Facilities Assistant Director (Temporary/Temp to Perm)
The Centers, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Overview
The Assistant Director of Facilities Management is a leadership position responsible for stabilizing day‑to‑day Facilities maintenance and Work Control operations and restoring consistent supervision, accountability, and service quality across all operational units. This position serves as a primary operational leader supporting the Senior Director, with a focus on execution, discipline, and adherence to established standards. This position is established as a one‑year appointment to stabilize, assess, and transform the Facilities Management department of a public university located in Maryland.
Over the course of the appointment, the Assistant Director will:
Stabilize daily Facilities maintenance operations and ensure reliable service delivery
Improve supervisory oversight and frontline accountability
Enforce standards, expectations, and operating discipline
Clarify operational boundaries between Facilities units
Strengthen work order management, execution, quality control, and responsiveness
Individuals hired to this position may be eligible for the permanent position should the role convert to a regular appointment.
Responsibilities Essential Functions Day‑to‑Day Operational Leadership
Provide direct oversight of daily Facilities maintenance operations, including general maintenance, MEP/skilled trades, grounds, and Work Control functions.
Serve as the primary operational point of contact for supervisors and frontline teams.
Monitor workload, staffing coverage, and service responsiveness to ensure consistent performance.
Address operational issues in real time and elevate risks or resource constraints as needed.
Standards Enforcement & Accountability
Enforce established policies, protocols, and service expectations consistently across all units.
Ensure supervisors are actively managing staff performance, attendance, work quality, and productivity.
Reinforce expectations for documentation, verification, and close‑out of completed work.
Address performance gaps promptly through coaching, corrective action, or escalation.
Supervision & Work Quality Improvement
Strengthen frontline supervision by:
Clarifying supervisory roles and expectations
Ensuring supervisors are present, engaged, and accountable for outcomes
Developing feedback loops and establishing routine check‑ins with direct reports
Improve quality control by requiring verification of completed work and effectiveness of service delivery.
Monitor repeat work orders, rework, and unresolved issues to identify systemic problems.
Operational Boundary Definition & Workflow Clarity
Establish and enforce clear operational boundaries between Facilities units, including:
Ownership of preventive maintenance versus reactive work
Defined roles for Work Control versus supervisors and field technicians in administering and managing work orders
Clear guidelines for when complex work escalates from general maintenance to skilled trades specialists
Work with the Interim Senior Director to formalize these boundaries into documented operating procedures.
Work Order & Systems Execution
Oversee daily work order execution and ensure compliance with system requirements (MicroMain).
Ensure:
Work orders are properly triaged, assigned, and updated
Labor hours and materials are accurately captured
Work orders are not closed without verification
Collaborate with Work Control leadership to improve routing accuracy and customer follow‑up.
Conduct a demand analysis of work orders, classroom activity, evening events, and campus usage cycles to identify where service gaps occur under the current single‑shift model.
Improve communication loops between internal staff and vendors so that work orders, maintenance activities, and preventive routines are coordinated and visible.
Budget, Contracts & Resource Management
Build a structured cost‑analysis framework that links labor hours, material usage, vendor spend, and work order demand to operational outputs.
Monitor maintenance and service contracts to ensure scope, performance, and accountability expectations are met.
Support preventive maintenance planning and efforts to reduce deferred maintenance backlog.
Conduct a shop‑by‑shop area assessment to identify gaps in layout, safety, workflow design, and storage capacity.
Rapid Learning & Continuous Improvement
Engage in deliberate and immediate learning of existing departmental policies, procedures, and institutional practices.
Identify operational inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and risks during the interim period.
Provide actionable recommendations to the Interim Senior Director based on observed conditions and performance data.
Qualifications Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facility Management or closely related field required.
Minimum 5 years of facility maintenance, preferably in large, multi‑use or institutional setting.
Progressive experience with staff supervision.
Knowledge of standard practices and demonstrated experience in higher education operations including facilities maintenance, grounds maintenance, construction, etc.
Knowledge of pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes and regulations.
Experience with budgeting, project estimating, construction oversight.
Skills and Abilities
Proven track record of developing and maintaining strong, lasting relationships with relevant stakeholders.
Proven ability to develop and achieve financial plans.
Ability to motivate and lead employees and hold them accountable.
Demonstrated ability to lead effectively within collective bargaining frameworks preferred.
Work Environment and Physical Demands Work Environment
Office based with exposure to elements and work sites.
Non‑smoking environment.
Moderate to loud noise.
Maintain flexible hours for events that may occur on weekends and evenings.
Physical Demands
Must be able to traverse throughout work sites, buildings, and campus, regularly ascending/descending building levels and occasionally ladders or stools.
Must be able to lift, move and set up items weighing as much as 50 lbs.
Must be able to discuss, converse with, and exchange accurate information with event patrons, staff, stakeholders, etc.
Success Indicators by End of Term
Stabilized daily operations with improved service consistency and responsiveness.
Clear operational boundaries between Facilities units.
