Laboratory Schools: Facilities Specialist
The University of Chicago

Job Info

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Department

Lab School Operations

About the Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity.

No less than scholarship, Lab's mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab's student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members' identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of color, LGBTQ+ identified candidates, candidates from historically marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds, and candidates with a demonstrated commitment to a deepening diversity, equity, and inclusion practice. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.
Job Information


Job Summary:

The Laboratory Schools currently has approximately 600,000 square feet of facilities space, including Historic Campus, Earl Shapiro Hall and Gordon Parks Arts Hall. This position is responsible for maintaining the efficient and smooth operation of assigned facilities at the Laboratory Schools. Work closely with the Director, Associate Directors and Operations Manager to deliver on facilities activities, including maintenance of the work order system and the completion of work orders in a timely manner; event set-up and support; purchasing supplies and equipment; assisting in developing facilities-related policies and procedures; prioritizing and scheduling work requests, inspecting work, and providing guidance and assistance to staff, students, visitors, parents and faculty. Act as liaison with University Facilities Services. May assist with on-going construction projects. Responsible for driving a shuttle bus between the Historic Main Campus and Earl Shapiro Hall. This position will require the incumbent be able to continually inspect and evaluate the needs of the facility. The majority of the workday will be spent in areas in and around the buildings.

Responsibilities:

• Regular attendance is required to perform all essential functions of this position.
  
• Perform non-mechanical repair and other services in common areas, classrooms and offices as directed.
  
• Complete work orders, which may include light bulb changing, light carpentry, touch-up painting, minor damage to furniture, window treatments, and storm window and screen removal, repair, cleaning and installation.
  
• Commitment to providing best-practice level of customer service to the Lab Community, which includes students, faculty, staff and parents.
  
• Generate follow up work orders for requests that require the services of engineers or skilled trades.
  
• Maintain and ensure the orderly appearance of adjoining areas and special equipment that supports the Lab Community, including site amenities such as loading docks, grills, patios, decks, exterior stairwells, green roofs and bicycle racks to maintain safe and presentable areas of travel accessible paths.
  
• Provide significant physical support for snow shoveling and removal, policing litter at entrances and exterior refuse collection.
  
• Entrance and lobby monitoring for cleanliness and emergency response cleaning.
  
• May include inspections, bulk content removal and disposal, furniture inventory and repair, window treatments, window screens and storms, light bulb replacement, minor plumbing, light carpentry, access coordination, follow-up and final quality inspection.
  
• Complete daily tasks including but not limited to loading dock organization and cleaning, exterior trash monitoring and collection, entrance and lobby monitoring and cleaning, playground maintenance and cleaning, copy paper delivery.
  
• Perform emergency response cleaning, and holiday break and summer classroom and office cleaning.
  
• Perform all work required for setting up, moving, removing, cleaning and preparing for event setup in support of programs as directed.
  
• Assist the IS Department, when needed, with A/V installations for events.
  
• Perform and participate in office-wide programs, initiatives, and relationships and collaborating with colleagues.
  
• Serve as an ambassador for clients and Lab staff. Examples include resident staff moves, recommending products, accepting deliveries, storage room management and oversight on open days, furniture and supply inventory management.
  
• Key member of the team supporting the annual summer maintenance program.
  
• Provide room or common space access and oversight for students, FS trades, outside contractors, and management and for scheduled inspections by management, professional consultants or contractors.
  
• May provide coordination of activities with janitorial contractors and assist in new staff training orientation.
  
• Respond promptly to emergency situations such as water leaks and fire alarms.
  
• Assist security in missing student building sweeps.
  
• Other duties as assigned.
  

Competencies:

• Adhere to Core Values, including, but not limited to collaboration, safety, service, efficiency and effectiveness, credibility, responsiveness, quality, accountability and respect.
  
• Demonstrated organizational skills to manage and complete multiple requests/projectssimultaneously, set priorities and meet deadlines required.
  
• Decision-making, verbal and written communication and customer service skills required.
  
• Demonstrated ability to work with supervision to identify and describe work task priorities required.
  
• Work independently and as part of a team required.
  
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and lead the work of others required.
  
• Demonstrated ability to interact and communicate with clarity, tact and courtesy with patrons, staff, faculty, students and others required.
  
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing required.
  
• Demonstrated ability to recognize and resolve or refer to problems and conflicts required.
  

Additional Requirements


Education, Experience, or Certifications:

Education:

• High school diploma, or GED required.
  
• Associate's degree in engineering, business, or another relevant field or a certificate from a college or technical school preferred.
  

Experience:

• A minimum of two years relevant work experience is required.
  
• Lead experience preferred.
  
• Previous experience working in a facilities support role preferred.
  
• Previous experience working in a K-12 educational setting preferred.
  

Certifications:

• Valid Driver's License required. Must successfully complete the University's Motor Vehicle Records process.
  
• Ability to obtain a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with a Passenger Endorsement within a specified date required.
  

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to work in a School and office environment with a diverse group of staff, students, parents, faculty.
  
• Must be capable of strenuous daily physical activity such as snow shoveling and removal, walking, crouching, kneeling, climbing, driving, and cleaning.
  
• Ability to work efficiently, professionally and safely with tools of the maintenance trade, snow blowers, snow shovels, equipment and small hand and power tools requiring high dexterity.
  
• Requisition materials and supplies as needed for projects so as to ensure productive and efficient use of skills and time.
  
• Ability to carry or lift loads/objects of up to 25 lbs.
  
• Ability to carry or lift loads/objects of 25 to 49 lbs.
  
• Ability to carry or lift loads/objects of 50 to 99 lbs.
  
• Ability to push/pull loads/objects of up to 25 lbs.
  
• Ability to push/pull loads/objects of 25 to 49 lbs.
  
• Ability to push/pull loads/objects of 50 to 99 lbs.
  
• Ability to sit for up to 2 hours.
  
• Ability to stand for 4 hours or more.
  
• Ability to use computers.
  
• Ability to climb stairs up to 5 stories.
  
• Ability to occasionally work from ladders or lifts.
  
• Ability to Use standard office equipment.
  
• Ability to safely operate a vehicle.
  

Pay Range:

• $21.08 hourly
  

Required Documents:

• Resume
  
• Cover Letter
  
• Professional References Contact Information (3)
  

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Benefit Eligibility

Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement

No
Pay Frequency

Hourly
Pay Range

Please refer to Additional Requirements to see the pay ranges
Scheduled Weekly Hours

40
Union

022- Local 743, I.B.T. Service Maintenance
Job is Exempt

No
Drug Test Required

No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

Yes
Health Screen Required
No
Posting Date

2024-09-19
Remove from Posting On or Before

2025-03-19
Posting Statement:


The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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