    • Operational management including reporting and budgets.
    • Environmental health & safety.
    • Engineering documentation.
    • Improvements, maintenance and repair (buildings, roads, and grounds).
    • Custodial services.
    • Campus wide set-ups.
    • The computerized maintenance management system (SchoolDude).
  • Capital Construction & Planning
    • Management of current comprehensive Campus Master Plan ensuring that each stage of the planning process is measured against the College’s guiding principles and follows the path of improvement for all of the College’s physical facilities.
      • For more information, please visit: https://sites.allegheny.edu/president/cmp/
    • The award, administration and inspection of all capital outlay, major repair, renovations and construction work at the College.
    • Directly involved in problem resolution related to process schedules, change order negotiation, claims and financial settlement close out.
    • Monitors and evaluates the College’s operating performance and ensures all policies are followed.
    • Research new business opportunities and lead budget decisions.
  • Buildings & Grounds Operations
    • Oversee all building operations, maintenance and major repairs in compliance with building codes and requirements (HVAC, roofing, irrigation, electrical, cameras, plumbing, etc.).
    • Management of maintenance, repair, and beautification of the campus grounds including analyzing and developing plans to correct grounds-related issues and ensuring an aesthetically safe and functional campus.
  • Personnel Management
    • Supervise, control and direct supervisors toward meeting the goals of the department and the College.
    • Oversees all team operations, ensuring projects are completed on time and on budget.
    • Manages a diverse, multi-disciplined team of professionals and staff in areas of grounds, custodial services, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and locksmith
    • Assess, evaluate and report on overall team and individual team member performance.
      Sets clear goals and objective for the team.
    • Delegates responsibilities to subordinates, providing guidance and direction.
    • Interprets data and analytics and generates reports.
    • Coordinates and oversees staff training activities for facilities management personnel.
  • Operational Strategies
    • Development of operational strategies in concert with the Chief Financial Officer / Vice President for Finance & Administration.
    • Skills to support, inform and strategically collaborate with the College’s Administrative Executive Committee.
    • Provides management and processional direction, providing facilities planning and design, space administration, architectural and construction management.
    • Oversees utilities generation and distribution, landscape and other maintenance services.
  • Emergency / Safety / Compliance
    • Ability to respond calmly and effectively to emergency situations and to proactively prepare for unexpected challenges such as health pandemics, weather emergencies and interruption of utilities and services.
    • Monitor employee safety ensuring that machinery is property maintained and for creating safety protocols.
    • Ensures compliance with College policies, as well as local, state and federal regulations.
    • Ensures all required permits and inspections are secured in compliance with legal requirements (fire, parking, elevator, irrigation systems, lighting, etc.).
    • Ensures building compliance for all College facility audits, property and liability insurance audit.
    • Maintains licensing and regulations compliance.
  • Operational Budget Preparation & Oversight
    • Develop, formalize and implement both short-term and long-term plans, goals and objectives for Maintenance, Environmental Services and Buildings & Grounds.
    • Administer annual gross operational budget and the expenditures.
    • Develop policies and procedures that successfully provide efficient and effective services.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in architecture, a construction engineering discipline, construction management or similar discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience with a history of increasing levels of job responsibility, including supervision of operations and management of technically complex maintenance operations and construction projects.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, good basic computational skills, a thorough working knowledge of management, facilities operations and maintenance, and planning and construction principles, procedures and terminology.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a variety of constituencies, and within group decision-making settings

Desired Qualifications

Proven Leader

• • Capability to transform the culture of the Physical Plant Department and create positive change.
  • Capability to train and develop staff and enhance morale, motivation and sense of value and belonging.
  • Collaborative leadership style and ability to communicate well with faculty, administration, staff and students.
  • Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
  • Ability to proactively manage staff, earn trust and respect, and encourage responsible and productive habits and actions.
  • Capability to retain staff and hire new talent when required, including commitment to diverse hiring practices and to the development of a diverse, multicultural community.
• Technically Savvy
  • Fluency with information technology and ability to effectively oversee data management and analysis, ensure accountability in provision and utilization of information.
  • Ability to leverage information to proactively plan for preventative maintenance, construction projects and programs, work order management and execution, campus and project safety, and efficient utilization of human and capital resources.
  • Experience to implement effective processes, procedures and metrics to manage work cycles and predictable budgets, schedules and quality assurance to successful outcomes.
• Customer Service Orientation
  • Capacity to interact successfully with municipal and county representatives when appropriate, as well relevant community associations.
  • Civic mindedness and commitment to personally support the community and region.
  • A customer service mindset and attention to detail.
  • Capacity to effectively manage and develop relationships with contractors, suppliers and vendors.

Compensation

• Within the range established for this position, salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and includes an excellent benefits package.
• Regular full- and part-time employees who work at least 1,000 hours per year are eligible to participate in the Section 403(b) retirement program administered by Teachers Insurance Annuity Association-College Retirement Equity Fund (TIAA-CREF).
• Tuition Benefit Program for College employees and their spouses, domestic partners and dependent children includes Tuition Remission(attendance at Allegheny College) and Tuition Exchange (attendance at other participating institutions).
• Health, disability and life insurance benefits are provided to College employees.

Statement of Community

Allegheny students and employees are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful, and safe residential learning community that will actively confront and challenge racism, sexism, heterosexism, religious bigotry, and other forms of harassment and discrimination. We encourage individual growth by promoting a free exchange of ideas in a setting that values diversity, trust and equality. So that the right of all to participate in a shared learning experience is upheld, Allegheny affirms its commitment to the principles of freedom of speech and inquiry, while at the same time fostering responsibility and accountability in the exercise of these freedoms. This statement does not replace existing personnel policies and codes of conduct.

The Director of Physical Plant will support the College’s fulfillment of the Statement of Community through ensuring that projects and planning on campus are done in an inclusive manner, ensuring that the Statement of Continuity is reflected in all contracts.

As one of the nation’s oldest liberal arts colleges, Allegheny College celebrated its bicentennial in 2015. A selective residential college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh near Lake Erie, Allegheny is one of 40 colleges featured in Loren Pope’s “Colleges That Change Lives.” Allegheny College is known nationally as a place where students with unusual combinations of interests, skills and talents excel. In its 2018 rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized Allegheny among the top six Most Innovative national liberal arts colleges in the country. In its 2019 rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized Allegheny among the top 30 most innovative national liberal arts colleges in the country.

The Chronicle of Higher Education ranks Allegheny as one of the best colleges in the nation to work for, specifically in the areas of compensation and benefits. Allegheny has a total undergraduate enrollment of just under 2,000 with students from 46 states [plus AE, AP, DC, GU, PR, VI] and 65 countries. The College’s picturesque location is ideal for outdoor recreation, with eight freshwater lakes, ski areas and recreational opportunities all within easy reach.

All applicants should include the following documents: cover letter, resume, and list of three professional references.

Please Submit Applications or Nominations to:

Mr. Rick Nawoczynski, Senior Managing Consultant , E: RickN@helblingsearch.com or Mr. Rob Dible, Managing Consultant, E: RobD@helblingsearch.com

Allegheny College is conducting this search with the assistance of Helbling & Associates, Inc. (www.helblingsearch.com), an executive search firm specializing in the areas of facilities management, construction, engineering, and real estate development.

Allegheny College is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Allegheny does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, or national origin.

Posted 8/4/2020