HES is a premier national provider of facilities management services focused 100% on educational institutions. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, HES builds best-in-class programs for custodial, maintenance, grounds, and landscaping services. With hundreds of years of combined facilities experience, the HES leadership team is comprised of results-oriented, hands-on executives and facilities experts who give school facilities their full attention. Whether for a grounds and landscaping program, custodial services, or maintenance solutions, HES will change the way you look at facilities management.

Founded in 1972, HES has a proven track record of working successfully and exclusively in the educational environment, maintaining a singular focus on facilities management, undistracted by competing priorities. HES has earned the trust of over 150 education partners across 29 states. We employ 13,000 dedicated team members and maintain more than 200 million square feet daily.

The Director of Physical Plant & Facilities Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for Wilson College’s buildings, grounds, utilities, infrastructure, and facilities services. This position oversees maintenance, skilled trades, grounds, custodial services, capital planning, building systems, and facilities projects.

The Director assesses facility needs, establishes priorities, manages staff and resources, and develops solutions that balance safety, reliability, cost, and long-term institutional needs. The position requires both strategic planning and active involvement in daily operations and emergencies.

Essential Responsibilities

Facilities Operations

• Oversee the maintenance, repair, and improvement of campus buildings, grounds, utilities, infrastructure, and equipment.
• Prioritize preventive, corrective, routine, and emergency maintenance.
• Diagnose recurring facility problems and coordinate responses to equipment failures, utility disruptions, severe weather, and emergencies.
• Ensure facilities effectively support academic, residential, athletic, and community activities.

Capital Planning and Projects

• Develop multi-year plans for capital improvements, deferred maintenance, infrastructure renewal, and modernization.
• Assess facility conditions and recommend priorities based on safety, urgency, risk, cost, and operational impact.
• Manage renovation, construction, infrastructure, and capital projects from planning through completion.
• Coordinate architects, engineers, contractors, consultants, vendors, and campus stakeholders.

Leadership and Staff Management

• Supervise Physical Plant employees and contracted service providers.
• Establish expectations for performance, service, safety, quality, and accountability.
• Recruit, train, schedule, develop, and evaluate employees.
• Promote teamwork, cross-training, employee ownership, professional development, and continuous improvement.

Budget and Resource Management

• Develop and manage the Physical Plant operating budget and support capital forecasting.
• Monitor expenses, utilities, inventory, contracts, and project costs.
• Allocate staffing and financial resources based on operational priorities.
• Identify opportunities to control costs, improve efficiency, and extend asset life.

Safety, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, building codes, accessibility standards, environmental requirements, safety regulations, and College policies.
• Maintain required inspections, testing, permits, certifications, training, documentation, and emergency procedures.
• Identify and address safety, compliance, property, financial, and operational risks.
• Collaborate with Campus Safety, Human Resources, Risk Management, and other departments on workplace safety and emergency preparedness.

Communication and Stewardship

• Serve as the College’s primary facilities leader and technical resource.
• Communicate service interruptions, project updates, facility conditions, and operational priorities.
• Provide senior leadership with clear recommendations regarding costs, risks, alternatives, and tradeoffs.
• Pursue practical energy-efficiency, sustainability, grant, rebate, and modernization opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in facilities management, engineering, construction management, architecture, business administration, or a related field. Equivalent education, technical training, and experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in facilities management, physical plant operations, construction, infrastructure, maintenance, property management, or a related field.
• Experience supervising a multi-functional facilities or operations team.
• Experience managing contractors, vendors, consultants, bids, proposals, and contracts.
• Working knowledge of HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, utility, and related building systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Facilities-management experience in higher education, healthcare, independent schools, nonprofit organizations, historic properties, or other complex institutions.
• Experience managing aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance, or building-system modernization.
• Experience developing multi-year capital-improvement or facilities-renewal plans.

Leadership Competencies

• Independent judgment and ownership
• Strategic and analytical problem-solving
• Staff leadership and accountability
• Clear technical and non-technical communication