Design Standards Manager - Facilities Management

Overview

The Operations Division at Tufts includes facilities, design and construction, campus and capital renewal planning, real estate, campus safety, dining, auxiliary services, and other related services on multiple campuses across 5.8 million square feet in 250 buildings. Operations services four campuses in Massachusetts: the main campus in Medford/Somerville, the health sciences and SMFA campuses in Boston and the veterinary school campus in Grafton. The Operations Division supports Tufts University’s mission in teaching, research, and clinics by providing stewardship, recommendations, services and advice in its primary areas of obligation: optimizing use of space and real estate, strategic and responsible management of the built environment, creating a secure campus environment and infrastructure, promoting best-in-class sustainability practices and policies, and creating exceptional community experiences that enhance Tufts’ reputation and brand.

The Facilities Management Department employs approximately 150 staff members including a unionized trades, grounds, labor force with outsourced custodial services. The annual operating budget is $120M, including $60M in capital renewal.

What You'll Do

This role, reporting to the Director of Campus Systems, Automation, and Energy, plays a pivotal part in shaping the university's built environment through the strategic leadership of its Facility Standards and Design Guidelines. The position ensures that building standards remain current, efficient, and aligned with institutional goals, driving consistency across the Maintenance, Planning, and Capital Divisions. The ideal candidate will bring a proactive, innovative mindset-balancing big-picture strategy with operational needs-while fostering a campus that is safe, inclusive, and supportive for all who learn, work, and visit. The ideal candidate is a proactive, visionary leader capable of aligning cross-functional collaboration with institutional priorities, long-term strategic goals, and daily operations.

• Establish TUFTSPECS:
  • Lead the transformation of existing facility standards into the new TUFTSPEC format.
  • Establish clear priorities, timelines, and deliverables for publishing updated standards and design guidelines.
  • Develop and maintain strong cross-functional partnerships to collaborate on creating foundational materials for TUFTSPEC conversion.
  • Work closely with Automation, Energy, and Engineering teams to ensure new TUFTSPECS fully integrate these core components.
  • Partner with Engineering staff to capture photographs and documentation of preferred installation methods and equipment layouts.
  • Coordinate with external engineering consultants and/or interns to produce detailed drawings for preferred installations and equipment arrangements.
  • Collaborate with trades teams to identify and document approved and disallowed equipment lists for inclusion in TUFTSPECS.
  • Engage with the Capital Division to align priorities and ensure timely publication of new TUFTSPECS based on project and operational needs.
  • Drive the ongoing establishment of TUFTSPECS as a living document readily capable of being maintained current, practical, and continuously improving.
• Maintain TUFTSPECS:
  • Actively participate in Architecture & Design (A&D) meetings to identify gaps, ambiguities, or missing elements within published standards, leading efforts to refine and enhance TUFTSPECS.
  • Establish and lead regular review sessions with Capital and Planning teams to gather feedback, discuss improvement opportunities, and incorporate updates into published standards.
  • Represent the university at industry conferences and seminars to evaluate the relevance and performance of current preferred design and construction practices.
  • Engage directly with field technicians to assess how effectively published standards perform in practice and identify opportunities for refinement.
  • Review, edit, and approve Building Automation System (BAS) submittals to ensure full compliance with TUFTSPECS and institutional standards.
  • Align TUFTSPECS with evolving standard operating procedures (SOPs) for alarm monitoring, trend analysis, and work order initiation through dispatch operations.
  • Partner with Information Technology to confirm that all TUFTSPECS maintain compatibility with university networking, cybersecurity, and systems integration requirements.
  • Monitor and assess emerging technologies, incorporating new approaches and solutions that enhance system performance and sustainability.
  • Recommend and document TUFTSPEC updates based on submittal trends, new technologies, and field feedback to continuously strengthen the standard.
  • Implement a structured "lessons learned" protocol to document, analyze, and resolve instances where TUFTSPECS are misapplied, misunderstood, or ineffective-ensuring continuous improvement and accountability across all projects.
• Submittal Review and Approval Based on TUFTSPECS:
  • Review, evaluate, and approve all design and construction submittals to verify full compliance with published TUFTSPECS and university standards.
  • Serve as the primary technical authority and resource for interpreting TUFTSPECS during design, procurement, and construction phases.
  • Provide clear, timely feedback to design consultants, contractors, and project managers regarding deviations, clarifications, or necessary revisions to align with TUFTSPECS.
  • Collaborate with Capital Projects, Planning, and Facilities Operations teams to ensure consistent application of TUFTSPECS throughout all project stages.
  • Assume a proactive leadership and advocacy role in promoting awareness and adherence to TUFTSPECS across internal departments and external partners.
  • Develop and deliver training or orientation sessions for design teams, project managers, and contractors on proper interpretation and application of TUFTSPECS.
  • Create and maintain a submittal review tracking system to document compliance issues, recurring variances, and lessons learned for future standard refinements.
  • Partner with Procurement and Engineering to evaluate proposed substitutions or alternates for equivalency, ensuring technical and operational integrity.
  • Work with Automation, Energy, and IT teams to confirm submittals align with performance, energy efficiency, and system integration objectives.

What We're Looking For

Basic Requirements:

Knowledge and experience typically acquired by:

• Bachelor's Degree Knowledge and skills as typically acquired through completion of bachelor’s degree in a technical field Mechanical Engineer, Electric Engineer, Civil Engineer, Engineering Technology
• 6+ years of experience or equivalent combination of work experience and training
• Experience of progressive leadership (either exempt or non-exempt capacity) in a facilities maintenance environment as to work independently and without constant direction.
• High level of skill in communicating, interacting, and building relationships with internal/external stakeholders with an understanding of impact on the larger organization.
• Knowledge of building systems, utilities, facilities support and operations in building specifications/standards, central plant operation and distribution, building automation systems, commissioning and energy management.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and prioritize tasks and responsibilities.
• Must possess highly developed interpersonal skills, diplomacy and sensitivity, and the ability to exercise considerable judgment and discretion in establishing, building, and maintaining effective working relationships with administrators, faculty, staff, vendors, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability, and commitment to work effectively in a culturally diverse and inclusive environment and to value and respect different perspectives.
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly, both verbally, graphically, and in writing.
• Excellent knowledge, proficiency, and experience with MS Word, Excel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced/Master’s degree in related field and/or extensive experience developing and/or maintaining building and design standards and/or extensive experience in Project Management.
• Experience working at a higher educational institution and/or non-profits, or a private firm serving institutional clients.
• Experience managing a team of staff members, both internal and external consultants and working on multiple projects in differing stages at one time.
• Understanding of design, construction, project management, planning, operations, maintenance, and contract analysis/evaluation.
• Excellent knowledge, proficiency, and experience with Reddit, Rhino, AutoCAD, and/or Illustrator.

Pay Range

Minimum $87,400.00, Midpoint $109,300.00, Maximum $131,200.00

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.