Director of Facilities and Strategic Partnerships

Department: UL

Classification: Professional Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Salary: Salary range starting in the low $110k's; commensurate with education and experience.

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Mason Recreation meets the diverse needs and interests of the Mason community by providing programs, services, and facilities that are innovative, comprehensive, inclusive, and of unsurpassed quality. Mason Recreation inspires an inclusive atmosphere that fosters lifelong well-being for the University's diverse students and community through active experiences, education, and engagement.

About the Position:

The Director of Facilities and Strategic Partnerships, reporting to the Executive Director of Recreation, supports Mason Recreation and the University’s Strategic Plan by overseeing the facilities operations of 4 facilities (the Aquatic and Fitness Center, Recreation Athletic Complex, Outdoor Venues, and Skyline). The Director is responsible for the pursuit of increased business revenue generation through internal and external partnerships. The Director is responsible for developing long term maintenance plans, managing the development of the department's annual budget process, leading the team responsible for departmental capital projects, and serves as the primary interface with university and community partners. This position directly oversees the Associate Director of Facilities and Maintenance and the Finance and Business Services Manager. This position also indirectly oversees 8-9 Pro Staff positions.

Responsibilities:

Personnel Management

• Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines in ways that comply with the university's plans and vision and communicates them to subordinates;
• Organizes workflow and ensures that employees understand their duties or delegated tasks;
• Monitors employee productivity and provides constructive feedback and coaching; submits performance evaluations; and
• Hires and trains new employees; ensures adherence to legal and university policies and procedures and undertakes disciplinary actions if the need arises.

Strategic Partnerships

• Fosters relationships with university and community partners to achieve mutually beneficial goals;
• Serves as a liaison and represents Mason Recreation’s interests on campus-wide and external committees;
• Leads Mason Recreation’s involvement in significantly impacting Mason students’ sense of belonging by collaborating with University Life partners in the creation of signature events;
• Creates a departmental engagement calendar that further connects Mason Recreation to the Northern Virginia community;
• Pursues multiple streams of revenue generation that enhance the student experience, including, but not limited to grants, in-kind donations, special events, and corporate memberships; and
• Supports University Life Advancement’s efforts to seek philanthropic support for Mason Recreation, including engagement of alumni affiliated with Mason Recreation.

Fiscal Management

• Assumes a major role in the management and preparation of the annual budget with the Executive Director;
• Oversees the management of the annual budget with specific management of facilities and business areas;
• Provides quarterly reports to ensure adequate control and efficient use of financial resources; and
• Regularly reviews and analyzes daily reports, participation statistics, payroll, and all financial transactions to maintain accountability.

Administration and Planning

• Oversees the development and implementation of short and long-term strategies, policies and procedures according to department expectations and timelines for facilities, business areas, and risk management;
• Composes, compiles, and presents reports, including the annual report, summarizing the accomplishments and challenges of facilities and business areas;
• Represents the department on committees that are focused on campus planning and space allocation;
• In conjunction with the Associate Director of Facilities and Maintenance, annually reviews departmental Emergency Action Plan (EAP) guidelines and ensures all area EAPs are aligned to the guidelines; 
• Stays abreast of the department's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and updates as needed;
• Participates in the collection and analysis of data that supports departmental improvement; and
• Other related duties as assigned.

Facility Management

• Through the use of observations and reports on facility use trends, develops effective daily and long-term plans to coincide with improved service levels based on defined marketing strategies;
• Leads the team responsible for departmental capital projects;
• Ensures that effective delivery systems are in place to facilitate programs and services;
• Approves facility guidelines, policies and procedures related to facilities and services;
• Works in conjunction with the Associate Director of Facilities and Maintenance to execute the Facilities Condition Assessment Plan for all Mason Recreation facilities (including projected budgeting needs, timelines, and priorities);
• Establishes criteria in preparation for future facility projects in keeping with student, faculty and staff interest and current trends;
• Maintains a wide variety of facility choices to meet the needs of a diverse University Community;
• Analyzes data to implement changes and improvements; and
• Provides and maintains safe and secure facilities and services to enhance customer and staff experiences. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience; 
• Relevant experience typically obtained in eight years of full-time professional work in the field of recreation;
• Experience leading a facility operations staff (full-time and/or part-time) to foster positive recreational experiences;
• Extensive involvement in large-scale facility renovations and projects;
• Proven strategies to effectively manage, forecast, and course-correct a departmental budget;
• Demonstrated familiarity with managing facility repairs and maintenance processes;
• Knowledgeable of best practices for both indoor and outdoor recreational venues;
• Proven skills in successful business operations, revenue generation, communication, leadership, innovation, decision-making, and team building;
• Demonstrated skills in the areas of negotiation and contract / MOU development;
• Highly developed communication skills; and
• Ability to form and leverage collaborative partnerships with external entities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Upper-level administrator with experience leading a diverse, multi-leveled group of employees;
• Extensive campus recreation and student affairs experience;
• Experience serving on large-scale divisional or university-wide committees;
• Experience effectively orchestrating goal-setting and data analysis sessions for a recreation department; and
• Demonstrated ability to establish revenue generating partnerships (including but not limited to grants, in-kind donations, special events, and corporate memberships).

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Director of Facilities and Strategic Partnerships at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: January 23, 2025

Full Consideration Date: February 20, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes