Director of Building, Operations and Maintenance (Control Code: 24091)

TITLE: Director of Buildings, Operations and Maintenance
REPORTS TO: Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services or Superintendent's Designee

SUPERVISES: Buildings and Operations manager, supervisors, maintenance personnel, custodial personnel, grounds personnel, skilled trades and technical staff, and other assigned employees.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director of Buildings, Operations, and Maintenance oversees District facility and grounds operations, provides leadership for capital planning, maintenance, custodial services, safety compliance, energy, and budgets. Collaborating with internal leadership and external partners, the Director establishes operational standards to ensure safe, clean, and efficient environments that support learning.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Strategic Facilities and Capital Planning

• Provide strategic leadership for the operation, maintenance, improvement, and long-term stewardship of all District buildings, grounds, infrastructure, and related assets.
• Develop and maintain short- and long-range facility plans based upon facility condition, educational priorities, safety, regulatory requirements, lifecycle expectations, enrollment needs, and available financial resources.
• Provide regular reports to District leadership regarding capital project status, emerging facility needs, risks, and recommended priorities.
• Provide strategic leadership for the long-term stewardship, operation, and maintenance of all District buildings, grounds, and infrastructure assets.
• Develop and execute multi-year capital improvement and facility plans informed by condition assessments, educational priorities, regulatory standards, and financial resources.
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of capital projects�from planning and design through construction, commissioning, and warranty�collaborating with architects, engineers, and construction teams to control scope, schedule, budget, and quality.
• Report regularly to District leadership on capital project progress, emerging facility risks, and prioritized recommendations to support strategic decision-making.

Preventive Maintenance and Asset Management

• Design, execute, and continuously improve a district-wide preventive maintenance program covering all major mechanical, electrical, plumbing, automation, and life-safety systems.
• Maintain detailed asset inventories and leverage lifecycle planning to track equipment condition, predict replacement timelines, and reduce reliance on emergency repairs.
• Analyze maintenance trends and recurring failures to identify opportunities for capital investment and operational efficiency.
• Establish and enforce high performance standards for maintenance quality, response times, work completion, and customer service.

Work Orders, Data and Performance Management

• Provide leadership for the District's work-order system, and related facilities technology.
• Ensure maintenance requests, preventive maintenance activities, equipment histories, labor, materials, and project information are accurately documented.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators for Buildings and Operations.
• Establish regular reporting mechanisms for District leadership.
• Performance indicators may include: preventive maintenance completion rates; work-order response and completion times; open and aging work orders; emergency versus preventive maintenance activity; custodial quality and inspection results; overtime usage; utility consumption and costs; equipment reliability; contractor performance; capital project schedule and budget performance; and departmental budget-to-actual expenditures.

Grounds and Exterior Operations

• Provide leadership for District grounds maintenance, landscaping, snow and ice management, pavement, sidewalks, drainage, athletic grounds, and exterior infrastructure.
• Establish District-wide grounds maintenance standards and seasonal work plans.
• Coordinate snow and ice response to ensure safe access to District facilities.
• Evaluate grounds equipment, staffing, contracted services, and operating practices for effectiveness and efficiency.
• Coordinate exterior facility improvements with capital planning and maintenance priorities.

Regulatory Compliance, Health and Life Safety & Emergency Preparedness

• Ensure district facilities and operations fully comply with federal, state, and local regulations, including Illinois Health/Life Safety standards, by overseeing all necessary inspections, certifications, and documentation.
• Manage environmental health, workplace safety, and accessibility programs�collaborating with leadership and consultants on OSHA compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead, and hazardous materials management.
• Lead incident management during facility emergencies and service disruptions, establishing clear after-hours response protocols and coordinating directly with administrators, public safety agencies, contractors, and utilities.
• Drive operational continuity by maintaining emergency vendor networks, facilitating safety drills, and leading post-incident evaluations to implement preventive risk-mitigation measures.

Workforce Leadership and Development

• Work collaboratively with Human Resources and District leadership regarding labor relations, employee performance, staffing, collective bargaining matters, and interpretation of applicable agreements.
• Lead, coach, and develop facilities management, trade, custodial, and operational staff, establishing succession planning and professional growth programs.
• Optimize organizational structure, staffing deployment, and schedules to maximize operational efficiency, departmental accountability, and a culture of safety and service.

Energy and Sustainability Management

• Provide periodic energy-performance reports to District leadership.
• Develop and execute district-wide sustainability strategies, optimizing building automation systems and operating schedules to reduce utility consumption while maintaining optimal learning environments.
• Track electric, gas, and water usage to analyze performance patterns, identify anomalies, and evaluate conservation projects based on ROI, lifecycle costs, and available incentives.
• Integrate energy efficiency into capital planning, equipment replacement, and renovation projects, delivering regular performance reports to district leadership.

