The Director for Facility Development and Technical Operations will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) as it continues to expand. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director will be a key member of the senior management team, responsible for overseeing many day-to-day operations and planning for growth of the Institute. Key responsibilities include: • Facilities Leadership. o Participate in institutional planning committees, contributing engineering input to long-term research infrastructure strategy. o Partner with faculty, lab managers, IT, EHS, vivarium staff, and research support teams to understand operational needs and constraints. o Provide technical expertise and consultation to research groups during grant planning, lab setup, or experimental scale-up. o Provide technical consultation for new equipment installations or departmental moves. o Serve as the point of contact for emergency facilities response affecting research operations (e.g., equipment failure, power outage). o Represent facilities engineering in planning meetings and operational reviews. o Develop emergency preparedness protocols and support incident response. o Collaborate with leadership on capital planning and long-term infrastructure strategies. o Develop and maintain business continuity and disaster recovery plans for research operations. • Operational Oversight. o Oversee the operation, maintenance, and performance of complex MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing), HVAC, and life safety systems supporting biomedical research environments. o Ensure uninterrupted operation of mission-critical spaces such as BSL labs, cleanrooms, vivariums, imaging suites (e.g., MRI, PET/CT), and tissue culture rooms. o Troubleshoot and resolve system failures or performance issues in real-time. o Establish and enforce maintenance schedules to ensure equipment reliability. o Review and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs) for systems management. o Maintain high-performance environmental controls (temperature, humidity, air exchange) critical to research integrity. o Coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance to avoid disruption to time-sensitive experiments and specialized equipment. o Ensure optimal performance of autoclaves, fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, and lab gas delivery systems. o Develop cost projections and prepare financial analyses related to facility growth and maintenance. o Perform cost analysis on bundled services and service agreement life cycles. o Liaise with Valley Metro and VT Fleet services to manage campus transportation. • Project Management. o Plan, initiate, and lead facilities projects from concept through completion. o Define project scope, goals, deliverables, and ensure alignment with institutional needs. o Prepare detailed project budgets, manage expenditures, and control costs. o Create and manage timelines, ensuring milestones are met on schedule. o Coordinate cross-functional teams, including architects, contractors, engineers, and vendors. o Oversee on-site construction and system commissioning to ensure compliance with project plans. o Lead infrastructure and capital improvement projects including lab renovations, new lab build-outs, and utility upgrades. o Develop and manage scopes of work, project plans, construction phasing, and budgets aligned with scientific program needs. o Liaise with principal investigators (PIs), lab managers, and research administrators during project planning and implementation. o Coordinate with architects, engineers, and specialized contractors to meet research-specific infrastructure and biosafety requirements. o Oversee commissioning and validation of systems critical to scientific reproducibility and regulatory compliance. • Compliance and Safety. o Interpret and enforce compliance with applicable building codes and regulatory standards. o Schedule and participate in inspections, audits, and certification processes. o Maintain accurate and up-to-date records for compliance documentation and reporting. o Identify and mitigate system risks through regular assessments and corrective action planning. o Stay current with evolving regulations (e.g., ASHRAE standards, NFPA codes). o Ensure all building systems and operations comply with local, state, and federal codes, including NIH, CDC, EPA, OSHA, ASHRAE, NFPA, and AAALAC standards. o Support compliance for controlled environments (e.g., GLP labs, BSL-2/3 spaces) and regulated equipment. o Conduct risk assessments focused on research-specific hazards (e.g., hazardous materials, animal research). o Maintain compliance documentation for inspections by regulatory and funding agencies. o Partner with EHS teams to support emergency procedures, biosafety protocols, and hazardous material containment. • Equipment and Core Facilities. • Team Management o Supervise facilities engineering staff, including technicians, engineers, and contract personnel. o Direct daily activities of engineering and maintenance teams. o Assign tasks, set priorities, and monitor team performance. o Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. o Develop and implement training programs tailored to research infrastructure (e.g., BSL-3 protocols, GMP system operations). o Set performance goals aligned with institutional mission and scientific needs. o Foster a team culture that emphasizes responsiveness, precision, and support of the scientific enterprise. o Lead workforce planning and development efforts to meet evolving facility and research demands.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field, with substantial experience in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of biomedical/laboratory programs and facilities. • Demonstrated knowledge of research equipment and facility requirements. • Working knowledge of and experience with Federal and State permitting and safety regulations. • Ability to read and interpret architectural, mechanical, and electrical drawings and specifications. • Strong interpersonal and communication skills. • Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders. • Proven skills in prioritization, workload management, meeting deadlines, independent decision-making, and problem-solving.
Preferred Qualifications
• Professional Engineering (PE) license. • Master’s degree in Engineering. • Demonstrated project management experience with large-scale facilities and multimillion-dollar budgets.
Overtime Status
Exempt: Not eligible for overtime
Appointment Type
Restricted
Salary Information
Commensurate with Experience
Hours per week
40+
Review Date
7/28/2025
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.
About Virginia Tech
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Brittany Shelton at sheltb@vtc.vt.eduduring regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer
Use your experience managing people and projects to help make donors happy and their legacies fulfilled. Your role in supporting Virginia Tech's administration of complex and deferred gifts will give donors the confidence to consider bigger gifts ...
“Cookies” are small files either stored on a server or sent back to a visiting computer. In certain applications user information is stored as cookies, which are then sent back to and stored on the user’s computer. Some sections of the website use cookies to customize the information presented to you. Cookies are also used to aggregate site usage information to help us improve our users’ experience.