New

Director of Facilities & Operations

University of Wisconsin Madison
life insurance, paid time off
United States, Wisconsin, Madison
21 North Park Street (Show on map)
Mar 18, 2026
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Jobs Hub to apply through the internal application process. Job Category:Limited Employment Type:Regular Job Profile:Facilities Director (C) Job Summary: The Director of Facilities & Operations for Recreation & Wellbeing provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all indoor and outdoor recreation facilities across campus, including multiple large indoor complexes and nearly 60 acres of outdoor recreation space. This role directs a broad portfolio of service areas, including indoor and outdoor maintenance, custodial services, audiovisual systems, ice operations, aquatics, and facility operations, to ensure safe, high-quality, and welcoming environments that support the wellbeing of the UW-Madison community. In this position, the director establishes and implements custodial and maintenance standards, oversees preventative and emergency repair programs, and guides the planning and scheduling of maintenance, remodeling, and renovation activities. The role plays a key part in capital project support, high-dollar repair initiatives, and long-term facility planning, collaborating closely with university and state architects, engineers, project managers, and contractors. The director ensures compliance with workplace health and safety expectations, manages unit budgets, and maintains strong operational systems for work orders, purchasing, and grounds projects. This position directly supervises two full-time staff members and provides leadership to more than 55 indirect full-time professionals and over 600 student employees. Through effective supervision, relationship building, and operational excellence, the Director of Facilities & Operations ensures that Recreation & Wellbeing's facilities meet the evolving needs of students, staff, and the broader campus community. Key Job Responsibilities: Develops priorities and implementation strategies for creating custodial and maintenance standards, schedules, and labor requirements for routine and emergency repairs, housekeeping, preventative maintenance programs, grounds work, warehouse functions, renovations, and capital improvement projects Determines and directs standards for routine and preventative work orders, warehouse/purchasing tracking, building and grounds projects, and use of automated maintenance Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees Develops and fosters a working relationship with university and state professional architects and engineers, project managers, building construction superintendents, and outside contractors while representing staff and residents Directs the planning and scheduling of building maintenance and remodeling activities, incorporating operational requirements and priorities Develops and audits the unit budget Acts as the primary liaison between Recreation & Wellbeing and key institutional partners, including Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M), UW System, and the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA), ensuring clear communication, coordinated project planning, and alignment on construction, renovation, and major maintenance initiatives. Reviews work place health and safety expectations with employees and provides instruction as needed Represents the division in crossfunctional planning groups related to capital projects, longrange facility planning, sustainability initiatives, emergency preparedness, and campus infrastructure improvements. Serves as an active member on Recreation & Wellbeing, Health & Wellbeing, Student Affairs, and campuswide committees, contributing operational expertise and representing the division's facility needs and priorities. Engages in strategic planning efforts for the division, contributing datadriven insights on facility performance, staffing models, and longterm maintenance needs. Department: Administration Compensation: Minimum $115,000 The starting salary for this position is $115,000 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. In addition to salary, this position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf. Required Qualifications: Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in facilities operations, maintenance, or capital project oversight within a complex, multifacility environment. Demonstrated experience supervising fulltime professional staff, including performance management, hiring, and workforce development. Proven ability to manage largescale maintenance programs, custodial operations, and preventative maintenance systems. Experience coordinating construction, renovation, or highdollar repair projects in collaboration with architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers. Strong knowledge of workplace safety standards, building systems, and operational compliance requirements. Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, track expenditures, and make datainformed operational decisions. Excellent communication, organizational, and problemsolving skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse teams and stakeholder groups. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in higher education, municipal recreation, or another large publicsector environment. Leadership experience overseeing large, diverse teams, including indirect supervision of 50+ staff and management of large studentemployee workforces. Familiarity with recreationspecific facility operations such as aquatics, ice arenas, audiovisual systems, and largescale indoor and outdoor recreation environments. Experience implementing or optimizing computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and automated workorder processes. Demonstrated success in developing operational standards, custodial programs, and longterm maintenance strategies. Experience supporting or leading capital planning efforts, including feasibility studies, design review, and construction coordination. Commitment to fostering an inclusive, serviceoriented environment that supports student wellbeing and community engagement. Additional Details: Typical working hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Some evening and weekend hours may be required. This position is eligible for up to the equivalent of one work day remote. Education: Required: Master's degree in facilities management, engineering, architecture, recreation administration, higher education administration, public administration, or a related field. How to Apply: To apply for this position, select either "I am a current employee" or "I am not a current employee" under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials. Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload all required documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. Upload required documents: * Cover letter * Resume References will be requested from final candidates University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position, you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work. Contact Information: Cameron Theisen,cameron.theisen@wisc.edu Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website. To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you. Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.