Director of Facilities Services and Campus Operations

Job Description

NORMAL WORK HOURS: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Vice President for Finance and Administration

OTHERS WHO MAY ASSIGN WORK: College Leadership

POSITION SUMMARY:

Reporting to the Vice President for Finance and Administration, the Director of Facilities Services and Campus Operations (Director) has day-to-day responsibility over the Facilities Operations, Public Safety, Environmental Safety, Campus Planning, Special Events, and Capital Renewal Programming functions of the College. The Director leads all efforts associated with stewardship of physical campus resources and the development and enforcement of policies, asset management processes, and data that inform planning, development, and operation of all facilities to support an exemplary living, learning and working environment. This role also includes oversight of energy management, maintenance standards, and spatial planning.

The Director is expected to bring a collaborative and diplomatic leadership approach that fosters constructive engagement across the community, while maintaining clarity of purpose and accountability for campus integrity and operations. They will work in partnership with faculty, staff, and students to co-create meaningful campus experiences—where practical and mission-aligned—while thoughtfully prioritizing initiatives, balancing aspirations with available resources, and maintaining clear operational boundaries.

The College has recently launched a major strategic initiative, College as a Living Lab, intended to identify opportunities to link new and upcoming major capital initiatives with transformative academic programming. This effort will result in the development of a master plan and fundraising program, the goal of which is to transform the current campus into one of the first carbon-neutral, predictively maintained campuses in the country. The Director will be a key stakeholder in this effort, working with students, faculty, staff, and external partners to explore opportunities for sustainable programming, technologies, and capital investments—ensuring that such initiatives align with and enhance the effective operation and care of the campus.

The Director consistently exercises discretion and independent judgment through selection and management of staff, oversight of contractors, and development and oversight of budgets and quality standards. The incumbent ensures that the goals of the College’s strategic plan are supported by adequate physical infrastructure and appropriate capital and construction planning and design.

This is an in-person/on-campus position based in Needham, MA

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Overall day-to-day responsibility for leadership and organizational performance of the Facilities employees, contractors, and contract relationships.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for Public Safety, a contracted service provided by Babson College, ensuring alignment with Olin’s safety priorities and protocols. Works in close partnership with the Dean of Students and Chief Human Resources Officer on urgent safety matters affecting students and employees.
• In collaboration with the Director of Campus Engineering, provides support to the Capital Renewal Programming functions of the College.
• Advises and supports the Vice President for Finance and Administration in assessing, developing, and advancing institutional strategic initiatives and programmatic priorities, that achieve organizational excellence and support enterprise risk management.
• Responsible for the planning and execution of Facilities and Emergency Management strategies that support the core mission and the community of the College.
• Partners with the Dean of Students and Public Safety to plan and implement emergency management protocols and logistical coordination for high-profile campus events, including Commencement, ensuring community safety and operational readiness.
• In collaboration with the Director of Campus Engineering, develops and implements facilities maintenance systems and programs using asset-based-management principles that enable data driven predictive and preventive maintenance strategies.
• Provides planning and direction to the facilities team and programs ensuring high quality service and attainment of health and safety standards.
• Oversees the planning and execution of the campus spatial planning program.
• Manages a $6 million annual operating; monitors short and long-range progress toward goals and assists leadership with fundraising efforts and programs to enhance funding opportunities to support goals.
• In collaboration with the Director of Campus Engineering, develops a comprehensive and living record of deferred maintenance issues and strategies to address corresponding needs and risks.
• Manages all facilities personnel, including contracted personnel advocating for career development and growth of team members.
• Manages complex outsourced contracts, relationships and renegotiations including the ability to draft and review complex contracts and develop corresponding business cases.
• Supports campus sustainability programs through the implementation of programming that produces more efficient uses of energy and reduces energy expenses.
• Serves as the Compliance Officer and College liaison with regulatory agencies that govern building, environmental and safety standards, and codes.
• Creates accurate project specifications based on technical drawings for building systems.
• Serves as a liaison to the Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees, Town of Needham officials, and other key external constituents.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in facilities, engineering or related field required.
• Master’s degree in business administration or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of facilities management, capital programing or relevant experience.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a leadership role.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience implementing large, complex projects in a corporate, non-profit, or government environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects to successful completion.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational and project budgets.
• Experience developing and validating business cases and ROI.
• Fluency in the reading and interpretation of technical drawings for building systems.
• Outstanding communication and leadership skills.
• Experience managing complex vendor contracts and relationships.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to values of equity, access, and belonging.

Company Description

Olin College of Engineering seeks employees who are passionate about working collaboratively within and outside of the Olin community to support the College’s mission and vision for the future. At Olin, we are educating the next generation of engineering innovators and shifting the definition of engineering. Not only do our students ask, “Who are we designing this for, and what are their values?” They also ask questions about the impact of their work on society.

As Olin evolves under new leadership, we seek to become a more representative and aware community, a place where everyone is a learner and where everyone is an educator. Olin will become a place where experimentation—including making and learning from mistakes—will be embraced across the institution, not just in the classroom. Collaboration is key to Olin’s curriculum and culture, and we will work intentionally to reinforce the values and culture to which we aspire. We are a community that thrives on being together; we value trust. The College supports teams to collaboratively decide how they can best do their work, and display a commitment to the community, all while providing individuals with overall work-life flexibility.

Olin College is situated on 75 acres in Needham, Massachusetts. We are approximately ten miles from Boston, one mile from the MBTA Commuter Rail train station, and approximately four miles from the Woodland Station from the MBTA Green Line. We have plenty of free parking on campus. You can find more details on our Visiting Campus page.

• Take a Virtual Campus Tour: From the moment you step on campus at Olin, you feel a buzz of energy and activity—and once you experience it, you want to be a part of it.

Olin College is committed to supporting an innovative, integrated learning and working environment. As a small campus, the in-person experience and cross-team collaboration is what helps build a strong, dynamic community for our students, faculty and staff. Typically, most roles at Olin College are intended to be in-person and on-campus. Certain paid positions may be eligible for flexible working arrangements, at the College’s sole discretion. Any approved remote work arrangement for pay must be performed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where Olin is registered to do business. Individual flexible and remote work options can be discussed during the interview process.

Benefits

Olin College prides itself on offering to faculty and staff comprehensive benefits that provide both choice and value. These benefits are an important part of total compensation.

Full-time employees scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week may be eligible for the following benefits:

Core Benefits

• Medical (three different options)
• Dental
• Vision
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance (company paid)
• Paid Family Medical Leave
• Long Term Disability (company paid)
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with company match
• Liberal sick and vacation time and paid holidays
• Free parking

Additional Benefits

• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Business Travel Insurance
• Supplemental 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Travel Assistance Services (company paid)
• Pet Insurance

Please note that benefits are subject to change at any time.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

At Olin College we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about a role and have relevant experience, but your work history doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we'd nevertheless encourage you to apply.

Olin College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We especially welcome applications from candidates belonging to groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA people, and people with disabilities. Employees of the College who have a disability are welcome to request reasonable accommodations by contacting Human Resources at HR@olin.edu.