Building Manager, Wharton Operations

Building Manager, Wharton Operations

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a diverse population of staff, representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures.

The Wharton Operations team plays a vital role in overseeing the management and maintenance of all Wharton Buildings, ensuring that they remain in optimal condition to support the diverse needs of the Wharton community. With a focus on operational excellence, the team is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of facility management and ensuring the effective functioning of all assets within the buildings. Overall, the Wharton Operations team serves as stewards of the Wharton Buildings, working tirelessly to uphold their integrity, functionality, and safety. By prioritizing responsiveness, efficiency, and quality in their operations, the team plays a crucial role in supporting the mission and objectives of the Wharton School.

The role of the Wharton Operations Building Manager is pivotal in overseeing and orchestrating the day-to-day work order activities across the Wharton buildings, encompassing a combined area exceeding 1,000,000 square feet. This multifaceted role involves a spectrum of responsibilities aimed at ensuring the smooth operation and maintenance of these facilities. On a daily basis, the Building Manager is tasked with supervising and scheduling maintenance activities, encompassing both routine upkeep and the handling of new work order requests. This involves generating and prioritizing work orders, overseeing project implementation, and conducting regular inspections of mechanical and electrical systems to ensure optimal functionality. Additionally, the Building Manager plays a key role in diagnosing mechanical issues and determining appropriate courses of action, all while adhering to stringent safety standards and protocols. A critical aspect of the role involves conducting daily tours of the buildings to assess their condition and address any concerns raised by occupants promptly. This includes following up with occupants to ensure that suitable conditions are maintained and addressing any maintenance issues or requests in a timely manner. Furthermore, the Building Manager is responsible for coordinating with external vendors to facilitate necessary repairs or services and tracking the costs associated with work orders to ensure budgetary compliance. In addition to maintenance-related duties, the Building Manager provides support across various operational aspects, including assisting with housekeeping, customer support center, and mail room operations. Furthermore, they oversee the administration of job assignments for a team of three union service mechanics, ensuring that tasks are delegated effectively and completed to the highest standards. Overall, the Wharton Operations Building Manager plays a pivotal role in ensuring the efficient operation and maintenance of the Wharton buildings, contributing to a conducive environment for the Wharton community to thrive and succeed.

Job Responsibilities

• Building Inspections and Oversight: Conducts daily inspections of building, mechanical, and electrical systems to monitor HVAC and infrastructure across the Wharton campus. Maintains logs, generates work orders, prioritizes tasks, and tracks repair progress. Coordinates repairs, provides timely updates to the Senior Building Administrator, and works closely with FRES (Facilities & Real Estate Services) to ensure prompt resolution of maintenance and housekeeping issues.
• Facilities Maintenance: Accountable for the identification, planning, scheduling, coordination, and oversight of ongoing and routine facilities maintenance activities, encompassing various aspects such as vendor contracts for door maintenance, floor care, painting, window cleaning, mechanical shades, as well as the maintenance of building systems including Lutron.
• Project Management: Act as a collaborator with Wharton Capital and Small projects within the complex, including coordinating moves, facilitating vendor access, placing FRES tickets, ensuring follow-up with vendors, coordinating with occupants, managing alarm or shutdown schedules, and escalating issues as necessary.
• Building Service Mechanics Coordination: The daily coordination, monitoring, and subsequent follow-up of tasks assigned to building service mechanics.
• Backup to mail operations and customer support desk.
• Occasional lifting 25 to 50 pounds. Typically standing, walking and climbing.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• High School Grad/GE Degree and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Facility Management Expertise: Demonstrated experience in overseeing the management and maintenance of large-scale facilities, with a keen understanding of the diverse needs of a community-oriented institution like Wharton.
• Operations Management Skills: Proven ability to orchestrate day-to-day work order activities across extensive building areas exceeding 1,000,000 square feet, ensuring smooth operation and maintenance.
• Maintenance Supervision: Track record of supervising and scheduling maintenance activities, including routine upkeep and handling of new work order requests, while maintaining optimal functionality of mechanical and electrical systems.
• Vendor Management: Experience in coordinating with external vendors to facilitate necessary repairs or services, while effectively tracking associated costs to ensure budgetary compliance.
• Team Leadership and Delegation: Proficiency in overseeing and delegating job assignments for a team of union service mechanics, ensuring tasks are completed to the highest standards and contributing to operational excellence.
• Multitasking and Adaptability: Ability to provide support across various operational aspects, including housekeeping, customer support center, and mail room operations, while maintaining focus on core building management responsibilities.
• This job requires occasional lifting of 25 to 50 pounds. Typically bending, crouching, stooping, standing or walking and climbing ladders and scaffolds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Problem Solving and Decision Making: Ability to diagnose mechanical issues, determine appropriate courses of action, and prioritize tasks effectively, adhering to stringent safety standards and protocols.
• Customer Service Orientation: Strong focus on addressing occupants' concerns promptly, conducting daily tours to assess building conditions, and ensuring suitable conditions are maintained to support the Wharton community.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$21.52 - $31.97 Hourly Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That