Facilities Manager - DRAFT

Effective December 1st, 2024

The Facilities Manager plays a crucial role in maintaining the physical infrastructure and operational efficiency of Phillips Brooks School (PBS). This position requires technical expertise, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to providing our students, faculty, and staff with a safe and welcoming environment. The position involves overseeing one staff person, budgeting, compliance, safety, and long-term facility planning.

This person is equally important when working with external vendors on campus. Serving as the first line of support when identifying a maintenance issue, this person will be responsible for welcoming vendors to campus alongside the Facilities Assistant, acting as the primary liaison to managing the vendor through project completion.

Finally, as a vibrant school community, this position will support all aspects of campus life, including event support for all community gatherings, student events, and faculty and staff meetings. This position will review all event work orders, approve requests for campus resources, and communicate with many constituents, including the advancement and admissions offices and the technology team.

The successful candidate is someone who desires to go above and beyond for our community members to be part of a support team and is excited about working with various people, including parents and young children, as part of a Preschool-5th grade independent school community. They must be courteous and knowledgeable and use their problem-solving skills to interact with our faculty and staff to ensure student learning can continue throughout the day in a safe classroom and school environment. 

Reporting to the Associate Head of the School, the Facilities Manager is a crucial team member who helps the school function well on a day-to-day basis and focuses on strategic planning for longer-term campus development. The successful candidate will be able to thrive in a school environment that centers on ensuring the students are at the center of decision-making about safety and campus life.

Specific Job Responsibilities, including but not limited to: 

• Facility Maintenance and Operations:
• Oversee and manage routine maintenance and repairs of school buildings and grounds.
• Implement preventative maintenance programs to extend the life of facilities and equipment.
• Coordinate with external vendors to ensure timely and cost-effective services.
• Create systems using project management tools that would allow for visibility into maintenance requests, vendor inventory management, and workflow tools. 
• Safety and Compliance:
• Prioritize safety through regular inspections and adherence to safety regulations.
• Conduct risk assessments and develop emergency response plans.
• Ensure compliance with building codes, fire safety regulations, and other relevant standards.
• Support the school’s commitment to risk management by serving on the incident command team and the safety committee.
• Budgetary Management:
• Develop and manage the annual facilities budget.
• Process invoices and expenses, in collaboration with the business office.
• Monitor expenses and identify cost-saving opportunities through contract negotiations.
• Prioritize projects based on fiscal constraints and long-term goals.
• Event Support:
• Coordinate facility preparations for school events, including supporting advancement and admission events and faculty and staff meetings.
• Ensure event setups and tear-downs are efficient and minimize disruptions to daily operations as well as to neighbors.
• Staff Management:
• Lead and supervise one facility team staff member, assigning tasks, providing training, and evaluating performance.
• Foster a positive and productive work environment that is consistent with the values of the school
• Student Community Involvement:
• Assists with student-facing duties during the school day, including supporting the arrival and departure of students and families from campus and other coverage duties

Qualifications

• Multiple years of experience in facilities management, preferably in an educational setting.
• Strong understanding of building maintenance systems, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems. Building and grounds multi-year planning a plus.
• Skills in planning, scheduling, and executing construction and renovation projects.
• The ability to develop and manage budgets for maintenance, repairs, and capital improvement projects.
• Ability to work with the city building department, file and check the status of permits, and communicate with city staff and inspectors on school projects including new building construction and arborist work
• Ability to develop strong external vendor relationships, check references, and communicate clearly with vendors on timelines for deliverables.  
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal safety regulations and codes.
• Excellent organizational, time, and project management skills.
• Ability to work proactively and independently, with minimal supervision.
• Awareness of sustainable building practices and energy efficiency.
• Technical skills that include working with Google products, events software, and inventory management systems.
• Valid driver's license and ability to pass all school-related background checks including Livescan fingerprinting
• B.A. preferred, technical certification accepted with significant demonstrated work history 

The ideal candidate will possess these qualities:

• Passionate about providing excellent client service and eager to work in a diverse, dynamic school environment.
• A kind, motivated, and curious individual who thrives in a collaborative environment. 
• Strong problem-solver with excellent attention to detail and a passion for working with students and families.
• Detail-oriented problem-solver with a strong service mindset. 

This is a year-round, exempt position with the expectation that the position will be entirely on campus during regular school hours. There will be occasional work responsibilities outside the daily schedule for special events and emergency facility and maintenance issues. There is an expectation that this position will be on call for all facility/natural disaster-based situations.

Phillips Brooks School offers competitive pay and a generous benefits package, including paid medical, dental, vision, life & disability for employees; vacation and sick leave; 403(b) retirement contribution; and professional development.

Salary Range: $80,000-$100,000

About The Phillips Brooks School

Phillips Brooks School is an independent, co-educational day school offering a truly child-centered learning program for preschool through 5th grade, located in Menlo Park – neighboring Stanford University. PBS is a diverse community of families and educators committed to partnering in support of student learning. We offer intimate student-to-teacher ratios, ensuring that each child is known and loved by their teachers. Our Early Learning Center program engages our youngest students in creative, play-based, hands-on projects to teach early literacy, math, and problem-solving skills. Our innovative, rigorous, and research-based K–5 program blends literacy and math curricula with deep, experiential learning in world languages, visual art, music, and STEM. PBS's unmatched Emotional Intelligence program, integrated throughout the curriculum, ensures that PBS students are set up for a lifetime of being eager learners and great people.

Connections working at The Phillips Brooks School