Assistant Physical Plant Manager, McDonald Observatory

Facilities Maintenance: Manages all staff-led renovation, repair, minor construction, and work-order response maintenance projects. Establishes, interprets, and implements plans, specifications, and standards for maintenance projects and oversees inspections of work. Provides facility infrastructure oversight, in coordination with the Physical Plant Manager, for all McDonald Observatory campus units. Establishes (with other managers) and executes facility preventive maintenance programs. Allocates staffing resources and schedules to support facilities maintenance needs. Assists with special projects as assigned. Utilities Operations: Works closely with the Physical Plant Manager, Utilities Supervisor, the University of Texas at Austin Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) staff, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) staff to maintain a functional and compliant water and wastewater treatment operation at McDonald Observatory. Maintains necessary TCEQ certifications and provides technical assistance and leadership for all utilities operations. Works with the above to maintain state-required documentation and participates in investigations and audits. Custodial Services: Manages custodial services for McDonald Observatory campus operations. Ensures adequate staff coverage to maintain clean, functional work and public-facing areas. Sets standards and specifications for custodial staff, performs work area inspections, and assists staff in the field as needed. Ensures additional needs are met in support of special events (e.g., annual Board of Visitors meeting, Orion Festival, Spring Break) and may assign facilities maintenance staff to assist as needed. Management: Assists the Physical Plant Manager with budget prioritization and monitors all departmental expenditures. Processes and tracks procurement of materials, supplies, and tools; maintains state, university, and local inventory information. Acts as fleet manager for all McDonald Observatory vehicles, including maintaining fuel logs and supervising the fleet shop. Allocates staffing resources in collaboration with the Physical Plant Manager. Drives a university vehicle. Serves as acting manager as needed and is required to participate in the emergency response team. Supervision: Provides daily supervision of all Physical Plant teams (facilities, utilities, and custodial). Oversees recruitment and hiring for all Physical Plant teams, working closely with the Physical Plant Manager and, as needed, the Superintendent and the department's Business Officer. Manages employee performance issues and assists supervisors with annual employee appraisals. Provides technical training to staff, including fire and life safety and operational health and safety training. Expected to serve as an in-field supervisor, working with teams on their jobs.