The Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Facilities Services is responsible for the planning, design, engineering, maintenance and operations of the University’s academic buildings, research facilities, residence halls, grounds, and landscapes, which includes managing a campus of 19.5 million square feet, more than 700 acres of main campus and 4,000 total acres throughout Orange County. The AVC is also responsible for capital design, construction, and management services for new construction, renovations and repairs, campus master planning, mapping, space management, facilities condition assessment program, and geographical information systems.
Each department throughout Facilities Services employs talented and skilled staff whose responsibilities range from planning and managing the construction of the University’s state-of-the-art facilities to continuously maintaining and improving the University’s buildings and grounds.
The AVC leads more than 950 staff members through a team of three executive directors and one University Program Specialist and manages a total budget, including personnel, operating, and utilities, of over $160M in state appropriations, F&A receipts, and self-supporting inter-departmental trust funds. The AVC manages annual capital project spending greater than $90M in non-pandemic years. This highly complex capital program currently has 34 active projects in design with a total budget of $509M and 23 projects in construction with a total budget of $215.4M.
The AVC reports to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations (VC F&O,) the principal finance and business officer of the University and a member of the Chancellor’s cabinet. The AVC functions as the senior facilities services representative with external regulatory agencies such as the Town of Chapel Hill who has zoning jurisdiction for university buildings and the State Construction Office, who is the jurisdiction having code authority over campus construction. This position is also the senior facilities services representative with governance groups including the UNC System Office and the UNC Board of Trustees.
The AVC must be a skilled communicator and strategic leader who is charged to transform Facilities Services into a cohesive organization leveraging technology and best practices to comprehensively manage the campus physical environment. The AVC will structure an organization that delivers quality construction and renovation projects on time and on budget; utilize data and metrics to inform building operations and maintenance; strengthen communication and working relationships between Facilities Services and the campus community to increase credibility and trust; facilitate long-term planning to ensure that campus renewal meets the evolving needs of the institution and remains fully aligned with the strategic direction of the University; serve as a politically astute spokesperson and leader for the University on physical planning, development, construction, and facilities and operations issues.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:
Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent) with three years or greater of related professional experience; for candidates demonstrating comparable professional backgrounds, will accept a relevant bachelor’s degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and five years or greater of relevant experience in substitution.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:
Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience at a senior management level in facilities operations/services within a highly complex environment that includes a wide range of facility types, sizes, and ages.
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:
Substantial knowledge of professional architectural or engineering theory, techniques, practices, procedures, building codes and laws and skills in applying these for problem solving, system design and identification for conservation opportunities.
Experience with organizational development, expertise in industry best practices, leading the development of effective processes, establishment of an integrated planning process, creation of a facilities strategic planning process, and the long-term stewardship and viability of the institution’s physical facilities.
Knowledge and experience leveraging technology to guide building maintenance and operations. Strong business and financial acumen. Experience leading an organization with a central utility plant. Ability to develop and motivate a high-caliber, diverse leadership team. Thoughtful decision-maker, data-driven decision-maker. Ability to inspire high performance in others. Collaborative, working in partnership with other campus leaders, units, and project stakeholders. Communicative and effective in aligning partners and staff to a strategic plan. Strong personal integrity, ethics, initiative, and emotional intelligence. Engaging and inclusive leader, continuously seeking ideas and input from others.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is conducting a national 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.
