Apply at: Mattl@helblingsearch.com
Description: Situation Overview:
Helbling, a ZRG company has been engaged to recruit a Director of Physical Plant for Baylor School.
About Baylor School:
Baylor School is a private, coeducational college-preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Founded in 1893, the school`s current campus comprises 800 acres, with more than 50 buildings and 1 million square feet of maintainable space for the 2024-25 school year, Baylor enrolled 1137 young men and women, in grades 6-12, including boarding students in grades 9-12, 24% of whom lived on campus, as representatives of 25 states and 30 countries.
These students are served by Baylor`s 148-member faculty, over two-thirds of whom hold advanced degrees, including nearly 40 adults who live on campus and serve as dorm parents. Guided by its mission statement, Baylor works to foster Magnanimitas, or Greatness of Spirit, in its students.
The school, therefore, seeks to create students who lead with the following habits of being: ``To foster in our students the ability and the desire to make a positive difference in the world.``
Baylor is conducting one of the most comprehensive studies of its campus in its rich, 130-year history. The goal of the study is to craft a thoughtful, intentional, and realistic plan—a plan that would be both achievable and sustainable. The plan covers Athletic and Residential Life Facilities as well outdoor spaces and pedestrian traffic. The person selected for this critical role will help school leadership to think strategically about how we can better serve our community both today and tomorrow.
Position:
Baylor School seeks an innovative and proven leader to serve as Physical Plant Director. The Director of Physical Plant plans, directs, and supervises general maintenance, custodial services, HVAC, electrical, grounds and motor vehicle functions and personnel for School operations. In addition, this position will assist in the management construction, renovation, and maintenance projects for the school. The Director works with the Chief Financial Officer to determine annual repairs and renovations projects and participates in the design of new facilities to ensure physical plant requirements are met. The Director plans, organizes, directs, and coordinates, through staff of skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled trade personnel, activities concerned with the operation, and maintenance of buildings, grounds, and vehicles of the school. The Director evaluates requests for major repairs, replacement or modification of facility systems and equipment, and determines the extensive of needs, corrective action to be taken, costs, feasibility, and priority.
Position Description:
The Director will provide leadership and strategy development for all aspects of the Physical Plant Department operations and maintenance including managing contracts with external service providers, i.e., vendors, contractors, etc., and administer smaller maintenance projects. The Director will fulfill various administrative duties and other management requirements, as well as initiate the formulation of policies and procedures necessary for the accomplishment of responsibilities.
Responsibilities Include but are not limited to:
- Assure conformance to the school mission, goals, and objectives.
- Assist the Chief Financial Officer with the establishment of priorities, management policies, procedures, and systems.
- Initiate strategic planning activities, actively promote the Office of Physical Plant Strategic Plan.
- Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals.
- Establish policies and procedures to enhance departmental effectiveness and streamline Decision-making.
- Assist with the implementation of the Facilities Master Plan.
- Provide leadership and strategy development for all aspects of the Physical Plant Department operations and maintenance.
- Assist with the implementation of the Facilities Master Plan.
- Provide leadership and technical expertise in issues relating to building and utilities maintenance and operations.
- Oversee and direct the facility services functions for the school, including custodial, moving, and events support.
- Provide leadership and technical expertise in the maintenance of grounds and long-range landscape planning initiatives.
- Ensure the School`s installed fire protection and security systems meet legal requirements.
- Collaborate with other members of the Chief Financial Officer and Finance team in the development of the strategy for remediation of deferred maintenance to be used in preparation of the Capital Plan.
- Works to develop and update design standards to apply to both new construction and renovations. Ensures that the entire plant team is involved with new construction and remodels in the design, review of drawings, etc.
- Achieve a balance among the conflicting demands to both enhance the attractiveness of the campus and the quality of its facilities and infrastructure and constrain operating costs.
- Meet the requirements of all Physical Plant customers.
- Maintain appropriate relations with various campus functions and departments including Academic Affairs, Information Technology, Financial Administration, Alumni Relations, Enrollment Management, Res Life, Athletics, and various other areas.
- Consult and interact with customers, internal departments and external consultants regarding facilities modification/repair/maintenance options, strategies and cost estimates and resolves problems and conflicts.
- Coordinate with all department managers and supervisors and keep the appropriate reporting relationships informed of work plans and status of ongoing work.
- Solicit recommendations for process improvements and develop plans for implementation.
- Remains abreast of existing and emerging technologies, processes, products, services, and leading industry performance benchmarks.
- Ensure compliance with the school, state, and federal laws, policies, and regulations.
- Oversee all functions of the daily operations of a multi-trade workforce active for all facilities on campus.
- Develop, implement, and administer the departmental operating budget that includes salaries and benefits, utilities, supplies, and equipment.
- Provide short- and long-term manpower resource planning; direct personnel; evaluate performance and make recommendations for personnel actions including employment, advancement, or termination.
- Mentor all direct reports so that they may fully develop in their roles and responsibilities.
- Motivate employees to meet strategic planning goals.
