Campus Operations & Sustainability Leader

Zoo Careers; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Paid holidays and personal days

Vacation and sick leave

FSA

Staff parking

Retirement plan

Job summary

Woodland Park Zoo is seeking a campus operations leader to oversee grounds, custodial, and support services across the zoo campus. This role requires coordinating multiple teams, managing budgets and vendors, and ensuring a safe, welcoming environment for guests.

You will lead frontline supervisors, align work with the zoo’s mission, and support special events, emergency readiness, and peak visitation periods. A strong background in facilities management and team development is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in grounds, horticulture, custodial management, operations or related field.
• Five+ years in facilities/grounds/custodial/operations management.
• Three+ years leading staff in a public-facing environment.
• Ability to coordinate multiple workstreams, set priorities, and lead frontline operations.
• Knowledge of grounds care, custodial operations, facility systems, safety, and preventive maintenance.
• Experience managing vendors, contracts, budgets, supplies, and equipment.
• Strong communication and relationship-building across diverse teams.
• Occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, or emergency response availability.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations for grounds, custodial, and labor support services across the zoo campus.
• Supervise frontline leads and supervisors and coordinate work across Grounds, Custodial, and labor teams.
• Set daily/weekly/seasonal priorities to maintain a safe, clean, and guest-ready campus.
• Inspect public and back-of-house areas and ensure timely issue resolution.
• Coordinate preventive and corrective maintenance to ensure efficient work.
• Manage service levels for maintenance programs, grounds care, custodial cleanliness, waste handling, and events.
• Partner with animal care, guest experience, events, sustainability, security, and project teams to align work with zoo needs.
• Support special events, peak visitation, and emergency preparedness.
• Manage vendors/contractors, including scheduling, scope, and cost control.
• Monitor budgets, supplies, equipment, and purchasing decisions for efficiency.
• Promote safety, accountability, teamwork, inclusion and continuous improvement.
• Coach staff by setting expectations and providing feedback.

Skills

Campus operations leadership

Strategic planning

Staff coaching

Vendor coordination

Budget management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in facilities/grounds management

Job description

Woodland Park Zoo is seeking a campus operations leader to oversee grounds, custodial, and support services across the zoo campus. This role requires coordinating multiple teams, managing budgets and vendors, and ensuring a safe, welcoming environment for guests.

You will lead frontline supervisors, align work with the zoo’s mission, and support special events, emergency readiness, and peak visitation periods. A strong background in facilities management and team development is essential.