Director of Campus Planning & Projects

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School; San Juan Capistrano (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in California seeks a proven facilities leader for the role of Director of Campus Planning & Projects.

The position oversees the school’s physical development, long-term campus planning, deferred maintenance projects, furniture procurement, and campus master planning initiatives. The ideal candidate combines technical facilities expertise with strong project management and fiscal stewardship, and will liaison with PacWest Asset Management for real estate

Qualifications

• Proven facilities leadership experience in educational or complex organizational settings.
• Strong project management and budgeting skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Ability to navigate municipal relationships and campus governance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee physical development and long-term campus planning.
• Manage annual deferred maintenance projects and furniture lifecycle planning.
• Lead campus master planning initiatives and coordinate with external partners.
• Serve as primary liaison with PacWest Asset Management for real estate oversight.
• Foster transparent communication and empower facilities teams.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Facilities management

Project management

Communication

Emotional intelligence

Job description

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Director of Campus Planning & Projects

St. Margaret's Episcopal School (SMES) seeks a proven facilities leader who will bring a strategic vision and operational excellence to the role of the Director of Campus Planning & Projects.

The Director of Campus Planning & Projects is a strategic leadership role responsible for overseeing the physical development, long-term planning of our school campus, and oversight of commercial real estate. This position manages annual deferred maintenance projects, furniture procurement and lifecycle planning, campus master planning initiatives, and serves as the primary liaison with PacWest Asset Management for commercial real estate oversight. The ideal candidate will combine technical facilities expertise with strong project management skills and a deep commitment to supporting our school's educational mission through excellent campus stewardship.

The successful leader will be an exceptional communicator and servant leader with high emotional intelligence who empowers teams, maintains executive presence, and builds strong relationships across all levels of the organization. Proven fiscal stewardship expertise, a proactive solution-oriented mindset, and the ability to navigate complex municipal relationships is required.

St. Margaret’s is a vibrant learning community where natural curiosity and academic pursuit flourish. As an independent day school serving students in preschool through grade 12, SMES provides a vigorous college-preparatory program dedicated to educating the hearts and the minds of its students and nurturing the whole child. Students have unlimited opportunities to discover and explore new passions and curiosities. They are supported and cheered on by a diverse and welcoming community, and the school’s 25-acre campus provides an ideal learning environment for students to excel in academics, athletics, the arts and more.

Success requires navigating the complexities of a year-round campus with limited maintenance windows, building credibility through transparent communication with all stakeholders, and empowering a team of strong facilities leaders.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal Schoolhas retained Opus Partners to support this recruitment. Kenna Boyd, Partner, and Thomas Lapierre, Senior Associate, are leading the search.

Anticipated hiring range: $130,000 to $165,000 annually

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St. Margaret's Episcopal School is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national and ethnic origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.