Associate Director, Plant & Energy Services

Associate Director, Central Plant & Energy Services

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Senior Director, Energy & Utilities, the Associate Director - Central Plant & Energy Services leads Central Plant operations and the university's energy services program. The role provides independent management and supervisory oversight for the safe, reliable, efficient, and sustainable delivery of electricity, heating, and cooling across a multi-site campus of 197 acres, 80 buildings, and more than six million gross square feet.

The incumbent directs personnel, budgets, maintenance and asset-management programs, energy-efficiency initiatives, contracts, regulatory compliance, and emergency response for complex utility infrastructure. Working across Facilities Development & Operations and with campus leaders, customers, vendors, and agencies, the role shapes service strategy, operational priorities, capital planning, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct day-to-day Central Plant operations, maintenance, and repair for cogeneration, chiller, boiler, high-voltage, steam, condensate, chilled-water, and related utility systems.
• Establish work priorities, allocate labor and contracted resources, and manage work orders, preventive maintenance, trouble calls, repairs, and customer-funded work through the computerized maintenance management system.
• Develop and oversee energy-efficiency and sustainability initiatives, including audits, retro-commissioning, controls upgrades, lighting and HVAC retrofits, specification reviews, and project handoff.
• Build and execute asset maintenance and management plans; assess asset criticality, condition, lifecycle risk, performance metrics, and renewal or replacement needs.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, procurement, tools, materials, equipment, service contracts, and financial inputs to utility rate, sub-metering, energy-efficiency, and capital plans.
• Lead and develop multidisciplinary staff through recruitment, training, coaching, performance evaluation, scheduling, employee engagement, safety oversight, and corrective action.
• Develop scopes of work, operating procedures, project recommendations, and technical reviews; oversee contractors, inspect work, and implement maintenance, repair, and renewal projects.
• Cultivate customer and stakeholder relationships, communicate outages and service levels, advise leadership on sensitive issues, and represent the unit on committees and in industry associations.
• Direct emergency preparedness and business continuity planning, and serve as a department point of contact for mitigation, response, and recovery activities.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of central plant operations and utility infrastructure, including cogeneration, chillers, boilers, steam, chilled water, and electrical distribution systems.
• Knowledge of energy-efficiency retrofits, retro-commissioning, sustainability practices, and energy project development and implementation.
• Working knowledge of applicable building, energy, safety, and federal and local codes; public contracting requirements; and emergency-response practices.
• Expertise in maintenance planning, preventive maintenance, service-level management, computerized maintenance management systems, and resource-loaded scheduling.
• Ability to recruit, train, supervise, coach, evaluate, and engage employees in a unionized, multidisciplinary work environment.
• Proficiency in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, fiscal management, procurement, and interpretation of operating reports.
• Strong project, program, and asset-management skills, including lifecycle planning, risk analysis, condition assessment, quality control, and performance measurement.
• Ability to define complex problems, analyze technical and financial data, draw sound conclusions, and implement practical service improvements.
• Excellent written, oral, consultative, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to build collaborative relationships and deliver responsive customer service.
• Ability to use digital and emerging technologies ethically to support operations and data-informed decisions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction technology, facilities management, business or a related field OR which may be obtained through equivalent experience such as might be attained through five years of supervisory experience in management of maintenance and/or construction of central plant or related facilities, of which a…