Campus Environment & Facilities Leader

Latino Outdoors; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

403(b) Retirement Plan

Free zoo membership

Job summary

Woodland Park Zoo is seeking a Campus Environment Manager to lead grounds, custodial, and labor operations across the zoo campus. You will supervise frontline leads, coordinate across departments, and manage vendor contracts to deliver high-quality service and a welcoming environment for guests.

The role requires a hands-on leader with strong organizational and communication skills, capable of adapting to events, evenings, weekends, and emergency calls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
• Five+ years of progressively responsible experience in facilities/grounds/custodial/operations management.
• Three+ years of experience leading staff or supervisors in a public-facing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations for grounds, custodial, and labor support services across the zoo campus.
• Supervise frontline leads and coordinate work across Grounds, Custodial, labor.
• Oversee unit recycle program and Waste labor support.
• Set daily, weekly, and seasonal priorities to maintain a safe, clean, functional campus.
• Coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance activities and ensure timely follow-through.

Skills

Campus operations leadership

Budget management

Vendor management

Team leadership

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in grounds, horticulture, custodial management, operations, environmental services, construction management, or related field

Job description

SALARY & FLSA: $76,107.20 – $114,150.40, year; exempt

The $76,107.20 annual starting pay is structured to be competitive and may extend up to the $95,128.80 midpoint of the annual range, reflecting our commitment to offering competitive compensation to qualified candidates.

OPENING DATE: 10/2/2026

CLOSING DATE: 10/23/2026 – This position may close early if a sufficient number of qualified applications are received.

JOB TYPE: Regular, Full-time

UNION: Non-Represented

OPENINGS: 1

LOCATION: Onsite

DEPARTMENT: Environmental Sustainable Operations

Requires occasional after-hours availability, including emergency calls up to 10:30 PM and work on evenings, weekends, or holidays as needed.

HOW DO YOU ZOO?

More than 1.3 million people visit Woodland Park Zoo each year. We connect people with wildlife and remind them of what’s at stake in our changing world. Our job is to motivate people to take action and provide them with the tools needed to join us in saving endangered species. Working for the zoo means upholding our mission, “To save wildlife and inspire everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives.” Apply today and show us how you zoo.

WHO YOU ARE
As our new Campus Environment Manager, we know you will be successful in this role because you are:

• A knowledgeable campus operations leader who knows what it takes to keep grounds, custodial services, facility systems, and preventive maintenance working together, and takes pride in creating a campus that is safe, beautiful, clean, and welcoming every day.
• A strategic organizer who loves making things happen by coordinating multiple workstreams, setting priorities, managing budgets and resources, and partnering with vendors and contractors to deliver quality service and get the best results.
• A people-focused leader and relationship builder who enjoys coaching frontline teams and supervisors, collaborating across departments, and bringing people together to solve problems and create an exceptional campus experience.
• A hands-on, adaptable problem solver who enjoys that no two days are exactly alike, from tackling an unexpected facility need to preparing the campus for a busy day or special event, and gets real satisfaction from seeing the immediate, visible impact of their team’s work.

YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead day-to-day operations for grounds, custodial, and labor support services across the zoo campus.
• Supervise and support frontline leads and supervisors, and coordinate work across Grounds, Custodial, labor
• Supervisor functions, including overseeing Unit recycle program and Waste labor support.
• Set daily, weekly, and seasonal priorities to maintain a safe, clean, functional, and guest-ready campus.
• Conduct regular inspections of public and back-of-house areas and ensure timely follow-through on identify issues.
• Coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance activities and help ensure work is completed efficiently and to standard.
• Manage service levels for equipment preventative maintenance program, grounds care, custodial cleanliness, waste handling, event support, and site logistics.
• Partner closely with animal care, guest experience, events, sustainability, security, and project teams to align operational work with zoo needs.
• Support special events, seasonal operations, emergency preparedness, and peak visitation periods.
• Manage vendors and contractors, including scheduling, service quality, scope alignment, and cost control.
• Monitor budgets, supplies, equipment, and purchasing decisions to support efficient operations.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
• Coach and develop staff by setting expectations, providing feedback, and building team capability.
• Support the Senior Director of Campus Environment & Sustainability Operations by translating strategic priorities into daily execution and elevating issues as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in grounds, horticulture, and custodial management, operations, environmental services, construction management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in facilities, grounds, custodial, or operations management.
• Three or more years of experience leading staff or supervisors in a complex, public-facing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple workstreams, set priorities, and lead frontline operations with strong follow-through.
• Working knowledge of grounds care, custodial operations, facility systems, workplace safety, and preventive maintenance practices.
• Experience managing vendors, service contracts, budgets, supplies, and equipment.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships across diverse teams.
• Ability to work on occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, or emergency response assignments as needed.

BENEFITS

The Woodland Park Zoo offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time staff including:

• Medical, dental, and vision HMO and PPO plans for you and eligible dependents
• 11 paid holidays and 4 personal holidays
• Accrue 12 vacation days and another 12 days of sick leave your first year
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Free zoo membership that includes zoo admission and discounts after 90 days
• 4 complimentary tickets per year plus other discounts and perks
• Free staff parking
• 403(b) Retirement Plan

SELECTION PROCESS
Application: Please include a resume and cover letter with your application through our Zoo Careers site atzoo.org/jobs. Please be sure to list or upload copies of all relevant training and certifications on your application. The zoo may review existing application pools to fill this position or use this pool to fill future vacancies.

This opportunity is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Woodland Park Zoo values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The zoo encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, 2SLGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences. Woodland Park Zoo is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in all its services. If you need accommodation in the application or interview process, please contact our recruiting team at [e-mail].

Screening: We will review applications and select some candidates for screening calls. Final candidates will be invited for virtual or in-person interviews.

Offer: Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process including the completion of a background check. In addition, this role requires the applicant to successfully complete a: driving record review and pre-employment tuberculosis test.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.