Facilities Manager, Shepherd School of Music

Special Instructions to Applicants: Applicants should attach a resume in PDF format to the Supporting Documents section of the application. 

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — which stands for Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Facilities Manager is responsible for the oversight and monitoring of maintenance at the Shepherd School of Music (SSM), including facilities operations and physical maintenance of Alice Pratt Brown Hall (APBH) and the Brockman Hall for Opera (BHO), as well as project management and budget tracking for the facilities department. They supervise the day-to-day facilities maintenance and custodial staff to ensure efficient operations, serve as a primary contact for all service and facility requests, perform classroom AV support, and act as the departmental liaison to Rice OIT. The Facilities Manager provides onsite oversight of building operations during significant SSM performances and high-profile public events. This position reports to the Director of Facilities Operations.

The ideal candidate is a project-management-minded, tech-savvy facilities professional who thrives in a public-facing academic setting. They are a proactive individual with situational awareness and the ability to prioritize tasks and responsibilities, respond quickly, and escalate issues appropriately under time-sensitive conditions while making cost-conscious decisions without serving as the budget owner.

The candidate is an organized, responsible, and forward-thinking individual who is detail-oriented and has a problem-solving mindset that can address the daily needs of the Shepherd School. They will also advance the appropriate needs for future events and productions in a timely manner to ensure all events are supported at the highest level.

They bring hands-on knowledge of managing maintenance and repairs, as well as the ability to perform basic and minor repairs to ensure smooth daily operations and keep the facilities of the Shepherd School at the highest presentational level. They can respond quickly to classroom AV issues and can triage and troubleshoot minor tech/AV issues.

Workplace Requirements

The position is exclusively on-site, requiring all duties to be performed in person at the Shepherd School of Music, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Some evenings and weekends will be required for concerts, events, and rentals. This role is classified as an essential position, requiring on-site presence to effectively carry out its vital functions, and may require on-call duties during some holiday recesses. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, with a proposed annual salary range of $60,813–$69,900, depending on qualifications and experience. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• 2 or more years of experience in a related field, such as, but not limited to: construction management, theatrical management, or property management
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis. 

Skills:

• Problem-solving skills and reasoning
• Attention to detail, scheduling, and follow-through
• Working knowledge of both PC and Mac-based platforms
• Proficiency with Google Sheets, Docs, Calendar, Drive, Teams, and Zoom
• Knowledge of building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc.). 
• Ability to respond and make decisions quickly during emergency situations is essential
• Strong written and oral communication skills and comfort interacting with faculty, staff, and students
• Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks and assignments while managing multiple projects and tasks

Preferences

• 3 or more years of related experience
• Experience with Adobe Suite and AutoCAD
• Familiarity with Desigo, Tririga, and CBord
• Ability to perform basic maintenance repairs
• Ability to operate aerial work platforms and comfort with heights
• Familiarity with motor control systems and protocols
• Familiarity with theatrical and orchestral practices, standards, and etiquette
• Basic understanding of orchestra setup and stage plots
• Project management experience

Essential Functions

• Manage and submit daily work service requests for repairs and maintenance to maintain a safe, high-level function and appearance of SSM facilities. Follow up on assigned work tasks to ensure completion and resolution in a timely manner
• Manage custodial responsibilities and overtime for events. Create weekly schedules for specialty cleaning, locking/unlocking of spaces, and follow-up to ensure work has been completed to the highest standards
• Create custom schedules and manage the building access system for the electronic locking and unlocking of the SSM facilities based on performance needs each week
• Perform first-line AV triage and user support, partnering with Rice OIT to resolve complex issues for seven classrooms and several performance halls throughout APBH and BHO
• Manage key assignments, checkout, and return for all faculty, staff, and students
• Assist the Director of Facilities Operations with writing purchase orders, procurement, budgeting, and record-keeping for all types of purchases and billable work orders
• Manage HVAC schedules for events, daily requests, and maintenance
• Assist the Director of Facilities Operations with capital projects, renovations, and specialty projects for SSM
• Collaborate with all SSM faculty, staff, and students to understand their facility-related needs and work to address these concerns
• Develop positive relationships with campus partners involved in all facilities and building management services
• Maintain strong, collaborative relationships with all Production, Events, Opera, and Orchestra staff to ensure all facilities needs are met and executed at the highest level
• Perform all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Act as the IT liaison for the SSM and work closely with the Director of Facilities Operations to maintain current inventory and replacement schedules of faculty and staff computers, in addition to equipment in production spaces and classrooms
• Assist the SSM AV specialist with faculty and student support throughout the facilities
• Work with the Rice Parking Office to secure parking attendants for special SSM events
• Provide on-site oversight of building operations during major Shepherd School performances and high-profile public events, as well as select rental and external events as needed (e.g., orchestra concerts, operas, galas, etc.)
• Coordinate piano moves and maintain piano inventory
• Manage equipment inventories and maintenance records
• Assist with moving equipment and furniture as necessary

Working Conditions

• Ability to lift 50 lbs

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.