Operations Manager

Seattle, WA, United States

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington educates tomorrow's innovators, conducts cutting-edge research in the core and emerging areas of the field, and leads a broad range of multi-disciplinary initiatives that demonstrate the transformative power of computing. Consistently ranked among the top computer science programs in the nation, the Allen School is widely recognized for the excellence and impact of our research and teaching across the region and around the globe. As a leader in efforts to broaden participation in computing, we are committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program and in our field. Members of the Allen School actively work to cultivate a welcoming community in which students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences can thrive. The Allen School occupies two spectacular buildings - the Paul G. Allen Center and the adjacent Bill & Melinda Gates Center - located at the heart of the UW campus in Seattle.

The Allen School is seeking outstanding candidates for the position of Operations Manager (Program Operations Specialist).

For more information on the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, visit the Allen School website.

The Operations Manager manages the projects and activities of the Facilities Operations Team and front office staff in meeting the maintenance, infrastructure, and operational needs of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. The Operations Manager is a member of the highly collaborative Operations team, with 8 full-time staff and around 6 student assistants. The Operations team provides a broad range of building and operations support, including front office operations/reception, phones, building access and keys, furniture, alterations, building safety, facilities and maintenance, database management, and events support. The Operations Manager reports to the Assistant Director of Facilities; and will also work closely with the faculty Associate Director of Facilities in carrying out the day-to-day work of the facilities team.

The Operations Manager will focus on managing the implementation of space and infrastructure support for all space within the Allen School, which includes two dedicated buildings: the Paul G. Allen Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Center. These are state-of-the-art buildings with numerous offices and research labs. The Operations Manager helps ensure the buildings are kept in good working order to support the research and instructional environment, as well as showcase the School's internal and external events. The Operations Manager exercises good leadership skills, independent judgment, and effective decision making to ensure the success of Allen School facilities and operations. This position requires continuous daily interaction with a diverse internal and external clientele. School clients include around 2000 undergraduates, 600 graduate students, 100 faculty, 150 staff, and daily visitors. The position interacts with all levels of the campus community, industry, and the local community.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Operations Manager manages the projects and activities of the Operations Team/ front office staff in meeting the maintenance, infrastructure, and operational needs of the School. The position focuses on the following critical areas of responsibility:

Manage Operations Team and Projects

Plan and manage a broad range of projects and processes to ensure effective facilities operations and compliance with unit and UW standards:

Serve as main point of contact for UW Facilities teams for building maintenance. Triage and assign to Facilities Coordinators as needed. Submit and track Work Orders in the UW system and monitor progress to assure completion of projects. Support and monitor minor office alterations in preparing space for new staff and faculty.

Facilitate and maintain relationships with UW services, which may include the following: Act as point of contact for building services, Housing and Food Services, and outside contractors on projects in process. Work with Custodial Services to schedule large cleaning projects.

Plan and develop policies for the operation of new and existing amenity spaces and services throughout the Allen School buildings (e.g. lounges, kitchens, family support areas, catering closets, etc.), including equipment maintenance, purchasing, supply management and delivery, vendor evaluation and selection, and expense management.

Develop training programs for users of specialized equipment in these spaces to ensure safe operations. Accountable for continuous review of processes and documentation. Utilize metrics to manage budgets and costs related to these services to inform decision-making; collaborate with Assistant Director of Facilities as needed (e.g. vendor changes, service level changes, etc.).

Manage the Operations ticketing system tags and controls. Triage and assign Operations ticket requests. Set metrics and goals for responding to tickets, to maximize the customer service experience. Accountable for continuous improvement.

Effectively use and manage systems to ensure accurate data and tracking. Maintain building specific aliases for notifications working with the School's HR manager, IT, and other partners as appropriate. Continually update Facilities Database (FDB), ensuring accurate and real-time information including office assignments, new entries, key assignments, and space changes for faculty, staff, and students.

Oversee new office set ups and office moves. Utilize Smartsheet for project management of space allocations and readiness. Manage periodic and one-time projects.

