Assistant Director of Facilities

The Field School; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer retirement plans

Medical, dental & vision insurance

Life insurance

Long-term care insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

The Field School in Washington, DC is seeking an Assistant Director of Facilities to lead hands-on maintenance, safety, and campus operations. This role ensures efficient facility operations and supports daily business needs for a diverse school community.

You will manage the facilities team, coordinate with vendors, oversee safety, and assist in budgeting and long-term planning. This is a full-time, exempt position with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a similar role.
• Degree in facilities management, engineering, or property management.
• Knowledge of local regulations and laws.
• Proficiency with Google Suite and Microsoft Office; FMX experience preferred.
• Past experience with FMX software strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assists in preparing facilities budgets and monitoring expenditures.
• Co-manages campus events and liaises with security.
• Supervises housekeeping and maintenance staff.
• Oversees contracted labor for landscaping, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, and more.
• Responds to maintenance needs and coordinates repairs.
• Supports safety procedures and regulatory compliance.
• Plans long-term remodeling and space needs.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Multilingual workforce

Professional communication

Project management

Detail oriented

Vendor negotiation

Adaptability

Confidentiality

Strategic planning

Spanish speaker preferred

Education

Facilities management / engineering / property management degree

Tools

FMX software

Google Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Type & Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried (overtime-exempt), benefits-eligible position. Benefits include employer & employee-funded retirement plans, choice of medical, dental & vision insurance plans, employer & employee-funded life insurance, long-term care insurance, short & long-term disability insurance, and paid time off (vacation, sick, and parental leave), among other comprehensive employer-sponsored benefits.

Subject Matter & Projected Pay Range

(per the D.C. Wage Transparency Omnibus Amendment Act of 2023): Facilities & Physical Plant Management: $75,000-$90,000.

Reports to:

The Director of Facilities

Direct Reports:

Members of the Facilities Dept. (maintenance and housekeeping) report to this position. The School’s roster of Bus Drivers also has dual reporting and oversight by this role and the Director of Facilities.

Organizational Description:

The Field School's program is ambitious and bold, and our faculty are required to embody the mission of the School – students discover their authentic selves and distinctive paths to become empathetic, creative thinkers who act boldly to shape our shared future – in their day-to-day interactions with students, in the design and implementation of curriculum, and in their professional interaction with colleagues.

At Field, all employees in any department are considered “faculty” of the School and share responsibility for our students' experience. A flexible and innovative mindset is required. As content experts and students of best practice, all Field faculty are expected to adapt to their students' learning interests and needs. Strong communication skills and a willingness to collaborate are also important, as Field faculty in leadership regularly work with other teachers, student-support teams, department chairs, academic leadership, and non-teaching operational departments to ensure that all of our students are being supported and challenged by our mission.

At Field, we believe that students learn best when they feel a sense of belonging at their School – when they are seen and valued by their teachers, peers, and School community. Our approach to community emphasizes respect for, and the inclusion of, all community members as individuals. We equally value a focus on the common good and the well-being of the School community as a whole. This balance means that we prioritize the community without prioritizing sameness.

Field is a place where our classrooms and programs are better because they mirror the outside world. We have a diversity of identity, thought, experience, and ability. We believe in the interconnectedness of people and ideas, and we strive to be a learning community at every level of the School. At the core, faculty of any discipline and department are expected to be committed learners and model community members. While Field is an independent school, we are not independent of each other or our established academic standards. Faculty are members of the larger Field community and expected to shepherd the values of the School.

Position Description:

The Assistant Director of Facilities is a hands-on position that manages the maintenance and upkeep of all School facilities (buildings, grounds, physical plant equipment, and our vehicle fleet) in a safe and efficient work environment that improves performance, optimizes productivity, and achieves results. The Assistant Director of Facilities must understand the technical aspects of the property, support day-to-day business operations, ensure efficient facility operations, mitigate risk, and ensure facilities meet the needs of our students, staff, visitors, and neighbors. This position plays a key role in the School's day-to-day operations—creating integrated spaces, minimizing disruptions to business operations, improving working conditions, and creating a safe and comfortable environment for the community.

The Assistant Director of Facilities supports the Director of Facilities in managing daily maintenance, cleanliness, safety, functionality, and overall campus readiness. This position provides hands-on operational leadership for facilities services, including maintenance requests, preventative maintenance, janitorial services, vendor coordination, campus inspections, and facilities-related projects.

This is a hands-on, physically active position where this role will work side by side with members of the larger Facilities Team. Strong skills and experience in electrical work, plumbing, HVAC systems, carpentry, drywall, painting, and other general repair and janitorial work are sought, with certification or licensure strongly preferred.

The Assistant Director of Facilities will serve as a middle manager and primary point of contact for facilities-related concerns during and outside regular business hours. This position reports to the Director of Facilities and has direct reports (transportation and facility team members).

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Assists in preparing facilities budgets and monitoring expenditures


• Acts as a secondary School liaison with a third-party security firm that provides on-site security during campus hours


• Co-Manages logistics for School-related campus events


• Supervises housekeeping and maintenance staff


• Assists in overseeing and managing contracted labor, including but not limited to landscaping, mechanical, electrical, HVAC, and visitor management systems


• Responds to immediate maintenance needs and coordinates routine maintenance and repairs.


• Assists in the management of waste disposal and our recycling program


• Assists in the creation and maintenance of facilities and grounds-related policies and procedures, and ensures appropriate compliance by staff and contractors


• Involved in training facilities staff on safety procedures, minimizing hazards, and ensuring compliance with local regulations and laws


• Long-term duties such as coordinating remodeling and refurbishment initiatives, forecasting space needs, and designing and planning faculty and staff workstations


• Perform other duties assigned by the Facilities Director or Head of School, or their designee

Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies and a multilingual workforce


• Polite and professional communication via phone, email, and in-person


• Ability to manage multiple projects, both long- and short-term, at one time


• Highly organized with a keen eye for detail


• Contract negotiation along with establishing a firm yet positive rapport with vendors


• Ability to adapt to new systems and create efficient workflow


• Maintains confidentiality of financial and proprietary information


• Strategic thinker in future planning of building and maintenance projects


• While the primary language for this position is English, someone who is also a Spanish speaker is strongly preferred

Education & Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a similar role.


• Degree in facilities management, engineering, or property management.


• Broad knowledge of logistics and business functions, and project management experience.


• Working knowledge of local regulations and laws.


• Proficient in Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and other web-based software platforms. Past experience with FMX software is strongly preferred.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional School environment, both indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions. It is primarily active, with the majority of the day spent engaged in physical activity (standing and moving).

Physical Demands:

Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to walk, stand, stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, twist, grasp, push, pull, and/or lift moderate to heavy amounts of weight (may exceed 50 pounds) and to hear and speak to communicate verbally. This is a hands-on, physically active position where this role will work side by side with members of the larger Facilities Team performing room set-ups, general repair, and janitorial work, far more than office desk work.

Travel:

Regular travel is not expected in this position.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assignedat any time with or without notice.

The Field School is committed to building a diverse and equitable faculty. The School does not discriminate based on a person's race, color, sex, gender, identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, homelessness, or any other ground

prohibited by Federal or District of Columbia law.