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Director of Facilities and Campus Planning

St. Norbert College · De Pere, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

You'd lead preventive maintenance, repairs, renovations, new construction, grounds and housekeeping. How have you organized a department with that many different trades and functions?

What they are checking: Whether they have managed broad facilities operations and can explain a real structure, not just a title.

Tell me about a construction or renovation project that went over budget or behind schedule. What did you do?

What they are checking: Whether they own problems, communicate early and recover, which matters when project priorities are set by leadership.

How have you kept morale up among maintenance, grounds and housekeeping staff who often feel unseen?

What they are checking: Whether they lead front-line staff with respect, which the posting names as part of quality service.

Describe a complex, one-of-a-kind facilities problem you solved through collaboration.

What they are checking: Whether they handle non-recurring challenges creatively with others, as the posting says the role demands.

What would you do

How do you decide between deferred maintenance and a new improvement when both need the same money?

What they are checking: Whether they can weigh building risk against visible improvements and defend the call to the finance leadership team.

A key building system fails on a weekend while students are on campus. Walk me through how you'd want that handled.

What they are checking: Whether they have clear on-call and escalation plans, since the role requires occasional nights and weekends.

Faculty want a classroom renovated over the summer, but the timeline is tight and contractors are booked. How do you handle those expectations?

What they are checking: Whether they can communicate honestly with campus constituencies and say what is realistic.

About the work

How would you take a Campus Master Plan and turn it into a sequence of projects that finish on time and within budget?

What they are checking: Whether they can translate a long-range plan into funded, scheduled work and keep it moving.

How do you set up and measure a preventive maintenance program so it actually reduces emergency repairs?

What they are checking: Whether they manage maintenance with data and systems rather than reacting to whatever breaks.

How do you manage outside contractors and architects to protect the college's interests on a project?

What they are checking: Whether they understand contracts, change orders and oversight well enough to control cost and quality.

As a member of the Division of Business and Finance Leadership Team, how would you build a facilities budget and defend it?

What they are checking: Whether they can speak the language of finance leaders and tie spending to the college's priorities.

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The full job description

As published by St. Norbert College.

St. Norbert College (SNC), a nationally ranked, private, Catholic, liberal arts college, is seeking a Director of Facilities and Campus Planning. This position provides leadership and management to the department of Facilities Management. The Director is responsible for the planning, facilitation, and implementation of all preventive maintenance, repairs, improvements, renovations, new construction, presentation of all buildings and grounds, and housekeeping for the College. This position also provides leadership in the implementation of the Campus Master Plan to ensure established project priorities are executed on time and within budget. Challenges encountered in the position are highly varied, complex, and often non-recurring, which require collaborative and creative methods to derive desired solutions. The role maintains an effective interactive relationship with St. Norbert College staff, students, campus constituencies, and visitors by fostering an atmosphere of teamwork and by a leadership style that ensures quality delivery of all services and positive morale among staff. The Director is a member of the Division of Business and Finance Leadership Team. This is an on-site position (requires regular attendance on campus, occasionally at night and during weekends as needed). Specific responsibilities: • Provide leadership and management to the department of Facilities Management; Lead managers of maintenance, mechanical systems, grounds, housekeeping, as well as a financial specialist, in the directing and executing of the facilities operations; Responsible for recruiting and hiring qualified personnel, ensuring proper training, performance monitoring, establishment of job standards, and effectively evaluating staff performance; Create and sustain an environment that fosters teamwork, excellence, cooperation, respect, and inclusiveness. • Plan, estimate, execute, and manage campus capital projects including those in the Campus Master Plan as well as maintenance, repair, and remodeling projects (i.e., athletics facilities, parking lots, landscaping, academic/administrative buildings, residential housing); Projects may be in partnership with outside contractors, architects, and vendors; Develop, recommend, and manage multi-year strategies for the Corrective Maintenance Program and the 3-5 year capital plan; Manage all facilities vendors. • Plan, organize, and direct department priorities to ensure the operation and maintenance of all facilities and utility systems; Routinely inspect buildings, grounds, equipment, and operating systems to determine cleanliness, maintenance, and repair needs; Assure an aesthetically pleasing campus through the management and oversight of institutional grounds and horticulture. • Provide expertise and support to the Vice President of Business and Finance, including reports and presentations to the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees on projects and costs regarding the physical facilities of the campus. • Develop, monitor, and manage the Facilities departmental budget, ensuring sound fiscal stewardship in optimizing college resources to support college priorities. Oversee and mentor facilities staff. Collaborate with other departments across the campus. • Administer and develop department programs such as work order system, cost tracking, key system, drawing, specifications and documentation, records systems, safety, security, training, environmental, and legal compliance. • Proactively pursue sustainable initiatives to promote a culture of environmental responsibility throughout the campus community; take an active lead in the College Sustainability Committee. • Perform additional duties as assigned. Supervision Exercised Over: • 3 Department Managers and 1 Facilities Financial Reporting Specialist • Functional supervision over 30+ departmental staff Required Minimum Qualifications: • Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Building, and/or Technical Trades, or Related Field • A minimum of 10 years of facilities-related experience in Facilities Management in continuously increasing roles and responsibilities, with a minimum of 4 years in a supervisory/management role • Preferred experience in higher education, health care, or other larger complex facilities organizations. • Demonstrated leadership in a large department in a complex, fast-paced working environment. • Functional expertise in the mechanical and structural trades, construction, and systems management, and a working knowledge of architectural plans and specifications. • Demonstrated ability to manage projects and lead and evaluate work carried out by staff and contractors. • Extensive budget and fiscal management experience in both operations and project management. • High level of knowledge of the regulatory environment, including workplace safety requirements, environmental regulations, and codes. • Demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse constituencies. • Excellent oral and written communication skills. • Excellent supervisory and interpersonal skills. • Ability to communicate well and interact with others across all levels of the organization using tact and diplomacy. • Experience managing confidential and sensitive information. • Demonstrates initiative, sound judgment, and ability to set priorities and to work independently and as part of a high-performing team • Commitment to a mission-driven environment aligned with Catholic, Norbertine, and liberal arts values. The College may consider any equivalent amount of credentials, licensures, training, or experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties and responsibilities of this job. Benefits package: The College offers an outstanding benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurance; retirement plan; paid time off and tuition waiver. Application instructions: Applications received by October 9, 2026 , will be given full consideration. However, applications will continue to be accepted until the position has been filled. Please submit a cover letter and resume with your application. Applicants are required to submit a letter describing how their professional experience, leadership approach, and personal qualities align with the mission and values of St. Norbert College. This letter should address how the candidate would actively advance the Catholic, Liberal Arts, and Norbertine traditions in the context of this role. Mission alignment will be considered a significant factor in the evaluation process. St. Norbert College (SNC), a Catholic, Norbertine, and Liberal Arts College, provides an educational environment that fosters intellectual, spiritual, and personal development. As the only Norbertine institution of higher learning in the world, our roots, traditions, and commitments create a unique and enriching educational experience for our students. At SNC, our commitment to communio – the Norbertine ideal of a community united as one – is grounded in the principles of dignity, truth, and justice. Consistent with these principles, St. Norbert is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We seek those who will embrace our mission and commitment to building a vibrant, inclusive, and spiritually engaged community (https://snc.edu/mission ). Exempt Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 The duties and responsibilities listed in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the job if work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the job. Percentage of time may vary widely depending on the needs of the position during any particular time period. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

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