Penn State Job Catalog

The Director, Facilities Operations leads operational strategy, regulatory compliance, and the day-to-day stewardship of facilities at the University Park campus; provides oversight of facilities operations, ensuring alignment with university priorities related to reliability, financial stewardship, capital project integration, and customer service; combines deep operational expertise with strong business acumen, regulatory leadership, and the ability to navigate a complex university environment; serves as the delegated authority for facilities-related regulatory matters and represents the University with federal, state, and local agencies.

• Provide leadership across facilities operations, including buildings, grounds, utilities, maintenance, custodial services, infrastructure systems, and the work reception center
• Develop and implement operational strategies that ensure safety, reliability, cost efficiency, and high levels of customer satisfaction
• Oversee utility distribution systems, including chilled water, potable water, steam, electricity, natural gas, stormwater, and high-voltage networks
• Collaborate with the HR Strategic Partner to optimize organizational structures, staffing models, and operating standards to meet University-wide needs
• Drive operational excellence through performance management, benchmarking, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Serve as the delegated signatory for all facilities-related regulatory filings, permits, compliance reports, and environmental documentation
• Represent the University in all formal interactions with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies
• Ensure compliance across environmental, utility, safety, and infrastructure systems, including air, water, waste, energy, and building systems
• Lead responses to audits, inspections, and enforcement actions
• Establish and oversee compliance strategies, monitoring systems, and internal controls
• Lead budgeting, forecasting, rate development, and long-term financial planning for facilities operations
• Align operational and financial decisions with institutional priorities, sustainability goals, and long-term business strategies
• Approve major expenditures, contracts, and resource allocations
• Utilize data analytics and performance metrics to inform decision-making and improve operational outcomes
• Collaborate with Design & Construction, Commonwealth Services, Strategic Programs, Operational Technology, and Business Administration to ensure seamless transition of capital projects into operations
• Partner on initiatives including reliability-centered maintenance, deferred maintenance reduction, infrastructure renewal, and workforce planning
• Serve as a strategic adviser to senior leadership on operational impacts, regulatory requirements, and long-term infrastructure planning
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders, including executives, governing bodies, regulators, consultants, and community partners
• Lead labor relations strategy in partnership with Human Resources, including contract administration and workforce engagement
• Lead and develop a diverse, multi-level workforce, including managers, staff, supervisors, and technical-service personnel
• Support talent development, professional advancement, and succession planning across the organization

Level:

– Principal Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates awareness of broad issues and management trends. Applies exemplary management principles. Evaluates impact of policy and adjusts accordingly. Ensures appropriate skills are developed and maintained within team/unit. Realigns staff responsibilities to meet desired changes. Provides administrative and policy direction. Develops and articulates broad goals. Fosters collaboration between units. Engages in written and verbal communications that reach a university-wide and/or broad external audience. Develops and implements solutions to highly complex and often controversial problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees teams of other supervisors/managers
– Leads a business unit

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Plans, forecasts, develops, and/or approves budgets
– Typically has final signature authority for business unit

Problem Solving:

– Encounters highly varied and complex problems that may have a significant impact on multiple units and/or the University
– Regularly develops creative and/or novel approaches to resolve the most difficult problems
– Creates an environment that encourages imaginative solutions to problems

Independence of Action:

– Work results are not clearly defined and may be frequently changing
– Sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow
– Oversees completed work of others and is accountable for unit results
– Delegates advanced tasks to others and provides guidance to team members

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– May represent the University externally
– Collaborates closely with team members and other leaders across the University
– Communicates a compelling vision that inspires and motivates others

• Comp Grade – 17
• Minimum – $150,204.00
• MidPoint – $191,544.00
• Maximum – $232,776.00