Facilities Technology and Automation Specialist

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POSITION SPECIFICS

The Office of Physical Plant (OPP) is seeking a Facilities Technology and Automation Specialist to improve facilities, maintenance, asset-management, project-delivery, and administrative processes through the strategic use of automation, machine-learning tools, enterprise data, business-process improvement, and approved facilities-management applications.

Reporting to the Director of Business Intelligence & Automation, this position serves as a bridge between OPP business units and enterprise technology providers. The specialist identifies operational needs, evaluates available solutions, coordinates implementation, supports adoption, and measures whether technology-enabled improvements reduce manual effort, improve process consistency, strengthen data quality, and enhance service delivery.

The successful candidate will work closely with maintenance, engineering, operations, finance, project delivery, planning, and administrative units to improve how information is captured, managed, shared, and used throughout the facilities lifecycle. The role applies advanced analytical and problem-solving methods to moderately complex operational issues and translates business requirements into practical, sustainable solutions.

This position does not develop software, enterprise technology platforms, reports, or dashboards. Instead, it identifies and implements approved automation and machine-learning tools; improves the business processes measured by existing reports and dashboards; supports data quality and system adoption; and partners with report, dashboard, and enterprise technology owners when changes to those products or platforms are needed.

Primary Responsibilities

Facilities Business Process Improvement

• Evaluate existing facilities, maintenance, project-management, asset-management, and administrative processes to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, reduced manual effort, improved control, and better service delivery.
• Lead moderately complex process-improvement initiatives that leverage approved automation and machine-learning tools within OPP's facilities domain.
• Document current-state and future-state business processes, identify root causes of inefficiency, and recommend practical solutions that improve operational outcomes.
• Develop standards and repeatable practices for efficient, consistent, and well-governed business operations across OPP.

Facilities Business Intelligence and Technology Strategy

• Collaborate with OPP leadership to identify opportunities where automation, machine learning, process redesign, and facilities business applications can improve operations, asset performance, maintenance delivery, project execution, and customer service.
• Develop and maintain a facilities technology and automation roadmap aligned with OPP strategic objectives and operational priorities.
• Analyze existing operational data, performance measures, and process evidence to define use cases, establish baselines, identify trends and opportunities, and evaluate the effects of implemented solutions.
• Apply statistical thinking and appropriate analytical methods to assess process performance, identify potential predictive or machine-learning use cases, and support evidence-based recommendations. The position uses existing reports and dashboards as inputs and does not develop them.
• Assist in evaluating emerging automation and machine-learning technologies and determine their applicability, limitations, risks, and expected value for facilities-related business functions.
• Serve as a liaison between OPP stakeholders and PSU Information Technology regarding technology initiatives, business requirements, integrations, security reviews, and platform constraints.

Automation and Machine-Learning Tools

• Identify, evaluate, pilot, and coordinate implementation of approved workflow-automation, process-automation, machine-learning, and digital-collaboration tools that address documented OPP business needs.
• Translate operational requirements into solution criteria, use cases, workflow designs, implementation plans, acceptance criteria, and measures of success.
• Assist departments with configuration, testing, validation, implementation, and adoption of approved solutions; coordinate technical development or platform changes with the appropriate PSU IT or vendor resources.
• Establish appropriate human review, exception handling, data use, security, privacy, and operational controls for automated and machine-learning-enabled processes.
• Monitor implemented solutions and measure benefits, including time savings, process consistency, quality, risk reduction, service improvements, adoption, and return on effort.
• Support the responsible use of machine-learning tools by documenting intended use, limitations, data dependencies, validation results, and required human oversight.

Facilities Data and Information Management

• Promote effective use of enterprise data to support maintenance, operations, planning, project delivery, financial management, asset stewardship, and performance improvement.
• Support data-governance initiatives that improve data quality, collection, stewardship, consistency, accessibility, and appropriate use across facilities business systems.
• Collaborate with business areas to identify critical facilities information needs, data dependencies, and opportunities to improve data capture and management practices.
• Support the definition and maintenance of data models, process measures, business rules, and data-quality checks needed for automation and machine-learning use cases; coordinate technical implementation with system owners.
• Assist departments in using existing enterprise data resources and performance information to support informed operational decisions without assuming responsibility for report or dashboard development.

