News

Stark State College is seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of Physical Plant & Construction to oversee the planning, management, and maintenance of our campus facilities. The Director will play a critical role in ensuring the efficient operation of the college’s physical infrastructure across our 90-acre main campus and satellite locations. The successful candidate will lead a diverse team, ensuring clear communication of expectations and providing ongoing support. This is an exciting opportunity for a leader who thrives on optimizing campus resources and driving the long-term development of college facilities.
Salary Range: $90,305.00 – $115,776.00 Annually

Stark State College offers a competitive salary based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications, including an exceptional benefits package.

Location of Work: This position is a located on our North Canton (Main Campus) office.

 

Who We Are:

The positive energy at Stark State College comes from exceptionally dedicated employees who work hard for students. Success – for both our employees and our students – is the result. The work you do will matter to the thousands of students who walk through our doors. We are looking for people that take pride in their work and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment.

 

You’ll be a Great Fit if: 

We are seeking a strategic leader with extensive experience in facilities management, construction, and large project oversight. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in managing physical plant operations across multiple locations and a proven ability to lead teams, coordinate complex projects, and ensure campus facilities meet the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and functionality. If you are an effective communicator who thrives in a collaborative environment, with a commitment to supporting the college’s long-term goals through efficient facility operations and innovative construction solutions we are looking for you!

Typical Responsibilities Include: 

• Manage and direct all technical and administrative aspects of the maintenance division consisting of over 828,000 square feet and personnel.
• Manage and direct the computerized corrective and preventive maintenance program for facilities and related equipment.
• Manage and direct all renovation and new building construction projects including master planning. Provide leadership/strategic direction to staff/faculty; ensures delivery of high-quality service, prepare capital plans required by the Ohio Board of Regents, President and the Board of Trustees for the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Work with College departments to determine their facility requirements, work with architects and engineers hired for College projects to meet the necessary requirements.
• Manage and direct the Custodial Services and Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Services divisions. Ensures compliance to provide a healthy, safe, clean, orderly and attractive campus, consistent with the educational role and mission of Stark State College. Assure high quality of appearance, plant health, cleanliness, and public safety is attained on the campus 90 acres.
• Manage and direct the utility systems – water, electric, natural gas, etc. Ensure optimum efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of all utilities to meet and exceed state guidelines and efficiency goals.
• Responsible for training all Physical Plant staff monthly on good safety practices. Ensures all Physical Plant staff has completed 10-hour OSHA safety certification and all Supervisors have completed 30-hour OSHA training
• Manage all interior and exterior signage for main campus and satellite campuses. Ensure standards are followed and maintained.
• Research and implement improvements in building, cleaning products and equipment or systems, which serve to better utilize human and financial resources.
• Manage and direct waste reduction and recycling program. Develop and implement campus-wide waste reduction and recycling program. Monitor program results and modify as needed in order to comply with governmental regulations to meet college’s needs. Stay informed of new legislation or trends in waste management, recycling, green technologies etc.
• Consults, coordinates and plans with college departments and organizations to provide support service for a wide variety of events, programs, official functions, etc. Plans, develops, and manages related work in an efficient and economical manner to support such service.

Click here to review the full job description!

To be Considered Education, Experience Requirements You’ll Need:

 

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in Facilities Management, Construction Management, Architecture, Engineering, or related field (Master’s degree preferred).

Valid Ohio driver’s license with an insurable driving record.

Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) preferred (although not required).

More than eight (8) years of related work experience with significant prior management experience and experience serving on a management team is essential. Stark State defines this as:

• Work history that demonstrates a consistent progression of career growth, management skills, as well as accomplishments related to the processes and improvements of building maintenance, custodial services, and grounds keeping.
• Extensive experience in Construction Management, Custodial Services Management, Grounds Maintenance Management, Energy Management Systems, and Facilities Maintenance Management. Strong knowledge of building systems, construction methods, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven experience in project management, including budgeting, scheduling, and contract administration.
• Experience managing large facilities services staff including hiring, coaching and mentoring, professional development, performance evaluation, training, and discipline.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Required:

Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills.

Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups and manage multiple priorities.

Ability to work with management systems and variety of skilled/unskilled, professional, administrative, and industry personnel. Must have excellent communication skills.

Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, direct and control all aspects of physical plant activities.

Responsible for contracts; budgeting; purchasing; supervising; labor relations related to Department.

