Central Washington University is recruiting a SURC Facilities Manager (Maintenance Specialist 4) to join our Student Union Operations team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a competitive salary plus the awesome CWU benefits.
Who we are:
We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.
Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~8,300 students.
Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for seven out of eight years, CWU was a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. RentCafe has also named CWU #13 of the Top 20 Best College Towns in the U.S. in 2025.
Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.
Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A
What we offer:
Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave and Total Rewards Calculator.
The Role:
The Maintenance Specialist 4 is responsible for representing priorities of SURC Partners including such areas as the long term strategic annual and on-going preservation maintenance priorities and project management coordination. Departments such as FMD facilities departments, information services and capital planning are critical to the position's coordination. This position will directly supervise multiple Maintenance Mechanics and student support.
This position will provide strategic vision and leadership to facilities utilized by the Student Union, Recreation, Dining and the Wildcat Shop. This position will have principle oversight, coordination, and facilitation with Facilities Management and Partner offices as appropriate, such as building services, capital improvements, deferred maintenance, emergency response, and grounds.
This position reports to the Director of the Student Union and has close ties in this matrixed organization with other SURC partners, Facilities Management, and the Executive VP of Finance & Administration.
Facilities and Skilled Trades employees directly affect the vision, mission, and values of Central Washington University by contributing to a sustainable campus environment and by supporting and creating spaces where students, faculty, and staff feel welcome, safe, and comfortable. All employees are expected to uphold and contribute to CWU's vision, mission, and values, fostering a culture of student success and institutional excellence.
Projects, Capital, and Renovations:
- Work with CWU's FMD and Capital Planning departments to meet CWU's SURC objectives through managing complex projects, SURC needs, and priorities to support students' engagement and learning.
- Develop and implement long range facilities plans, in line with Campus Master Plan, for critical areas including SURC facilities and various other campus Dining facilities. departmental spaces and buildings to include building, space, systems, and in some cases interiors, amenities, and furnishings.
- Collaborate with partners to determine departmental and student need and with relevant SURC leadership, Auxiliary/573 leadership, and advisory boards.
- Communicates long-range plans with university constituents in making financial planning decisions or changes to the plans as deemed necessary based on administrative needs, physical demands, budgetary constraints, etc.
- Monitor and support leadership of ongoing projects with Capital Planning and FMD.
Leadership:
- Represent priorities of SURC Partners including such areas as the long term strategic annual and on-going preservation maintenance priorities, and project management coordination.
- Serve as a key member of the SURC Partners leadership team.
- Represent facility interests of the Student Union & Recreation Center on campus committees, task forces, and to campus partners.
- Serve as a liaison for the SURC partners and Student Union department to Facilities Management, Custodial, Grounds, and Capital Planning.
- Oversee the use, strategic vision, and operations of physical space of 230,000 square feet of SURC facilities. and various Dining facilities on campus
- Serve as subject matter expert in applicable facilities best practices, building codes, project management, construction, and renovations.
- Facilitate SURC space planning, office and programmatic relocations.
- Plan and engage in department wide assessment.
- Member of incident response team, respond to campus facility emergencies in their area of support as needed.
Supervisor Duties:
- Supervise journey-level trades workers, general maintenance mechanics and provides leadership to Student Union staff.
- Actively engage in recruitment and hiring new employees.
- Clearly define performance expectations, ensure accountability, and provide ongoing informal feedback, coaching, and mentoring. Conduct formal performance evaluations.
- Ensure employees have necessary resources.
- Oversee and direct the work of staff; serve as mentor, coach and leader, and resolve complaints or issues.
- Promote professional development opportunities.
- Coach, develop and foster supportive working relationships, motivation, and engagement.
- Communicate information to staff on an ongoing basis to influence staff engagement and to be a part of a larger community.
- Provide clear technical guidance and support.
- Take corrective action in a timely manner.
- Recognize and reward employees for good performance.
- Schedule employee work hours/shifts; monitor hours worked; approve payable time and absence requests.
- Adjust leadership style as needed to achieve results.
- Recognize the value of and promote a strong workforce. Value and encourage perspectives, creativity, and teamwork.
Facilities Management:
- Lead the SURC Facilities department in prioritization of daily work and projects.
- Ensure break and fix and preventative maintenance are occurring in -SURC and other Dining Services areas.
- Advocate for the timeliness and the quality of maintenance work completed throughout the building.
- Set policies and procedures with campus partners to ensure service levels are adequate.
Emergency Planning, Health and Safety:
- Ensure compliance with relevant inspections, policies, laws and practice related to fire safety, health code, building needs, lead paint, asbestos, and health and safety inspections.
- Ensure compliance of key and access control policy and procedures to ensure a safe campus.
- Serves with relevant leadership teams in emergency response scenarios (fire, act of nature, campus-wide emergencies, etc..)
Budget/Occupancy/Billing:
- Oversee SURC Facilities budgets. Monitor, forecast, and strategically determine the best stewardship of funds.
- Communicate budgeted facility needs with leaders in SURC.
- Maintain involvement in international, regional, and state- wide facilities, union.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
Competencies
Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU, we're committed to creating a welcoming and genuine workplace. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply. This could be the opportunity you're looking for!
Salary: This position is based on the range 58G of the Washington State Classification Listing, which has a minimum annual salary of $76,968 and maximum annual salary of $89,316. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.
Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 7:00am-4:00pm (1 hour lunch)
Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.
Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave and Total Rewards Calculator.
An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.
To apply for this position, you must complete the on-line application and attach:
Screening Begins: April 21, 2026
**Priority will be given to applications received by the screening date. Incomplete applications may not be considered.