Facilities Business Systems Support

• Collaborate with stakeholders using facilities and maintenance management systems, including IBM Maximo, Trimble Unity Construct, GIS platforms, Microsoft 365 solutions, financial and asset-management systems, and other approved enterprise facilities applications.
• Assist with business-requirements gathering, process evaluation, workflow design, user-acceptance testing, system-configuration coordination, and operational improvements.
• Identify opportunities for improved integration, data utilization, process controls, and information flow across facilities business systems.
• Maintain clear documentation of business requirements, workflows, data dependencies, configuration decisions, testing results, operating procedures, and lessons learned.

Technology Governance, Security, and Compliance

• Support governance activities related to automation tools, machine-learning solutions, facilities business systems, and enterprise data resources.
• Help establish standards for the responsible, secure, transparent, and sustainable use of automation and machine-learning technologies within OPP processes.
• Ensure business processes and proposed solutions align with University policies related to cybersecurity, privacy, data protection, records management, accessibility, and system usage.
• Coordinate with PSU IT, cybersecurity, privacy, procurement, legal, and system-owner stakeholders regarding technology risk assessments, security reviews, compliance requirements, and approved usage requirements.

Vendor and Consultant Coordination

• Participate in evaluating technology vendors and consultants that support OPP facilities business processes.
• Assist in coordinating vendor relationships, project deliverables, implementation activities, service expectations, and issue resolution.
• Review vendor proposals and make recommendations based on business needs, operational impact, security and compliance considerations, sustainability, and long-term value.
• Coordinate implementation efforts among vendors, PSU IT, system owners, and OPP stakeholders.

Organizational Change and Adoption

• Develop training, communication, and change-management strategies that encourage effective use of new automation, machine-learning, and facilities business-system capabilities.
• Serve as a trusted resource for departments implementing new business processes and approved technology solutions.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, responsible innovation, data literacy, and practical technology adoption throughout OPP.
• Assist leadership in evaluating adoption, effectiveness, operational benefits, risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Present concepts, findings, implementation options, and recommendations clearly and persuasively to managers, employees, vendors, and University stakeholders.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of facilities management, maintenance operations, project delivery, asset management, and administrative support functions.
• Understanding of work-management processes, asset-lifecycle management, maintenance strategies, and facilities-related business applications.
• Ability to analyze operational workflows and data-supported performance measures, identify opportunities for improvement, and evaluate the benefits and limitations of potential solutions.
• Experience identifying, evaluating, implementing, or optimizing automation tools, machine-learning applications, or digital workflow solutions to improve business processes.
• Knowledge of data governance, data collection, data quality, information management, database concepts, and data dependencies that affect automation and machine-learning use cases.
• Understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals, privacy, data protection, technology governance, responsible automation, and human oversight.
• Ability to translate operational needs into solution requirements, workflow designs, implementation plans, and measurable outcomes without performing software development or report/dashboard development.
• Experience collaborating with vendors, consultants, PSU IT, system owners, and diverse business stakeholders; ability to facilitate consensus and manage competing priorities.
• Strong project coordination, organization, communication, consultation, statistical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within facilities management, maintenance, construction management, asset management, higher education, public sector, or a similarly complex operational environment.
• Knowledge of business-process mapping, workflow design, continuous-improvement methodologies, work management, and asset-lifecycle practices.
• Experience supporting automation or machine-learning technology deployments, user acceptance, process validation, and organizational change initiatives.
• Experience working with enterprise data governance, information management, data quality, or system-integration programs.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity, privacy, vendor risk, and technology-governance practices related to business systems, automation, and machine-learning tools.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

SALARY & BENEFITS

Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

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