Description

The Associate Vice President (AVP), Facilities Management is responsible for developing a vision for how facilities will enhance the teaching and learning environment that builds on the University’s reputation as a center for undergraduate teaching and research.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Finance and Administration, the Associate Vice President, Facilities Management is the chief facilities officer at MRU and a key member of the University’s Leadership Team. The AVP, FM takes an enterprise-wide perspective to see opportunities across departments, faculties, and businesses and, as such, plays an important role in building and leading a motivated team of professionals to provide exceptional service and solutions to the institution.  

The AVP, FM’s portfolio is both complex and diverse. The MRU campus includes classrooms, labs, office spaces, recreation facilities, libraries, a theatre, parking structures, athletic fields, etc. This complex portfolio lends itself to an equally complex group of stakeholders including students, instructors, faculty, staff and members of the general public.  

The AVP is accountable for overseeing the complex financial components of the department, including all operating, utility and capital budgets. The AVP works collaboratively with campus administration and the campus community to provide excellent customer-focused services while advancing the University’s goals. The AVP plays a significant role in creating the campus master plan and the multi- year capital outlay program.  
The AVP, FM provides strategic direction, leadership, and insight to the Facilities Management Department comprised of approximately 70 union and non-union team members (not including casual employees). This team is responsible for the institutional processes associated with the planning, funding, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of an expanding portfolio of University facilities.  

Direct reports to the AVP, Facilities Management are: 

•    Director, Planning & Project Delivery
•    Manager, Building Operations
•    Manager, Capital Construction
•    Manager, Capital Renewal
•    Manager, Facilities Support Services
•    Manager, Grounds

The AVP is a member of the University’s leadership team and is responsible for leading and directing the delivery of daily management of campus facilities and services. In addition, this position works to establish best practices in the conservation of energy and water, recycling, and other facility-related sustainability efforts. The AVP demonstrates deep expertise in the IFMA competencies and utilizes the framework to align the overall FM portfolio.

The AVP will act as the liaison for MRU with local and provincial approval and permitting agencies as it relates to facilities. This position requires exceptional business acumen, leadership, organizational, and communications competencies. 

Key to the success of this role will be the ability to develop collaborative relationships while partnering closely with multiple stakeholders within a complex post-secondary environment. The AVP, FM will actively engage University leadership and cross-divisional teams to define and implement institutional strategies for facilities designed to support achievement of organization’s goals and to ensure reliable infrastructure and services.  

An active listener and communicator, the AVP, FM will take the time to be visible, seeking to understand the workings of the university community, the diverse needs of the stakeholders (including the facilities management team) and strategically aligning expectations with the prioritization and delivery of services and solutions. In light of resource and budget constraints, the AVP, FM maintains a positive attitude and is creative in delivering innovative solutions that offer the greatest potential to enhance the student experience, support excellence in teaching and research in alignment to MRU’s academic mission. 

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree is required in a related field such as engineering or architecture and at least 10 years progressively responsible facility management and project management leadership experience in higher education or a comparably complex setting. Experience in a university setting preferred.
• Experience in managing operating, maintenance and capital budgets
• Experience in negotiating and managing contracts with consultants, architects, project managers and various service providers
• Experience creating efficiencies within facilities operations through organizational restructuring as well as implementation of facilities management technology and re-engineering of processes to enhance business practices.
• Effective and transparent communicator with excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Mastery of critical leadership competencies and behaviors, demonstrated decisiveness, and ability to model the University’s cultural values and attributes.
• Experience developing preventative and predictive maintenance strategies and creative approaches to deferred maintenance.
• High level of personal integrity, ethics, initiative, emotional intelligence, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience working in a unionized environment is strongly preferred.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Commitment to managing the performance of a team focused on delivering collaboratively developed annual strategic objectives.
• Ability to grasp the bigger picture and goals of the University and to integrate the goals fully into the facilities operation and capital programs.
• Demonstrated evidence of experience in the 11 IFMA competencies:
  • Project Management
  • Leadership and Strategy
  • Operations and Maintenance
  • Finance and Business
  • Sustainability
  • Communications
  • Occupancy and Human Factors
  • Performance and Quality
  • Facility Information Management and Technology Management
  • Real Estate
  • Risk Management
    
    
    

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Shalini Bhatty or Allan Nelson

Leaders International Executive Search

calgary@leadersinternational.com