Manage daily Operations calendar and determine work priorities. Provide day-to-day direction for Operations staff. Manage and assign schedules, tasks, and projects.

Review, revise, and edit tasks lists as needed. Train new Operations team members.

Serve as lead to the team's two Facilities Coordinators, and participate in hiring committees and hiring decisions for these positions. Hire Student Building Assistants (SBAs) for the buildings; delegate management of SBAs to Facilities Coordinators as needed. Consult with Assistant Director for decisions regarding salary adjustments, corrective action, or disciplinary action.

Assign work hours to staff for non-routine events. Work with the School's External Relations team and Facilities Coordinators to assign event staffing and ensure the facility is ready for internal school-wide events and meetings, as well as external events.

Independently propose and implement operational changes, including purchasing of new equipment, modifying workflows, and overseeing outcomes.

Manage Building Access and Security Programs

Manage day-to-day building access processes. Serve as Campus Automated Access Management Systems (CAAMS) point of contact. Oversee CAAMS building access "batches" for classes held onsite and process access for all faculty, staff, and students. Establish and implement building access policies with input from assistant and associate facilities directors. Independently identify need for and write and edit key-related policies. Assign key-related tasks to Facilities Coordinators. Serve as key liaison to UWPD for guard management and assignments. Ensure compliance with unit and UW policies.

Direct routine safety and security communications; elevate serious matters to appropriate resources. Communicate via email urgent or relevant information that impacts building occupants.

Access and monitor security cameras as needed, and elevate serious matters to appropriate resources.

Work with Assistant Director of Facilities, the Allen School EH&S Health & Safety Committee Representative, UWPD, SafeCampus, and other appropriate resources to create a response plan for violence in the workplace and educate Allen School employees and students about that plan. Oversee safety drills and work with Safety Coordinator and HR to ensure continuous education of new building occupants.

Manage periodic projects, which may include the following: Research and secure building emergency evacuation kits for both buildings. Work with Director of Computing to support quarterly access lists and ensure yearly access renewals for various roles.

Supervise the School's Front Office

Direct office operations for the Allen Center's front office.

Hire, train, and supervise one full-time reception staff and a number of student assistants. Plan, develop, and implement training programs for these employees. Work closely with the Undergraduate Student Services Team to manage the dotted line reporting relationship of the Gates Center reception staff.

Manage delivery of catering orders and catering inventory maintenance. Develop, streamline, and oversee inventory system for catering closets to ensure adequate stock of drinks, snacks, utensils, and supplies in each building. Assign catering orders to appropriate reception staff based on building delivery address.

Oversee periodic projects, which may include managing the annual holiday food drive competition between staff, faculty, postdocs, and graduate students to collect for local food banks.

Submit, track, and receive purchases as needed via Ariba or ProCard. Complete monthly reconciliation paperwork in a timely and accurate manner. Work with the Operations team to provide backup to other staff as needed to ensure timely completion.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's degree in a related field.

2 years of experience supervising daily operations for an educational organization or non-profit, or related experience.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Strong organizational skills with proven ability to take initiative and produce results with minimum direction.

Ability to set priorities and deal effectively with interruptions and constantly changing priorities.

Ability to manage time-sensitive requests and address them appropriately.

Skilled communicator working with people in a tactful and diplomatic manner during stressful situations.

Proficient in the use of computers, electronic communication, word processing, spreadsheets, the internet, and databases.

Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience working in a UW academic department.

Knowledge of UW policies and procedures.

Knowledge of UW facilities systems including the CAAMS key card system.

Experience working in a STEM related organization.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

To perform this job, on-site presence will be required up to a majority of the employee's regularly scheduled work week.

This position requires the ability to work a highly flexible schedule and be available outside of regular working hours to accommodate project and event demands. This may include working extended working hours (up to 16 hours per day), weekends, and evenings.

This position volleys between stationary desk work and frequent physical work requiring mobility, stamina, and ability to move heavy objects up to 30 pounds.

The workload is driven by externally imposed deadlines such as student and faculty arrivals, events dates set by outside parties, and facilities projects.

Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

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