Procurement, Contract and Vendor Management

• Collaborate with the District's purchasing and business offices to ensure procurement activities comply with applicable law, Board policy, District procedures, and competitive procurement requirements.
• Participate in bid, RFP, RFQ, cooperative purchasing, and other authorized procurement processes as appropriate.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership for district-wide custodial operations and facility support services.
• Oversee vendor lifecycle and contract administration, including bid evaluation, invoice verification, safety and quality monitoring, and recommending renewals, modifications, or terminations.

Budget Development and Financial Accountability

• Develop and administer the annual Buildings and Operations operating and capital budgets in collaboration with District leadership and the Business Office.
• Develop budget recommendations based upon historical expenditures, facility needs, staffing requirements, preventive maintenance priorities, capital plans, contractual obligations, and anticipated cost changes.
• Monitor departmental expenditures throughout the fiscal year and maintain accountability for operating within approved budgets.
• Review budget-to-actual performance regularly and investigate significant variances.
• Develop expenditure projections and identify emerging financial risks or savings opportunities.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of District funds, equipment, supplies, facilities, and other resources.
• Provide District leadership with timely financial and operational information necessary for informed decision-making.

Communication and Organizational Leadership

• Maintain effective communication with District leadership, building administrators, employees, contractors, vendors, and community stakeholders.
• Establish service expectations and communication protocols between Buildings and Operations and District schools/departments.
• Provide clear, timely information regarding major maintenance activities, facility disruptions, capital projects, emergencies, and operational changes.
• Prepare reports, presentations, analyses, and recommendations regarding facility conditions, departmental performance, capital needs, budgets, and operational initiatives.
• Support the District's mission, strategic priorities, Board policies, and commitment to effective stewardship of public resources.
• Coordinate summer cleaning, school opening, special events, and other major custodial initiatives.

•

• Perform other job-related duties as may be assigned by the Assistant Superintendent for Administrative services

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution preferably in facilities management, engineering, construction management, business administration, public administration, or a related field. An equivalent combination of relevant education, technical training, professional certifications, and progressively responsible facilities leadership experience may be considered where appropriate.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of progressive leadership experience in facilities management, maintenance, construction, building operations, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience supervising and developing employees.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, projects, contractors, and complex facilities operations.
• Experience working within a large, multi-site organization strongly preferred.
• Experience in public education, municipal government, or another public-sector environment preferred.
• Experience supervising employees in a unionized environment and working with collective bargaining agreements preferred.
• Experience managing significant capital improvement programs preferred.
• Experience implementing or managing CMMS, work-order, asset-management, or facilities performance systems preferred.

Preferred Certifications

• Relevant professional certifications in facilities management, construction management, energy management, project management, occupational safety, or related disciplines are desirable.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Comprehensive knowledge of facilities management, building maintenance, custodial operations, grounds management, and preventive maintenance practices.
• Knowledge in managing comprehensive facility, custodial, grounds, and preventive maintenance operations across HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, building automation, and life-safety systems.
• Proven ability to lead capital planning, construction, and renovation projects while balancing complex, competing priorities.
• Strong track record of leading diverse teams, establishing clear performance standards, and holding staff and external contractors accountable for results.
• Skilled in budget development, financial forecasting, cost control, public-sector procurement, and contract administration.
• Proficient in leveraging work-order management systems, analytics dashboards, and operational data to drive efficiency and strategic decision-making.
• In-depth knowledge of workplace safety, environmental regulations, ADA accessibility, and emergency management under high-pressure conditions.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills with a demonstrated ability to collaborate across labor representatives, administrators, contractors, regulators, and community members.
• Capacity to execute additional strategic and operational responsibilities assigned by executive leadership.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The position requires regular travel among District facilities and frequent inspection of buildings, grounds, mechanical spaces, construction areas, and other operational environments. The employee must be able to walk, stand, climb stairs, access facility and mechanical areas, and occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull items associated with normal facilities operations. The position may require exposure to varying temperatures, noise, construction environments, mechanical equipment, outdoor weather conditions, and other conditions normally associated with facilities management.

AVAILABILITY

The Director must maintain sufficient availability to respond to significant facility emergencies and operational disruptions occurring outside normal working hours.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

Salary is based upon LUDA market comparisons as determined by the Superintendent. Twelve-month work year. FLSA Exempt.

EVALUATION

Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with provisions of the Board's policy on evaluation of professional personnel.

Salary Range: $140,000.-$175,000.00/Annually

BENEFITS:

• Medical/Vision and Dental coverage through BCBSIL
• FSA and Dependent Daycare accounts
• Life, AD&D, and Long-Term Disability insurance
• IMRF contribution included in base salary
• 403B
• Yearly Professional Development allotment

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Applicants should apply online at www.vvsd.org and upload a letter of application, resume and three (3) letters of reference dated within the past twelve (12) months.

SELECTION PROCEDURE: The deadline for receiving applications is Open Until Filled. Interviews with selected applicants will be held as soon as practicable.

Equal Opportunity Employer