Plant Maintenance Manager Salary $75,000.00 Annually
Location: 1200 N Dupont Highway, Dover
Job Type: Professional
Job Number: 2025-00376
Division: University Operations Department
Facilities - Maintenance Administration
Opening Date: 01/30/2026
Description Benefits General Description of the Position
The Director of Plant Maintenance ensures that University facilities meet and support daily operational, administrative and instructional program requirements. The Director of Plant Maintenance provides strategic planning; general management, professional direction and leadership for all existing operational elements of facilities. This position reports to the Associate Vice President of Facilities and oversees a combined staff of over 30 employees with an operating budget of approximately $2 million. The department consists of both union and non-union staff.
Essential Functions & Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
The following are the functions essential to performing this job:
Ability to read specifications, review drawings and study all related documents. Become completely familiar with scope of details of each assigned project. Assist in the development and subsequent monitoring of construction schedules. Must be self-motivated with the ability to work independently with sound time management skills to do physical surveys of unrecorded University facilities. Must demonstrate the ability to handle multiple projects concurrently and exhibit strong organizational skills. Initiate and maintain for each project up to date files including correspondence, meeting minutes, and change orders. Maintain logs to chart flow of change requests, submittals, and related project documents. Accumulate and maintain approved shop drawings. Evaluate invoices with respect to value of work completed. Inspect and verify stored materials. Assist in evaluation of proposed change orders. Identify safety hazards, safety code violations, violations of environmental protection laws and regulations, and similar discrepancies and report them to the contractor or other appropriate authorities. Develop and maintain effective work relationships through oral and written communications with contractors, architects, engineers, and users. Coordinate with Director of Planning & Construction on evaluation of contractors and construction projects in accordance with departmental requirements. Coordinate with Director of Custodial & Grounds to develop and implement solutions to facilities maintenance problems. Ability to write and enforce departmental policies and procedures. Ability to supervise and manage a staff. Build partnerships which align with the university mission and strategic plan. Manages the day-to-day facilities maintenance and operations of the University including elevators, parking lot and walkway maintenance, hazardous materials management, plumbing systems, mechanical services and systems, electrical systems, chilled water operations, hazardous materials management, engineering, energy conservation and selected outsourced services. Outlines and recommend improvements to existing facilities. Develops a recommended operations budget for the Facilities Department; monitors adopted budget and authorizes expenditures in conformance with University and State policies. Directs the work of facility operations establishing the appropriate priority for non-capital projects. Coordinate with the Director of Planning & Construction and other State agencies to develop and implement solutions to facilities maintenance problems. Establishes and implements a preventative maintenance program for the physical plant, tools and equipment for the facilities department. Coordinates and orders contracted services as need to accomplish repairs that are outside of the scope of the Director of Maintenance staff. Monitor and approve time records of all maintenance personnel, and approve all overtime using established procedures and budgets. Maintain an inventory control system and purchase supplies, parts, and equipment through the established bid or price quote process that follows federal, state and local regulations. Provide an efficient work order system for repairs of facilities and equipment that ensures that all maintenance and repairs are completed in a timely fashion. Maintain the Fixed Assets Inventory list. Tour and inspect the facility to ensure total quality management requirements in maintenance operations. Record those results and report them as a part of Key Performance Indicators (KPI).
May be required to serve in the absence of the Associate Vice President of Facilities on an as needed basis.
Other related duties which may be required from time to time.
The individual in this job must possess these skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that they can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities:
Familiarity with computers, accessibility, and fire/building codes required. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office. Strong written and oral communication skills sufficient to prepare operation progress reports, dash boards, executive summaries, correspondence to contractors, contractor evaluations, and similar documents. Build productive working relationships with a wide range of people; sound judgment; an appreciation for a highly innovative environment; and ability to adapt easily to new ideas and circumstances and to propose creative solutions. Ability and willingness to perform on-call and respond to after-hour emergencies. Ability to heightening the professionalism of the entire department, both real and perceived, knowing that professionalism will lead to greater empowerment and success.
Qualification Standards
Qualified candidates must possess a related Associate Degree and ten or more years of plant management experience in medium-scale complex environment, including five or more years of senior management experience. Experience must include management and demonstrated superior ability to plan, organize, direct and implement projects of considerable complexity and significant cost.
EEO Statement
Delaware State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, national origin, color, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship or disability, veteran or military status, gender identity or genetic information. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. The University is committed to the policy of equal employment opportunity in recruitment, hiring, career advancement, and all other employment practices. Equal opportunity employer/program and "auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
To learn more details, visit the Delaware State University Benefits Page and the State of Delaware benefits page.
Employer
Delaware State University
Address: 1200 N. Dupont HWY Dover, Delaware, 19901
Phone: (302) 857-6261
Website: https://www.desu.edu/about/administration/human-resources