Landscape Grounds Program Manager

Overview

The Grounds Program Manager creates and develops the Facility Operations (FacOps) Department Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), staff modeling, job plans, and safety plans. This position also produces and delivers training, quality assurance, and employee engagement programs that support and standardize the work of the Grounds work units in Facilities Operations for the physical appearance and the daily operation of the grounds and exterior of Yale property.

Reporting to the Director of Facilities Operations, this position is responsible for planned maintenance and process standardization for Grounds operational units that impact the physical appearance and the daily operation of landscaping and grounds. Ensure the standardization of processes and quality across all operational units.

Provide coordination and support for resource planning efforts and project plans, consistent with strategic plans, to inform operating and capital decisions. Analyzes feedback from the Facilities Operations community to discuss processes affecting their area of responsibility. Develop staffing models and job plans to satisfy new needs and to determine and coordinate priorities. Participates in, creates support for, and coordinates with various stakeholder groups. Develops, conducts, and manages safety and quality assurance programs and audits to determine the effectiveness of developed processes, manpower efficiency, and work implementation. Identify improvement areas with customer satisfaction surveys, audits, and compliance checks.

Coordinate, develop, and refine all operations and maintenance (O&M) responsibilities and methods to align with industry best practices and University Sustainability goals. Incorporating innovative thought, technology, and best practices to continually improve services.

Develops the planning and development of services in support of Grounds services. Developing and maintaining building- and department-level service agreements with the coordination of campus site directors, ensuring sustainability objectives are included. Coordinates with Capital Projects and Planning, Facilities leadership, and outside contractors & vendors.  Develops and captures service delivery processes such as regular, preventive, and ongoing maintenance programs, response to emergency needs, and support of special events and activities. Ensure safety protocols for regular work practices and that regulatory and environmental compliance is maintained and supported through training and management. Reviews construction project requirements, determining the need and cost for supervision and frontline staff, work methods and procedures, tools, equipment, and other materials.

Responsible for developing plans and processes for staffing and resource management. Working across multiple Facilities Operations work units, develops the plans and processes for work units to meet the growing needs of Yale’s multiple campuses. Provides organizational and procedural support for campus site directors, associate directors, area managers, supervisors, and frontline staff. Assists with asset management and information management, working with our CMMS (Assetworks) and other systems and programs to increase data transparency and improve service performance and delivery. May include oversight of 3rd party agreements.

Responsible for developing and conducting presentations and reports. Supports campus site directors in developing the department budgets - determining needed staffing models, capital equipment acquisition, inventory review, obsolescence determination/renewal, and supply management. Develop reports and presentations for senior leadership. Provide a means for evaluating performance and conducting training. Includes collecting, monitoring, tracking, and analyzing key metrics and performance indicators for productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Strong knowledge of standard practices and methods in the grounds and landscape professions and the logistics of waste/recycling/compositing. Proven ability to create staffing and material/supply models, manage and coordinate staff activities engaged in planning and scheduling of regular/routine and project work, construction and renovation projects, and daily operations.
2. Well-developed managerial skills, including experience with performance management and feedback.  Proven ability to create and direct customer-focused teams providing facility and customer services. Experience supervising in a unionized environment. Proven ability to lead and manage multiple projects and deadlines.
3. Experience with financial matters related to grounds and facility maintenance, operations, and project management. Proven ability to prepare, maintain, and present reports from scheduling documents to financial spreadsheets. Ability to develop and implement sustainable programs and initiatives.
4. Knowledge in utilizing CMMS management for data collection, analytics, and KPI tracking. Process development and improvement. Knowledge in GIS collection and management.
5. Experience working in a campus environment with multiple buildings and structures and service environments, such as areas with division 1 athletics, residential, waste/recycling/composting, and snow & ice removal. 

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Facilities Maintenance accreditation such as APPA CEFP, BOMA CMCP, IFMA CFM.
2. Certification in grounds & landscape related fields such as Turfgrass, Horticulture, Arborist. Higher education, or large campus, experience.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Strategy development and execution working with collaborators within and outside of the University. Working with leadership to develop and implement a strategic vision and work plans. 
2. Recommend structural or programmatic adjustments, changes or additions based on full knowledge of missions, goals, and objectives.
3. Advise leadership on broad range of strategic, development, and communications issues related to research and policy development opportunities.
4. Manage ongoing partnerships with local, state, national, and non-governmental organizations focused on health research, policy development and implementation.
5. Identify new opportunities for expanding the program within Yale and among other academic and non-academic organizations locally and nationally.
6. Seek external funding opportunities and assist with the submission of grant proposals.
7. New program and fund development, catalyzing program development throughout the University and with external collaborators. Develops the metrics to identify and measure the success of the program.
8. Envision and direct communications to support strong communication and promote visibility of the program both inside and outside Yale through strategic outreach, conference attendance, special events, media and other avenues.
9. Assumes primary accountability to initiate, design, and manage the compilation of program communications; identifying outreach potential and promoting philanthropic and collaborative support of the program.
10. Envision and execute the communications efforts for the program. Contribute to the development and assist in the management of content on the program’s website and monitors all changes and additions to the editorial content.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree in a related field and seven years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.