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Associate Director of Physical Plant

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL, USA
USD 115k-115k / year
Posted on Sep 18, 2025

Apply now to join FAU on its race to excellence.

For more information on everything FAU has to offer, please visit www.fau.edu/jobs.

Note: Current FAU employees must apply as an internal applicant by logging into their existing Workday employee account.

Position Summary:

Florida Atlantic University is seeking an Associate Director of Physical Plant - Boca Raton, FL.

Responsibilities:

Operational and Systems Oversight

  • Manage day-to-day operations of building maintenance and general infrastructure, managed grounds, and custodial functions and services.

  • Administer maintenance, custodial, and groundskeeping contracts, including vendor coordination, performance monitoring, issue resolution, and compliance with scope of work and regulatory requirements.

  • Coordinate with other campus units and responsible authorities to ensure seamless execution of campus service delivery, logistical support, and space readiness.

  • Maintain accurate records and documentation of building systems, maintenance history, custodial schedules, grounds service logs, and related inspections in alignment with institutional and regulatory standards.

  • Serve as acting lead in the absence of the Senior Director, when assigned.

  • Serve as Essential Personnel.

Design, Construction and Capital Planning Support

  • Collaborate in the planning and review of capital construction, renovation, and space modification projects to ensure maintainability, serviceability, and standards compliance.

  • Participate in design and constructability reviews, as appropriate, providing facilities operations input during planning, submittal reviews, and commissioning.

  • Ensure maintenance and custodial teams are prepared to support operational readiness for new facilities upon occupancy.

  • Support the long-term planning by contributing to assessments and forecasting related to the maintenance, repair, and renewal of general facility infrastructure, interior environments, and managed grounds.

Compliance, Standards and Technical Documentation, and Reporting

  • Ensure compliance with State, SUS, and University maintenance regulations and standards.

  • Apply APPA standards to evaluate service quality, allocate resources, and manage performance expectations.

  • Develop, maintain and revise of facilities maintenance policies, technical procedures, and operational standards.

  • Maintain and submit documentation for inspections, permit requirements, maintenance logs, and compliance reporting.

  • Lead or support internal audits and external inspections of general infrastructure and maintenance, grounds and services; prepare and submit documentation required for regulatory compliance.

  • Coordinate with responsible authorities, such as EH&S, to align facilities operations with university-wide regulatory and safety requirements.

  • Keep informed of evolving facilities regulations, best practices, maintenance protocols, and industry best practices to support continuous improvement in service delivery, compliance, and operational standards.

  • Prepare and submit required reports and documentation in collaboration with the Senior Director.

Budget and Resource Management

  • Support the Facilities Budget Office in the development, monitoring, and adjustment of the operational budget, expenditures and billing rates, including preparing reports, as required.

  • Provide input into workforce, material, and vendor resource planning to support data-informed budgeting and uninterrupted service delivery

  • Support the FM Business Office regarding chargeback processes for billable services.

  • Monitor service performance, resource utilization, and contract expenditures to identify operational efficiencies and opportunities for cost-effective delivery.

Data and Performance Management

  • Use the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to review service request status, manage corrective and preventive maintenance activities, and monitor trends in custodial and building system work orders.

  • Develop and monitor performance metrics (e.g., KPIs, work order response times, cleaning quality scores) to support operational effectiveness, reporting, and continuous improvement, to include 3rd-party service providers, and in particular those that are operationally integrated.

Emergency Management and Resilience

  • Assist/Lead the physical plant’s response to facility-related and managed grounds emergencies, including storm preparation and recovery, to achieve rapid stabilization and resolution, and effective stakeholder communication in coordination with the Senior Director, E& and campus partners.

  • Support institutional emergency planning and risk mitigation by leading physical plant readiness, coordinating post-event recovery of building interiors and grounds, and contributing to continuity strategies for maintenance, custodial, and structural services.

Customer Service and Stakeholder Engagement

  • Serve as departmental liaison to university, SUS, and state-level facilities committees and working groups, as appropriate.

  • Liaise with campus stakeholders regarding scheduled work and unplanned service interruptions that minimize disruption to campus operations.

  • Coordinate with contracted service providers, internal FM divisions, and external partners to ensure high-quality service delivery and compliance with service-level agreements.

Staff Supervision and Development

  • Supervise and support multi-trade and service teams.

  • Define expectations, delegate responsibilities, and foster accountability across all teams.

  • Promote ongoing training, certification, and knowledge-sharing to build workforce expertise and ensure compliance with safety and operational standards.

  • Perform other job-related duties as required.

FAU Benefits and Perks

If Benefits & Perks are important to you, then FAU is the place to be! Working at FAU has its perks! In addition to helping drive change and having a positive impact by supporting our students, staff, and faculty, FAU offers:

  • Excellent benefit packages including Medical (PPO/HMO $50 per month single & $180 per month family), Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending plans, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and much more.
  • State retirement options including tax-deferred annuities and Roth 403(b) plans.
  • State employees Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
  • Sick Leave Pool Program.
  • Paid time off (eligible employees) including vacation and sick leave, 1 personal day, 9 paid holidays, and paid winter break (at President’s discretion).
  • Paid Community Engagement Volunteer Service Day
  • Employee Educational Scholarship Program (EESP) for eligible Staff/Faculty - Tuition assistance after 6 months of full-time employment. For in-unit faculty, the EESP program may be extended to spouses and dependent children (eligibility rules apply).

For details on FAU's amazing offers visit us at https://www.fau.edu/hr/benefits/index.php

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Minimum Qualifications:

Master's degree from an accredited institution in an appropriate area of specialization and four years of appropriate experience required. ; or bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in an appropriate area of specialization and six years of appropriate experience required.


Preferred Qualifications/Skills:


Supervisory experience.

Salary:

$115,000 per year.

College or Department:

Facilities Management

Location:

Boca Raton

Work Days and Hours:

Monday - Friday, 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Some evenings and weekends may be required.

Application Deadline:

2025-10-02

Special Instructions to Applicant:

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:
Resume
Cover letter

OFFICIAL SEALED TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED:
Final candidate will be required to have official, sealed transcripts and original NACES evaluation, if applicable, sent from their educational institution to Human Resources prior to the start of employment.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENINGS REQUIRED:
Selected candidates must successfully complete and pass all employment screenings prior to the start of employment. Employment screenings may include a criminal background check (level I and level II), motor vehicle check, credit check, reference checks, alcohol, and drug screening check.

REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATIONS:
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations may contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX at 561-297-3004 or send an email at accommodate@fau.edu. To contact Human Resources, please call 561-297-3057. For communication assistance call 7-1-1.