Manager, Facilities & Grounds

Grounds oversees daily facilities maintenance, campus grounds, preventative maintenance programs, and assigned facilities projects. The position provides direct supervision of facilities personnel and coordinates contractors to ensure campus buildings and grounds are safe, functional, well-maintained, and responsive to institutional needs. The Manager establishes operational priorities, assigns resources, monitors performance, and ensures accountability for work quality, safety, and timely service delivery. Working under the direction of the Associate Vice President of Facilities Management, the Manager exercises independent judgment in daily operations and escalates major capital projects, significant expenditures, and decisions beyond delegated authority. Summary of Essential Functions: Operations & Maintenance: Direct day-to-day corrective and preventative maintenance programs, trade repairs, and groundskeeping, landscaping and seasonal campus operations across campus facilities. Project and Contractor Management: Oversee facilities projects, contractor schedules, scope implementation, and trade deliverables from initiation through completion to ensure compliance with approved scope, schedules, budgets, quality standards, and safety requirements. Planning and Resource Management: Establish maintenance schedules, prioritize work orders, monitor workloads and service levels, and support departmental budget planning and resource allocation. Safety, Compliance, and Risk Management: Promote a safe working environment, ensure adherence to applicable safety requirements and institutional policies, and address identified hazards and deficiencies. Event Monitoring & Logistics: Coordinate facilities setups, technical/trade support, monitoring, and breakdown for campus events, exhibitions, and seasonal activities. Team Leadership & Administration: Supervise, train, and evaluate facilities staff and student workers while driving operational productivity and safety standards. Institutional Support & Emergency Response: Coordinate facilities support for special events, seasonal operations, and emergency response coverage. Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Facilities Operations & Maintenance Conduct the coordination and implementation of work orders, projects and tasks to plan, schedule, and direct routine, corrective, and preventative maintenance for all campus buildings. Conduct regular building and grounds inspections to identify maintenance issues, structural repairs, and safety concerns, and recommend proactive solutions. Oversee groundskeeping, landscaping, horticulture operations, and campus-wide snow/ice removal workflows. Project Management & Contractor Oversight Serve as the primary project manager for internal facilities projects, modernizations, trade upgrades, and minor capital improvements. Manage contracted vendors and external trade teams, ensuring scope compliance, quality control, timeline adherence, and safety standard execution. Assist the Associate Vice President in defining project scopes, establishing work sequences, and managing vendor deliverables. Event Monitoring, Coordination & Trade Support Serve as the primary facilities lead for planning, scheduling, and monitoring campus event support, exhibitions, academic showcases, and seasonal campus programs. Coordinate trade workers, grounds staff, and external contractors to execute physical space setups, stage builds, electrical/lighting connections, waste management, and teardowns. Liaise with campus stakeholders, event organizers, and student groups to evaluate space requirements and deliver seamless facilities logistics. Team Leadership & Supervision Supervise, mentor, and train maintenance technicians and student workers, managing daily work assignments and workload distribution. Conduct annual performance evaluations, establish clear accountability metrics, and support staff professional development. Manage recruitment and onboarding processes for subordinate personnel to maintain optimal staffing levels. Safety, Compliance & Administrative Support Enforce institutional policies and ensure strict adherence to local, state, and federal health and safety regulations (OSHA, EPA, etc.). Maintain accurate work order records, asset histories, and task completion metrics using the campus work management system. May assist in the development and tracking of departmental operational and project budgets. Serve as a member of the departmental leadership on-call rotation, providing primary operational response for after-hours facility emergencies. Coordinate facilities logistics, layout setups, and support services for campus events, seasonal moves, and academic programs. Budget and Institutional Support Assist with operating budgets, project estimates, equipment needs, and resource planning; monitor expenditures within assigned authority. Coordinate facilities support for campus events, exhibitions, academic programs, and seasonal activities. Participate in the departmental on-call rotation and coordinate responses to facilities emergencies. Communicate operational needs, significant issues, and performance updates to the Associate Vice President. Perform other duties as assigned. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Working knowledge of facility systems, building envelope maintenance, and grounds/horticulture management. Demonstrated project management capability, including managing multiple concurrent projects, schedules, and contracted services. Proven leadership and supervisory skills with the ability to mentor, evaluate, and hold staff accountable. Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local safety codes and environmental standards (OSHA, EPA). Ability to plan, organize, and manage multiple operational priorities, maintenance schedules, projects, and contractor activities simultaneously. Demonstrated supervisory capability, including work assignment, performance management, employee development, accountability, and conflict resolution. Ability to assess operational needs, allocate resources, resolve routine problems independently, and recognize when matters require escalation. Working knowledge of applicable occupational safety, environmental, building, fire, and other regulatory requirements relevant to facilities operations. Ability to monitor contractor performance, evaluate work quality, manage schedules, and resolve routine scope and performance issues. Ability to monitor operating expenditures, interpret cost estimates, track project costs, and support budget planning. Strong written, verbal, organizational, interpersonal, and customer service skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with employees, contractors, faculty, staff, students, and institutional leadership. Excellent customer service, interpersonal, and written/verbal communication skills. Strong organizational, problem-solving, and prioritization skills in a fast-paced environment. Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or GED equivalent. Five (5) years of progressive supervisory/managerial experience within a facilities, grounds, or trades environment. Practical experience managing small-to-midsize facility maintenance projects and contractor teams. Thorough understanding of safety regulations (OSHA, EPA, local building codes). Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience, including responsibility for assigning work, monitoring performance, and coordinating staff or contractor activities. Experience managing preventative and corrective maintenance operations and small-to-midsize facilities projects. Working knowledge of applicable safety requirements, building maintenance practices, and contractor oversight. Preferred Qualifications: Bachelors degree or technical trade certification in Facilities Management, Engineering, Project Management, or a related discipline. Technical trade certification or facilities-related professional certification. Experience managing facilities operations in higher education, a complex multi-building environment, or an institution with specialized academic, studio, exhibition, and event spaces. Experience with computerized maintenance management systems, work order platforms, asset management, and facilities performance reporting. Experience supporting capital improvements, contractor procurement, operating budgets, and long-term maintenance planning. Reporting to this position: Maintenance Technicians, Grounds Staff, and Student Workers. Conditions of Employment: Must successfully pass a comprehensive background check. Must maintain a valid drivers license with a satisfactory driving record. Designated as Essential Personnel: Attendance during campus emergencies, snow events, and major institution events is mandatory. Must be available for 24-hour emergency response and non-traditional working hours (evenings/weekends) as needed. Physical demands and work environment: Physical Demands: While performing the duties of job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift up to 35 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. (may be adjusted depending on position) Work environment: While performing the duties of the job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to high. Regular work in studios, laboratories, shops, mechanical spaces, residence halls, and other campus environments. Regular exposure to environments that may involve chemicals, dust, fumes, noise, machinery, heat, and other occupational hazards. Ability to walk throughout campus and access a variety of work environments, including areas that may require stairs, ladders, or other means of access. Ability to wear required personal protective equipment appropriate to the work environment. Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials or equipment weighing up to 40 pounds. Ability to respond to safety incidents and emergencies as required. Some evening or weekend work may be required for emergency response, drills, inspections, special events, or other operational needs. Required training: Exhibitions Department Installation Guide and Policy handbook, MICA Handbook orientation, Anti-Harassment, Hazard Communication, Emergency Plans & Fire Prevention, Personal Protection Equipment. (additional training may be added, SEE: EHS Manager training schedule) Maryland Institute College of Art is committed to its policy of providing equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, or veteran status (disabled, Vietnam-era, or otherwise). Furthermore, the College does not tolerate any form of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment or sexual violence. This policy applies to all programs, facilities, and activities provided by Maryland Institute College of Art, including but not limited to admission, educational programs, and employment. Applicants must apply online for each job in which they are interested. You will not be considered for any job for which you have not specifically applied. We do not accept applications via email, U.S. mail, or fax. Successful candidates for any staff or faculty positions will be subject to a pre-employment background check. MICA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Human Resources at 410-225-2363.