Western Michigan University is a national research university enrolling over 19,000 students from across the United States and 92 other countries. The University has 15,309 students who are undergraduates, with the balance being graduate students, and 27% of all students are from out of state. Founded in 1903, it is a learner-centered, discovery-driven, and globally engaged public University that stands out among America's nearly 4,000 higher education institutions. The University offers 142 bachelor's, 75 master's, and 36 doctoral programs. These programs are offered through seven degree-granting colleges: arts and sciences, aviation, education, human development, engineering, applied sciences, fine arts, Haworth College of Business, and health and human services.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching places Western Michigan University among the 91 public institutions in the nation designated as research universities with high research activity.
While there are 15 public universities in Michigan, Western Michigan University is one of eight Michigan universities categorized at either the "high" or "very high" levels of research activity. U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of American colleges and universities includes Western Michigan University as one of the best national universities for 30 years in a row.
Kalamazoo,MI
Kalamazoo, MI, is located in the southwest region of the Kalamazoo-Portage metropolitan area, which has a population of approximately 300,000.
Kalamazoo is a city rich with culture, including eclectic eateries, unique shops, outdoor recreation, nightlife, and festivals.
Most of Kalamazoo is on the southwest bank of a major bend in the Kalamazoo River. The northeastern portion of Kalamazoo sits in the broad, flat Kalamazoo Valley, while the western portions of Kalamazoo climb into low hills to the west and south. Kalamazoo has a humid climate with longer summers lasting from May to September.
Several small lakes are found throughout the area, and Lake Michigan beaches at South Haven are a 40- minute drive. Chicago and Detroit are within 150 miles.
Kalamazoo was named one of the 150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2020-21 by U.S. News & World Report, and lifestyle content publication PureWow ranked it the number one coolest city in the United States with the lowest cost of living.
University Initiatives
This is a transformative moment for Western Michigan University. WMU is preparing for the next decade and envisioning a new future for the institution. In 2021, Western Michigan University received the historic Empowering Futures Gift – a $550 million contribution. This significant gift will support the medical school, student financial support initiatives at WMU, and athletics. Western Michigan University is an institution on the move. It recently launched a competitive repositioning, initiated the first phase of a $750 million campaign, and opened a brand-new building for its College of Aviation (ranked third in the country). A new student center will open in August 2022 as part of a revitalization of the University's Hilltop Village area, where a new apartment complex, Arcadia Flats, opened in January 2021, and in the fall of 2023, the $40 million renovation of Dunbar Hall – the most heavily used classroom building on campus – will be complete.
Western Michigan University has approximately 8M square feet of facilities and is sited on 1200 acres. It owns and operates its own co-generation power plant and has 49 miles of utilities.
The Role
Reporting to the Vice President for Business and Finance, the Associate Vice President for Facilities is an integral member of the Business and Finance leadership team and is responsible for the planning, design, construction, engineering, maintenance, and operation of campus buildings, grounds, utility systems and supporting infrastructure. The Associate Vice President for Facilities oversees an office that provides master planning, design, construction management support, sustainability expertise, co-generation power plant, innovative partnering expertise, and other facility operation expertise to WMU. This position is instrumental in leading the planning and development of new facilities and future development of campus environments while maintaining a strong link between those that design and build physical assets and those that operate and maintain the assets. Direct reports to the Associate Vice President for Facilities include:
Director – Planning, Space Management, and Capital Projects
Director – Construction Management
Director – Architecture and Design
Director – Engineering
Director – Landscape
Director – Maintenance Services
Director – Power Plant
Director – Custodial
Director – Information Technology
Manager – Transportation Services
Executive Assistant
Duties and Responsibilities
Specific duties may include but are not limited to the following:
Seek out, evaluate, and implement appropriate new approaches to facilities
Maintain all buildings, grounds, and facilities and continue to proactively manage deferred maintenance
Continue to build and maintain redundancy in critical systems such as energy management and large campus distribution systems for steam, chilled water, and electric
Manage all functional areas of responsibility for Facilities
Maintain an inclusive and collaborative environment within Facilities, across campus, and with external constituencies
Work to continuously improve the service levels to optimize facilities management support and identify efficiencies across campus
Responsible for overseeing the proper budget management and accountability of funds available to Facilities
Developing and directing campus facilities planning and major construction programs; working with key WMU stakeholders to meet space planning needs
Work with various state and federal governmental agencies to coordinate project funding and related reporting/record-keeping
Planning, assessing, reporting, and leading team efforts
Ensuring that the provisions of the AFSCME and MSEA contract are followed
Western Michigan University is conducting a national search with the assistance of Helbling & Associates.
Western Michigan University, an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, complies with applicable federal and state laws and University policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment. Western Michigan University prohibits discrimination or harassment that violates the law or that limits opportunities of admission, employment or education based on the protected classes of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, height, weight, or marital status. Retaliation against any person or group who makes a good faith complaint or participates in a grievance, investigation or related processes is prohibited by law and policy.
Professional Qualifications and Personal Qualities
The ideal candidate will have the following professional qualifications and personal qualities:
Required Qualifications
Significant years of experience demonstrating progressive responsibilities in facilities management in a large, complex organization, including management of department leaders and a substantial overall team of full-time employees
A bachelor's degree in engineering, management, facilities management, or a related field from an accredited institution
A commitment to diversity and inclusion and a track record of creating a welcoming, professional environment
A minimum of five years of administrative experience at the Director level or above in a large, complex organization
Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple, complex projects
Extensive knowledge of capital planning, financial planning, land-use planning, and master planning
Demonstrated commitment to resource stewardship from the perspective of both economics and sustainability
Excellent interpersonal and team-building abilities, outstanding oral and written communication skills
A customer-service orientation
Problem-solving skills to reach efficient and effective solutions in a collaborative manner
Demonstratable ability to nurture relationships in an inclusive and collaborative manner with a wide range of internal and external constituencies
The ability to represent and advocate for WMU needs to the Board of Trustees, other policy-making agencies, community groups, and other wide-ranging audiences
Preferred Qualifications
A master's degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or business from an accredited institution
Professional certification as Professional Engineer, Licensed Architect, Certified Educational Facilities Professional, or LEED certification
At least five years' experience in a state organization, college, or university setting
Extensive experience managing an energy facility and large campus distribution systems for steam, chilled water, and electric
Experience working with unions and labor agreements
Demonstratable engagement with nationally recognized professional organizations
The client is conducting a search with the assistance of Helbling & Associates (www.helblingsearch.com), an executive search firm specializing in areas of facilities management, construction, engineering, and real estate development.
