Critical Facilities Director

Boden Talent; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Boden Talent is partnering with our client to appoint a seasoned Critical Environments / Critical Facilities Director to lead the operational oversight of a mission-critical R&D laboratory portfolio, spanning bench labs to cleanrooms for microprocessor and data chip testing.

This senior role emphasizes leadership over vendor relationships, change management, and technical governance to protect sensitive environments, ensuring reliability, uptime, and regulatory compliance across all critical MEP

Qualifications

• 7–10 years in critical facilities operations within labs, cleanrooms, pharma, or semiconductor environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Strong expertise in MEP systems (power, UPS, generators, HVAC, fire/life safety).
• Experience managing vendors, contracts, and on-site service delivery.
• Proven change management controls, MOPs, SOPs, and risk mitigation.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills with a service mindset.

Responsibilities

• Oversee maintenance activities by specialist vendors on critical lab systems.
• Approve MOPs for work on critical systems to minimise risk.
• Manage change control for planned maintenance and scheduling.
• Oversee contractor activities and safety/operational standards.
• Ensure 24/7 reliability of building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing).
• Lead RCA investigations and implement corrective actions.

Skills

Critical facilities management

Vendor management

Change management

Leadership & communication

Risk mitigation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Tools

CMMS

BMS/BAS

GxP compliance tools

Job description

Critical Environments / Facilities Operations Director – Labs (CEM/CFM)

Position Summary

Boden Talent is partnering with our client to appoint an experienced and technically proficient Critical Environments / Critical Facilities Director to lead the operational oversight of a mission-critical Research & Development (R&D) laboratory portfolio. This portfolio includes a diverse range of environments, from low-level bench laboratories to highly critical cleanroom spaces supporting microprocessor and data chip performance testing.

This is a senior leadership role rather than a hands‑on technical position. The Director will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, uptime, and safety of all critical Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP), and life safety systems that support our client’s research operations. The role focuses on vendor leadership, rigorous change management, and expert technical oversight to protect sensitive laboratory environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight of all preventative and corrective maintenance activities carried out by specialist vendors on critical laboratory support systems.
• Develop, review, and approve all Methods of Procedure (MOPs) for work on critical systems to ensure risk is minimised.
• Own and manage the site’s change management control process for planned maintenance, ensuring effective scheduling and communication to reduce operational impact.
• Oversee contractor activities within the facility, ensuring full understanding of critical building functions and adherence to safety and operational standards.

Technical & Operational Management

• Act as the subject matter expert for the laboratory’s critical MEP infrastructure, with a clear understanding of system interdependencies and operational risk.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of system capacity, load, and redundancy to support continuous laboratory operations.
• Ensure 24/7 reliability and performance of all building systems supporting the labs, including HVAC (AHUs, CRACs, chillers), electrical systems (UPS, PDUs, generators), and plumbing and water systems (RODI, process cooling, sump pumps).
• Develop, implement, and maintain disaster recovery and business continuity plans for critical facility operations.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) investigations for all facility-related incidents and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Compliance, Documentation & Reporting

• Ensure all laboratory utility infrastructure complies with applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records for maintenance activities, engineering logs, MOPs, and system performance data.
• Prepare and present regular reports on system performance, vendor activity, incidents, and key performance indicators to senior leadership.

Financial & Strategic Planning

• Support the development and management of both operational and capital budgets for the laboratory facilities portfolio.
• Contribute to capacity planning and provide technical input for infrastructure upgrades, laboratory expansions, and new build projects.
• Identify and implement initiatives to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance overall system reliability.

Qualifications

Required

• 7–10 years of experience in critical facilities operations and management, ideally within laboratory, cleanroom, pharmaceutical, or semiconductor environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong system-level expertise across critical MEP systems, including power distribution, UPS, generators, HVAC, and fire/life safety systems.
• Proven experience managing vendors, contracts, and on-site service delivery.
• Demonstrated expertise in change management controls, MOPs, SOPs, and risk mitigation within mission‑critical environments.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills with a strong service‑oriented mindset.

Preferred

• Experience with Building Management Systems (BMS) or Building Automation Systems (BAS).
• Familiarity with Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
• Knowledge of laboratory-specific utilities such as RODI water, clean dry air (CDA), process exhaust, and gas or chemical monitoring systems.
• Relevant professional certifications (e.g. CFM, CDCP, or similar).
• Experience managing operational and capital budgets.