Director of Library Facilities and Building Operations

Overview

The Director of Library Facilities and Building Operations provides broad leadership, communication, and central planning for physical spaces and facilities throughout Yale University Library (YUL), which spans over fifteen locations in New Haven and beyond, including Sterling Memorial Library, Arts Library, Beinecke Library, Bass Library, Classics Library, Divinity Library, Lewis Walpole Library in Farmington CT, Library Shelving Facility in Hamden CT, Marx Library, Math Library, Medical Library, Music Library, and library spaces including Technical Services in 344 Winchester, Beinecke in 344 Winchester, 17 Hillhouse and Rosenkranz Hall.  The Director provides daily operational direction for the operation and management of all central library buildings including Sterling Memorial Library, Bass Library, Beinecke Library, and Music Library.

The director works in close collaboration and partnership with library program leaders to understand their needs and to develop space, renovation, furnishing, and move plans.  Exercises creative, visionary leadership in determining solutions balancing the efficient use of resources and space with strategic priorities, program goals, and library mission. Acts as program/owner representative in capital projects that include Yale Facilities project management and/or design/architecture services; directly manages and plans facilities/furniture/move projects that do not include Yale Facilities project management and/or design/architecture services.

The director maintains expertise on building/facility systems, infrastructure, occupants, program uses, regulations and policies to advise, consult and intervene as needed to minimize impact of repairs and construction projects on program uses, and to assure safety and code compliance. The director works closely with the Director of Library Security to ensure that library spaces are effectively monitored by on-site security operations and that abnormal, substandard, or risk conditions are detected, reported, escalated, and addressed in a timely manner.

The director has direct responsibility for $6 million in budgets, monitoring responsibility for additional $13.5 million in budgets, and management of 1 M&P staff member.

The director provides leadership and direction on behalf of Yale Library with Yale University Facilities, and vendors in support of the YUL mission and to fulfill departmental and project goals, including building operations and maintenance; construction projects; moves; and the physical environment protecting cultural property building occupants, and physical assets.  The director is responsible for ensuring timely response to facilities emergencies on a 24x7 basis.

Required  Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated excellent oral, written and analytical ability. Demonstrated leadership and management skills. Proven ability in working collaboratively and independently with various groups within a complex organization. Proven ability to formulate long-term goals and strategies, to ensure a high level of service.
2. Ability to make rapid and appropriate judgments during emergency situations.
3. Demonstrated building/facilities and project management skills.  Demonstrated problem-solving skills. Experience leading and managing multiple projects and deadlines, and the ability to bring projects to fruition.
4. Proven ability to manage budgets and recommend cost-effective solutions. Ability to synthesize technical and programmatic needs, develop alternative solutions, and evaluate/ convey design requirements

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills

1. Experience in an academic institutional setting.
2. Security-related experience is preferred (in addition to the required facilities experience)
3. Demonstrated ability with building automation systems, monitoring and controls systems.
4. Ability and experience with building Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing systems.
5. Demonstrated ability with building codes, construction practices, and maintenance practices.

Preferred Licenses or Certifications

Certified Facilities Manager (CFM)

Physical Requirements

Ability to climb stairs, inspect roofs, access crawl spaces, move between buildings, inspect drawings, drive vehicle.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Ensure timely response to facilities emergencies on a 24x7 basis.
2. Develop and maintain strong relationships with colleagues and partners in Yale Facilities, vendors, and colleagues at Yale and in the community. Be a trusted partner to library managers and staff. Maintain a strong commitment to customer service personally and throughout the facilities and building operations team, including service quality from vendors and university providers and vendors.
3. Administer, direct, and manage budgets of central Library Facilities and Building Operations, including building budgets associated with Beinecke Library, consistent with university policies and procedures, including planning, monitoring, adhering to budget.
4. Monitor central YUL building budgets including Sterling Memorial Library, Bass Library, Music Library, and Library Shelving Facility.
5. Lead multi-year planning for Capital Replacement Charge (CRC) building stewardship of buildings and spaces supported by Beinecke Library endowments, including 121 Wall Street, part of 344 Winchester, and part of Library Shelving Facility.
6. Advise Yale Facilities and library leaders on priorities for multi-year planning for capital maintenance stewardship of buildings and spaces supported by central university CRC funding, including Sterling Memorial Library, Arts Library, Bass Library, Marx Library, Music Library, Library Shelving Facility, and YUL Technical Services at 344 Winchester Avenue.
7. Lead planning with library managers for space assignment changes (long-term and temporary), such as negotiating individual or multiple departments needing to shift locations within or between buildings, identifying offices and workspaces for new staff, recognizing programmatic capacity limitations and proposing solutions. Be a partner to staff, in identifying needs for and planning facilities and furniture improvements and moves, including scope, timeline and budget.
8. Work closely with the Preservation Department, Library Security and university colleagues to manage and mitigate risk to cultural heritage property, building occupants, and physical assets. Identify, prioritize, and address actual and potential issues that place library collections at risk.
9. In partnership with Library Preservation, Yale Facilities, and Library Security, take ownership in emergencies to provide leadership, communication, and support in disaster recovery and emergency response operations, providing leadership and direction to responders to protect staff, collections, and physical assets during an emergency.
10. Serve as the lead on building/facility systems, infrastructure, occupants, program uses, regulations and policies. Advise, consult, and intervene as needed to minimize impact of repairs and renovation projects on program uses, and to assure safety and code compliance.
11. Ensure that effective services are in place for staff to report facilities/maintenance/custodial problems, and work closely with the Facilities Superintendents/Area Managers to ensure that problems are resolved in a timely manner.
12. Act as program/owner representative in capital projects that include project management and/or design/architecture services; directly manage facilities/furniture/move projects that do not include Yale Facilities project management and/or design/architecture services.
13. Assures compliance with safety and building code standards and specifications within University policies and procedures guidelines. Ensure that regular inspections are conducted of all roofs, windows, security installations, fire equipment, mechanical systems, and physical construction to ensure reliability and compliance with codes and building standards. Manage vendors including mechanical sub/contractors assigned to any sites within the library system.
14. Participate and provide leadership as needed in committees in the library and across the university. Represent the library in university-wide committees and groups as needed. Participates in university-wide initiatives. Effectively represents Yale Library needs, opportunities, and impact at the university level.
15. As appropriate contributes at the national/international level, recognizes library trends and opportunities, and uses this knowledge to enrich local programs and strategic planning. May represent Yale Library at local, regional, national, and international levels.
16. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree and 8 years’ experience in facilities or equivalent combination of education and experience. Strong supervisory experience.