Director of Facilities & Construction

Director of Facilities & Construction

University of Dubuque · Dubuque, United States · Full-time · Posted 2026-11-04

Workplace: on_site

Department: Facilities Maintenance

Description

The Director of Facilities & Construction manages a team of approximately 50 employees with two direct reports and is responsible for coordinating university facilities operations, overseeing facility-related needs, and representing the University in construction, renovation, and capital improvement projects. The Director oversees maintenance, operations, housekeeping, grounds, and utility services. The Director serves as the primary liaison between university departments, facilities personnel, architects, engineers, contractors, and other external partners to ensure projects and facilities initiatives are completed safely, efficiently, on schedule, and within approved budgets.

Requirements

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Facilities Coordination and Planning

• Coordinate facility needs, maintenance priorities, repairs, and improvement initiatives
• Serve as the primary point of coordination for facilities-related requests
• Work with staff and service providers to establish priorities, schedules, and resource needs
• Monitor the condition of university buildings, grounds, infrastructure, and building systems
• Coordinate preventive maintenance initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement
• Assist with facilities planning, deferred maintenance assessments, and capital priorities
• Communicate facilities issues, project schedules, and disruptions to affected stakeholders

2. Construction and Capital Project Management

• Represent the University throughout all phases of capital projects
• Serve as primary liaison with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, and vendors
• Coordinate project scope, schedules, budgets, design, and stakeholder needs
• Monitor construction progress, budgets, schedules, and compliance with approved plans
• Coordinate construction documents, change orders, pay applications, and project reporting
• Lead project meetings, document decisions, and track outstanding issues
• Coordinate inspections, punch lists, final acceptance, warranties, and project closeout
• Minimize disruption to campus operations during construction and renovations

3. Budget, Contracts, and Vendor Coordination

• Assist with project budgets, cost estimates, funding requests, and capital forecasts
• Monitor project costs and provide budget and status updates to university leadership
• Negotiate contracts, coordinate procurement, contractor selection, and competitive bidding
• Monitor contractor performance and resolve deficiencies
• Maintain project records, contracts, budgets, and closeout documentation
• Escalate significant financial, contractual, operational, and scheduling issues to the Vice President for Finance and Administration

4. Campus Safety, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Coordinate facilities-related compliance with applicable building codes, fire and life safety requirements, accessibility standards, environmental regulations, and university policies
• Work with campus safety to address facility-related hazards and compliance matters
• Identify potential facility risks and recommend corrective actions to protect students, employees, visitors, buildings, and university assets
• Provide oversight of facilities audits and document retention

5. Communication and University Collaboration

• Build effective relationships with campus departments and external partners
• Communicate project updates, schedules, disruptions, and planned improvements
• Provide project status, budget updates, and recommendations to university leadership
• Coordinate facilities initiatives across campus departments and all campus locations
• Support university strategic and campus master planning initiatives
• Perform related duties as assigned by the Vice President for Finance and Administration

Position Skills and Abilities:

• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work within software system for work orders and preventative maintenance
• Represent the University effectively with architects, engineers, contractors, and consultants
• Knowledge of construction practices, project budgets, schedules, contracts, and change orders
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders
• Strong communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to identify risks, resolve issues, and recommend solutions
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the University’s Mission

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in construction management, facilities management, engineering, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered
• Five or more years of experience in facilities management and construction project coordination
• Demonstrated experience coordinating projects, contractors, consultants, budgets, and schedules
• Knowledge of building codes, safety requirements, accessibility standards, and facilities operations
• Experience managing multiple projects and coordinating diverse stakeholders
• Ability to lift 40 lbs.
• Must be available on-call or be able to effectively delegate responsibility when away
• Some travel between campus locations required

Apply

Apply at University of Dubuque

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