Improved supervisory engagement and accountability.
Reduced rework, unresolved work orders, and customer complaints.
Strong alignment between frontline execution and leadership expectations.
Operational readiness to support a permanent Facilities leadership model.
Travel
Local, regional, national travel as required.
Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
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Over the course of the appointment, the Assistant Director will:
Stabilize daily Facilities maintenance operations and ensure reliable service delivery
Improve supervisory oversight and frontline accountability
Enforce standards, expectations, and operating discipline
Clarify operational boundaries between Facilities units
Strengthen work order management, execution, quality control, and responsiveness
Individuals hired to this position may be eligible for the permanent position should the role convert to a regular appointment.
Responsibilities Essential Functions Day‑to‑Day Operational Leadership
Provide direct oversight of daily Facilities maintenance operations, including general maintenance, MEP/skilled trades, grounds, and Work Control functions.
Serve as the primary operational point of contact for supervisors and frontline teams.
Monitor workload, staffing coverage, and service responsiveness to ensure consistent performance.
Address operational issues in real time and elevate risks or resource constraints as needed.
Standards Enforcement & Accountability
Enforce established policies, protocols, and service expectations consistently across all units.
Ensure supervisors are actively managing staff performance, attendance, work quality, and productivity.
Reinforce expectations for documentation, verification, and close‑out of completed work.
Address performance gaps promptly through coaching, corrective action, or escalation.
Supervision & Work Quality Improvement
Strengthen frontline supervision by:
Clarifying supervisory roles and expectations
Ensuring supervisors are present, engaged, and accountable for outcomes
Developing feedback loops and establishing routine check‑ins with direct reports
Improve quality control by requiring verification of completed work and effectiveness of service delivery.
Monitor repeat work orders, rework, and unresolved issues to identify systemic problems.
Operational Boundary Definition & Workflow Clarity
Establish and enforce clear operational boundaries between Facilities units, including:
Ownership of preventive maintenance versus reactive work
Defined roles for Work Control versus supervisors and field technicians in administering and managing work orders
Clear guidelines for when complex work escalates from general maintenance to skilled trades specialists
Work with the Interim Senior Director to formalize these boundaries into documented operating procedures.
Work Order & Systems Execution
Oversee daily work order execution and ensure compliance with system requirements (MicroMain).
Ensure:
Work orders are properly triaged, assigned, and updated
Labor hours and materials are accurately captured
Work orders are not closed without verification
Collaborate with Work Control leadership to improve routing accuracy and customer follow‑up.
Conduct a demand analysis of work orders, classroom activity, evening events, and campus usage cycles to identify where service gaps occur under the current single‑shift model.
Improve communication loops between internal staff and vendors so that work orders, maintenance activities, and preventive routines are coordinated and visible.
Budget, Contracts & Resource Management
Build a structured cost‑analysis framework that links labor hours, material usage, vendor spend, and work order demand to operational outputs.
Monitor maintenance and service contracts to ensure scope, performance, and accountability expectations are met.
Support preventive maintenance planning and efforts to reduce deferred maintenance backlog.
Conduct a shop‑by‑shop area assessment to identify gaps in layout, safety, workflow design, and storage capacity.
Rapid Learning & Continuous Improvement
Engage in deliberate and immediate learning of existing departmental policies, procedures, and institutional practices.
Identify operational inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and risks during the interim period.
Provide actionable recommendations to the Interim Senior Director based on observed conditions and performance data.
Qualifications Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facility Management or closely related field required.
Minimum 5 years of facility maintenance, preferably in large, multi‑use or institutional setting.
Progressive experience with staff supervision.
Knowledge of standard practices and demonstrated experience in higher education operations including facilities maintenance, grounds maintenance, construction, etc.
Knowledge of pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes and regulations.
Experience with budgeting, project estimating, construction oversight.
Skills and Abilities
Proven track record of developing and maintaining strong, lasting relationships with relevant stakeholders.
Proven ability to develop and achieve financial plans.
Ability to motivate and lead employees and hold them accountable.
Demonstrated ability to lead effectively within collective bargaining frameworks preferred.
Work Environment and Physical Demands Work Environment
Office based with exposure to elements and work sites.
Non‑smoking environment.
Moderate to loud noise.
Maintain flexible hours for events that may occur on weekends and evenings.
Physical Demands
Must be able to traverse throughout work sites, buildings, and campus, regularly ascending/descending building levels and occasionally ladders or stools.
Must be able to lift, move and set up items weighing as much as 50 lbs.
Must be able to discuss, converse with, and exchange accurate information with event patrons, staff, stakeholders, etc.
Success Indicators by End of Term
Stabilized daily operations with improved service consistency and responsiveness.
Clear operational boundaries between Facilities units.
Improved supervisory engagement and accountability.
Reduced rework, unresolved work orders, and customer complaints.
Strong alignment between frontline execution and leadership expectations.
Operational readiness to support a permanent Facilities leadership model.
Travel
Local, regional, national travel as required.
Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
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