Director of Space Management (Facilities Services Design Professional 3 - MR14)

Academic Affairs

University of Tennessee, Chattanooga

The Director of Space Management leads all campus space planning, management, and utilization efforts, including administering related processes and managing communication. In partnership with appropriate campus partners, the Director will fulfill a critical role in campus space management efforts; prepare recommendations to executive level UTC administration regarding Facilities space use, academic scheduling, and utilization to satisfy immediate and long-term campus needs. This requires staying up to date on Higher Education trends and UT/THEC space standards, including their impact on the built environment and utilization for both existing and future space. Responsibilities include the planning and communication of departmental moves and coordinating with other units as needed. The Director manages the accuracy of space allocation documentation and the corresponding space information reported to the UT System.

Job functions and responsibilities:

Facilitate Space Management Process

• Serves as main point of contact for all campus space requests
• Liaises with Registrar, OPEIR, Enrollment Management, all Colleges, Academic units, Facilities Planning and Management (FPM) and various other campus units as necessary
• Directs efforts to validate the needs driving space requests, identifies potential solutions, and presents a menu of options as is appropriate
• Manages the planning of space assignments for all campus moves, especially those necessary to accommodate renovations or support departmental moves, and communicates with affected units
• Develops or adapts space guidelines, procedures, policies, and governance models for adoption as campus standards
• Convenes a space governance group that helps validate the reasonability and priority for incoming space requests- this includes potential validation of accreditation requirements, reallocating space based on utilization data, etc.

Engage Around Space

• Manages the preparation of communications, presentations, and documentation concerning space management for executive level UTC administration, including the Chancellor, Provost, and the Executive Leadership Team
• Coordinates the assessing of space needs and makes recommendations for both permanent and temporary space assignments and changes in conjunction with the appropriate space management committee and other campus partners
• Makes recommendations to improve space use efficiency
• Develops and maintains space management benchmark and metric dashboards for publication within the UTC community

Coordinate Space Inventory and Instructional Capabilities

• Manages the coordination of all aspects of centrally and departmentally scheduled instructional space inventory: this includes working with Academic Affairs, OPEIR, the Registrar, and Enrollment Management to address gaps in classroom capacity
• Uses enrollment and research growth projections to anticipate needed changes and manages strategically
• Monitors and reports on instructional space capacity based on code compliance (info from Safety/Risk) and class scheduling and identify any discrepancies
• Oversees annual audits (including physical visits) of all assignable space to verify space classification, physical attributes, furnishings, seat counts, use and other pertinent data
• Monitors and reports the disposition of vacated space
• Reports space changes as needed for maintenance of accurate of single line floor plans

Accountability for Space

• Works closely with UTC Facilities to validate the campus-wide building and rooms database and facilitate those conversations with the UT System and the State
• In coordination with campus partners, researches, and applies THEC Space Allocation Guidelines, Federal Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM), Federal Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standards, Council for Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI) and other industry standards and benchmarks to determine space classifications, utilization efficiencies, and square footage standards
• Coordinates with Facilities, IT, and others on the collection, synchronization, and maintenance of accurate square footage, occupant capacity, space type, use/occupant data, egress info (no. of exits, distance), and room number info as required for relevant databases and mandated reports (IRIS, DASH, ARCHIBUS, EMS, CPI, THEC, etc.)

Represent UTC with UT System

• Serves as the primary point of contact for campus and UT System regarding annual UT System mandated campus-wide space survey
• Interfaces with the UT System Office and coordinates with campus units and FPM to update space databases
• Reads and thoroughly understands all associated documentation
• Maintains informal campus documentation as needed
• Influences UT System as needed to ensure that UTC space needs and processes are represented in high level discussions
• Updates the THEC Campus Space Allocation Summary on an annual basis

Space Consultation

• Provides technical advice regarding classroom requirements depending on the activity to occur in the space
• Audits all academic spaces and classifies each for its appropriate use
• Coordinates with other campus partners to manage the primary scheduling system(s) data
• Supervises staff/GA who manages reservations made through EMS Meeting and Room Scheduling software
• Coordinates with deans, department heads, and the Registrar for classroom assignment needs
• Works with other partners to maintain and inventory of items in classroom spaces and ensures rooms are properly equipped and meet environmental requirements to ensure learning
• Weighs in on how space data is presented in other campus environments and websites

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Thorough knowledge of space management
• Excellent interpersonal communication (written and verbal) skills and leadership abilities
• Must be detail-oriented and highly organized, with the ability to manage rapidly changing priorities and deadline-driven work
• Demonstrated ability to diplomatically balance competing priorities
• Broad knowledge of software applications (word processing, spreadsheet, database, scheduling systems)
• Knowledge of space management within an institutional or campus environment

Review of applications will begin October 18, 2022 and continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration.

Minimum Qualifications: Requires a bachelor's degree and six years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Space management experience in higher education
• Planning, design, or management of space inventory/moves for support of multi-million-dollar construction and renovation projects
• Positions in both public and private organizations
• Membership and participation in industry organizations

The University of Tennessee Chattanooga is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.