- Identify training requirements, create a learning environment, and participate in training sessions and seminars.
- Manage contracts with internal and/or external service providers (vendors, service providers, etc.)
- Directs the operations and maintenance as well as analyzes and optimizes energy related equipment and related systems for peak energy performance.
- Manages campus resources to ensure continuous delivery of reliable and energy efficient systems including heating, cooling, ventilation, and automated building control systems within the school.
- Provide technical support for daily demand activities to resolve problems and issues to maintain optimal efficiency and operations of energy systems to include boiler, chillers, and Building Automation systems.
- Exercise careful financial management.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor`s degree or higher from an accredited institution in an appropriate area of specialization (Engineering, Architecture, Construction/Project Management) as a Physical Plant Director.
- Ten (10) years of experience as a Facilities Manager of significant Construction/Engineering projects at an institution of higher education or similar environment
- Extensive hands-on experience (5 or more years) in communicating, interacting, and training other facilities managers at all levels.
- Demonstrated knowledge of regulatory compliance, preventive maintenance, and personnel management.
Senior Management:
Dallas Joseph
Vice President of Finance and Operations
Dallas arrived at Baylor in July of 2000 from Fisk University in Nashville, TN. Dallas believes that working in an educational environment is “not a job, but a commitment.” Before Fisk University, Dallas was the Vice President for Finance of Suomi College (on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan), and for seven years prior to that position, he worked as an accountant and comptroller for Shaw University. During Dallas’ seven years at Shaw, the school underwent an enormous transformation, more than doubling its student body, undertaking a $25 million capital campaign, and spending more than $20 million on construction.
Dallas`s work at Baylor, he says, is about the future. Instead of putting out fires, he has the time to think creatively about the future of the institution. He says, ``What I`m excited about is being able to plan what we need to support the goal of becoming one of the best institutions around.``
Dallas is the father of three sons: Rasheed, Dallas, and Evan, all Baylor graduates.
Location:
Chattanooga, Tennessee, located in southeastern Tennessee along the Tennessee River, is known for its scenic beauty and vibrant outdoor activities. Nestled between the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau, Chattanooga offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, rock climbing, and kayaking. The city is also home to attractions such as Lookout Mountain, the Tennessee Aquarium, and the historic Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Economically, Chattanooga has transformed from a manufacturing hub to a diverse economy with a strong focus on technology and innovation. The city has earned the nickname ``Gig City`` for its high-speed internet infrastructure, which has attracted numerous tech startups and established companies. Major employers in the area include BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Volkswagen`s North American manufacturing plant.
Chattanooga`s community is known for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere. The city boasts a revitalized downtown area with a variety of restaurants, shops, and cultural venues, such as the Hunter Museum of American Art and the Tivoli Theatre. With a mix of urban amenities and natural beauty, Chattanooga offers a balanced lifestyle for professionals looking to work and live in a dynamic and engaging environment.
Interview Process:
ZRG provides our global Clients with a rigorous and patented assessment platform grounded in data and analytics. Our interview process includes the following:
1. Initial interviews with ZRG
2. ZRG presentation of candidates to Client for calibration and discussion; Client selects candidates for consideration and initial interviews
3. Candidates complete ZRG’s on-line assessment
4. Finalist candidates advance to second and third round interviews with broader leadership team
5. Formal referencing
6. Offer extended
About ZRG Partners:
ZRG is a global talent advisory firm that is changing the way companies hire and manage talent. ZRG’s data-driven approach to executive and professional search has been changing the way clients think about how to find top talent. The company’s digital Zi platform combines talent intelligence, candidate insights, and process improvement to dramatically deliver executive searches quicker and with proven better results.
Jim Lord
Managing Director
Helbling Division
jiml@heblingsearch.com
As Managing Director, Jim performs client development and manages a team of consultants. He also plays an instrumental role in shaping Helbling’s strategic vision and enhancing our executive search capabilities.
A Helbling team member since 1998, Jim has had the opportunity to represent organizations within all of Helbling’s focus disciplines. In addition to securing professionals for higher education and healthcare clients, he conducts and manages mid-to senior-level searches for general, heavy civil, and specialty construction firms, as well as real estate developers. Prior to joining Helbling, he was a Group Leader with an international consulting firm, providing executive assessment and development to the manufacturing industry.
Matt Lesher
Senior Associate
Helbling Division
mattl@helblingsearch.com
Matt joined Helbling in 2003 and has broad recruiting experience, managing and performing a wide range of searches within the engineering and construction sectors, and facilities management. His recruiting assignments encompass executive management, operations, business development, and marketing professionals for multi-disciplined and international engineering and construction firms, industrial and high-end residential contractors, multi-family construction managers, and public-private partnerships. He also conducts searches for executives involved in facilities, real estate development, and engineering with hospitals, universities, preparatory schools, and public agencies.
Matt earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Robert Morris University. In his free time, he likes to golf, and volunteer with his church and junior sports.
Apply at: Mattl@helblingsearch.com
