Assistant Director of Facilities Campus Buildings

About SAIC

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

IRFM stands for Instructional Resources & Facilities Management. It is the broad administrative/operational area responsible for much of the physical and instructional infrastructure that supports the school. IRFM is essentially the part of SAIC that makes sure the campus, facilities, equipment, instructional spaces, and related services are available and functioning to support the academic mission. Facilities Services is a division of IRFM that ensures the functionality of facilities through coordination of people, processes, space, infrastructure, and technology. Services include academic facility coordination, capital purchase planning, resource and service coordination, environmental health and safety, logistics, and housekeeping. SAIC students, faculty and staff depend on us to provide an environment that promotes SAIC’s reputation as a leader in arts education.

Position Summary

This position provides quality leadership and facilities management in the upkeep of facilities and equipment campus-wide. Works closely with Instructional Resources, Campus Services, Occupational Health & Safety, Campus Security, and AIC engineering staff and contracted vendors to direct the completion of general work requests, classroom service requests, and housekeeping requests. Supports the Associate Director of Facilities in facilitating both large and small campus projects. Works closely with the academic community including administrative directors, department technicians and managers, Campus Life, Exhibitions and Events, department heads, and faculty to maintain and improve the teaching and learning environment for the SAIC community. Directs the activities of the Facilities Managers and act as a liaison between facility users and the Associate Director of Facilities, Campus Buildings.

Responsibilities

Staff Management & Supervision

• Directs the daily activities of the Facilities Managers in the management of classrooms, facilities, and resources. Provides leadership and direction to staff in the upkeep of facilities and equipment with an emphasis on operations, safety, maintenance & repair. Maintains consistency of service and messaging throughout campus. Responsible for hiring, assigning/directing work, evaluating performance, and managing job duties and expectations.

Classroom Services

• Responsible for ensuring classroom resources and service needs are met on a daily basis; including AV systems, furniture, supplies and equipment. Responds to service calls and work orders. Proactively checks in with classroom users, faculty and department staff to anticipate needs. Conducts periodic inspections and work to resolve issues. Coordinate classroom audio/visual and computer needs with the Associate Director of Systems Integration and CRIT.

Office Support

• Responds to the needs of Faculty and Staff regarding office space use including furniture requests, move requests, signage request, hot/cold calls, etc.

Common Areas

• Responsible for ensuring that common areas including lobbies, hallways, lounges, cafes, restrooms etc. are periodically inspected. Communicates housekeeping, general service, maintenance and repair needs via work order requests and communication/coordination with the Associate Director of Facilities, Campus Buildings, Assistant Director of Facilities, Campus Services, and SAIC Engineering.

Residential Facility Operations

• Provides general operations and facility support on a day to day basis. Assists the Associate Director of Facilities with seasonal coordination of Summer and Winter preventative maintenance programs, move-in and move-out processes, and summer renovation work. Works closely with the Assistant Director of Campus Services to coordinate housekeeping services for day to day and seasonal work.

Grounds Appearance, Maintenance & Repair

• Responsible for ensuring that campus grounds and building exteriors are kept clean and tidy and up to SAIC standards; including facades, windows, sidewalks, waste bins, exterior signage, flags and docks. Coordinate work as needed with the Assistant Director of Facilities, Campus Services and AIC/SAIC engineering.

Condition Assessments

• Responsible for leading the periodic and ongoing assessment of facilities, resources, equipment, and furniture throughout campus. Creates checklists and enable Facilities Managers and student employees with the knowledge to conduct efficient and accurate assessments including items such as restroom fixtures, water fountains, eyewash stations, and other safety equipment, lockers, furniture, sinks, whiteboards, etc. Creates tickets and report and share information with IRFM Administration.

Project Support

• Assists the Associate Director of Facilities, Campus Buildings in carrying out projects on Campus including Facilities Engineering & Construction projects, Capital, and Facilities Renewal projects. Assists with coordinating timelines, packing/moving needs, signage and communications, and waste management/diversion.
• Willingness to provide direct operational support and coverage for Building Facilities Managers during vacancies or peak operational needs.

Health, Safety & Hazardous Waste Monitoring

• Responsible for conducting safety inspections in classrooms, studios and common areas. Ensures that flammable cabinets, chemical and rag cans are utilized properly and emptied frequently. Coordinates with the Associate Director of EHS & Sustainability and the Associate Director of Facilities, Campus Buildings to keep abreast of procedural standards.

Classroom Artwork & Waste Management

• Oversees classroom clean-outs at the end of each semester, ensures that the campus “Bag and Tag” program is maintained and carried out as applicable throughout campus. Supports the campus Surplus program by ensuring that usable resources are removed from the waste stream and diverted to Surplus locations for reuse. Responsible for making sure materials are managed at Surplus locations and spaces kept clean and organized.

Wayfinding & Campus Signage

• Ensure that campus signage standards for offices, classrooms, restrooms, and general wayfinding are adhered to and maintained. Respond to requests for signage updating/changes. Receive direction from the Associate Director of Campus Facilities regarding signage standards for both interior and exterior spaces.

Student Employee Experience

• Responsible for ensuring that student employees are hired and trained under the direction of the Facilities Managers. Builds and maintains consistency in training, evaluation and skill building. Create dedicated student project crews as needed, such a seasonal student paint crew.

Locker Checks

• Responsible for facilitating Locker Checks each semester along with the annual cleanout. Works with Campus Life to set dates and notify/promote information. Generate reports, direct the in-field checks, and determine lock cutting or locker release schedule in a timely manner. Manages retrieval of belongings and communications with affected students.

Customer Service, IRFM Helpline & Work Orders

• Oversees the IRFM Helpline and requests that come in via the campus work order system. Ensures a high level of customer service in responding to community requests and in a timely manner. Act as a liaison to department faculty and staff. Communicates needs/concerns to IRFM administration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, specialized technical certifications (e.g., FMP, CFM, PMP), and progressive professional experience.
• Minimum 3+ years’ progressive experience in institutional facilities management, facilities services, classroom/office services, and operational services. Experience managing facilities operations and coordination of small projects.
• Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and supervising collaborative teams in an operational or institutional setting
• Understanding and experience with A/V technologies.
• Basic understanding of blueprints, space planning, design, construction, mechanical systems and classroom technology methodology and terminology.
• Ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Skilled at organizing, evaluating, and delegating project components to support team.
• Able to promote and support skill building and growth of supervised staff and student employees.
• Able to effectively evaluate team and staff performance, provide constructive feedback, and guide direction and improvement.
• Able to provide positive mentorship and to promote collaboration and cooperation among team members. Demonstrate an openness to thoughts and ideas of others. Skilled at conflict resolution.
• Proven conflict-resolution and de-escalation skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and professionally with a diverse community of students, faculty, staff, and external contractors.
• Exceptional professionalism and customer service. Ability to work with all levels of students, faculty, and staff in a unique environment.
• Able to work independently with a high degree of initiative, conferring with leadership when appropriate.
• Proficiency with basic computer software (Word, Excel, Google Suite, graphics/presentation programs, etc.) Comfortable with learning new programs specific to facility needs.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to move frequently between multiple facility buildings throughout the workday.

• Ability to lift, push, pull, or carry up to 50 lbs as needed.

Compensation & Benefits

Please click on the links below to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

• Hiring Range: $65,000 - $77,240.

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, qualifications and other job-related reasons.

• Benefits
• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Exempt
• Employment Category: Full time
• Grade Level: 7

If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information

Application Instructions

Please submit your resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Accessibility

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Accessibility Accommodation for Applicants

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at apply_help@artic.edu.