JOB TITLE:

FACILITY MANAGER, GERACE RESEARCH CENTRE

TYPE OF VACANCY:

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE: 

The University of The Bahamas (UB) is a vital catalyst for national development.  Chartered on 10^th November 2016, UB had its genesis in The College of The Bahamas which was established in 1974.  UB operates from the Oakes Field Campus and the Grosvenor Close Centre in New Providence; UB-North in Grand Bahama; and the Gerace Research Facility in San Salvador.  The Gerace Research Facility offers amenities for students, professors and researchers from around the world to study in a tropical environment. Gerace lies on eight acres of land and can provide accommodations for up to 200 people. It has a full service cafeteria, nine laboratory/classroom spaces, a library, computer lab, specimen repository, wet lab with sea water aquaria, analytical laboratory, dive shop and recreational spaces.

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The University invites applications for the position of a Facility Manager, Gerace Research Facility, who is able to maintain and improve 15 brick buildings, a fleet of vehicles, a boat and multiple systems including a water filtration and pressure system, backup electrical generator, cafeteria refrigeration and freezer equipment, SCUBA dive shop and wireless internet network.  Maintenance of these facilities involves coping with a corrosive salt-air environment, the age of the buildings with related electrical and plumbing challenges, as well as the modernization of the station to suit advanced academic pursuits. 

As Gerace is a complex facility with a wide variety of tools, equipment and technology, it is not expected that any one individual will have mastery over all intricacies of the station. However, it is expected that the Facility Manager will possess a working knowledge of the aspects of the facility and will have the ability to learn new skills.  The position’s duties and responsibilities can be modified to best fit the strengths of the successful candidate supplemented by current staff and local expertise.

The Facility Manager is expected to reside at Gerace during the entire business season (November to August) and will be responsible for directing the overall operations of the physical plant. The job requires the maintenance of old buildings (including plumbing and electric), repairing and maintaining equipment (including water pumps, automobiles, refrigerators, etc.), conducting small construction projects and assisting researchers and students with their needs.  In addition to performing maintenance tasks during regular business hours, the Facility Manager is expected to be “on-call” whenever visitors are on campus. This position is physically demanding and requires working long hours with almost no days off during the busiest weeks, including weekends.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Directing the overall operations of the physical plant including maintaining the vehicles and boats, buildings, guest rooms, fresh and salt water plumbing, food preparatory equipment, and sustaining and upgrading the aging systems;
• Supervising the physical plant staff;
• Managing and administering minor construction/renovation projects;
• Keeping an inventory of all parts and supplies and providing the Executive Director with items to order to ensure the rapid repair of equipment in the event of breakdown;
• Establishing a preventative, predictive and replacement programme for vital equipment;
• Coordinating the setup of rooms and laboratory spaces for use by various college and university groups;
• Assisting faculty with equipment for research and educational needs and maintaining research and laboratory equipment; and
• Maintaining a small dive shop and dive compressor.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Sound mechanical competence: A sound knowledge of electricity, motors, pumps, plumbing, refrigeration, building and construction tools, and automotive equipment is required.
• Outstanding people and human resource skills: Interactions with both staff and visitors must be handled in a professional manner. This position requires the meticulous management and delegation of tasks to the physical plant personnel. Requests made of the Facility Manager by visitors are common, complex and time consuming and must always be dealt with in a calm, uncritical and personable manner.
• Exceptional organizational skills: Time is often limited and multiple tasks often need to be accomplished quickly during the busy season. The Facility Manager must be able to prioritize and perform under pressure in both a customer contact and administrative capacity.
• Ingenuity and adaptability: Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking is required in order to keep aging equipment functioning in an extreme salt-air environment.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A minimum of an associate’s degree in an engineering related field or equivalent.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience directly related to physical plant management; or an equivalent combination of considerable education, training and experience with the aspects of physical plant management, personnel management, automotive expertise and safety practices.
• Previous experience managing personnel.

SUBMISSION OF MATERIALS: 

• Materials should be submitted electronically, attention Office of the Provost, University of The Bahamas via e-mail at [email protected] by 15^th December 2017. 
• Send all documents together, including: (a) Cover letter of interest highlighting experiences and abilities relevant to the position; (b) Copies of academic and other relevant qualifications; (c) Up‐to‐date transcripts; (d) Up‐to‐date resume or curriculum vitae, including details of physical plant management experience as well as details of other experiences relevant to the position, duties and responsibilities; (e) Police record; (f) Medical certificate of fitness; (g) Copy of Bahamian national insurance ID card, if applicable; (h) Copy of relevant pages of valid passport (showing photo ID, passport number and expiration date); (i) Three letters of reference that speak to the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position; and (j) A completed UB Application for Employment form available at this link: http://www.ub.edu.bs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Application-for-Employment-Staff.pdf
• Note GRC Facility Manager in the subject field of the email.  Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. 

REPORTS TO:

Executive Director, Gerace Research Centre

TERMS:

Two-year contract after an initial probation period; renewable upon positive performance review

ANNUAL SALARY:

Negotiable based on qualifications and experience

APPLICATION END DATE:

Until Filled

DATE PUBLISHED:

November 2017

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the Facilities Manager.

To inquire about this position, please direct emails to [email protected]