HVAC; grounds maintenance; plumbing, electrical, and mechanical operations; blueprint reading; equipment maintenance, custodial maintenance.

Extensive knowledge of office administration, plant management, reporting, budgeting and control, and business operations. Must be knowledgeable with terms, nature of related trades, blueprints, buildings, grounds, equipment, housekeeping, construction, repair, maintenance, purchasing, inventory control, fire/safety management, BOCA and OSHA codes, and related matters in higher education.

Extensive knowledge in construction management. Budgeting, contractor oversight, project scheduling, quality control and contract review.

Outstanding Benefits You Can Expect from Stark State College:

 

Excellent medical, dental & vision coverage; paid life and AD&D insurance; state pension/retirement (OPERS/STRS); paid time off, sick leave and paid holidays; paid Stark State tuition, tuition reimbursement and employee assistance program.

The work you do at Stark State will matter to the thousands of students who walk through our doors and eventually across the commencement stage on their journey to a better tomorrow. Come join us and learn how your aspirations can be a part of a better future for them – and you.
We love meeting stellar candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply.

In order to improve hiring efficiency, be more responsive, and help us find the best candidates Stark State has implemented the use of a few recruiting tools such as Qualifi and Skill Survey. You may hear from us through one of these platforms during the recruitment process.

Qualifi is a cloud-based phone interviewing platform. Think of this like traditional phone interviews, but faster – allowing us to be more responsive to you, the applicant.

Checking candidates’ references for multiple top candidates provides a valuable means of verifying skills and experience represented in resumes and interviews. SkillSurvey Reference®, a cloud-based, data-driven solution allows us to access relevant feedback from references provided by our candidates. The chosen references receive job-specific surveys on at least 26 critical behaviors and skills. These behavioral competencies have been scientifically studied and have been shown to correlate with work outcomes.

Stark State College utilizes E-Verify to ensure compliance with applicable employment eligibility laws. E-Verify is an electronic system used to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires. This process will be conducted in accordance with I-9 verification and will be done promptly upon hire for all incoming employees. To understand what E-Verify is and how it works please visit E-Verify.

Should you have any questions regarding your application or our recruiting and hiring process, please reach out to HR@starkstate.edu.

Agency

Stark State College (OH)

Address

6200 Frank Ave NW

North Canton, Ohio, 44720

Phone

330-494-6170

Website

http://www.starkstate.edu

Transforming Higher Education Facilities Management Through Embracing AI Innovation

In the state of PA, there are approximately 5,000 facilities management job openings in higher education alone. AI-driven systems can streamline administrative processes, predict maintenance needs to prevent costly repairs, and enhance energy efficiency on campus. These improvements can lead to substantial savings, while addressing the staff shortage.

With his rich background as an expert in digital transformation, keynote speaker Jim Harris will offer a deep dive into the role of AI in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of facilities operations within academic institutions. Some AI highlights include:

• AI applications that have achieved up to 10,000X increases in productivity, demonstrating the potential for significant improvements in campus operations.
• Economic impact of AI, which is expected to contribute up to $4.4 trillionannually to the global economy by 2030 and why is that important and potentially concerning for higher education.
• Broad implications of this technology across various facets of higher education, including administration, student services, and campus infrastructure.

Participants will gain valuable insights into how to harness the power of AI to not only manage but also transform their facilities into more sustainable, responsive, and student-centered spaces. They will learn to anticipate and adapt to the technological shifts that will inevitably influence the future of higher education.

Jim’s sessions have been called “mind-blowing,” “riveting” and “eye-opening.” Join KAPPA and Jim Harris for an enlightening exploration of AI’s transformative potential in higher education facilities management and prepare to lead your institution into a new era of innovation and excellence.

About Jim Harris

• Jim Harris is one of North America’s foremost thinkers on AI, GenAI, tech and disruptive innovation. He presents internationally at 60 in-person and virtual events a year. Association magazine ranked him as one of North America’s top ten speakers.
• His clients include American Express, Barclays Bank, Canon, GM, IBM, Munich Re, the Top 200 CIOs of India, the UK Cabinet Office, Swiss Re, Walmart, Zurich Insurance.
• Jim’s last book, Blindsided!, is a #1 international bestseller published in 80 countries. Soundview Executive Summaries, sent a summary of Blindsided! to 80,000 executives globally.