The Director of Facilities and Safety is responsible for ensuring that Carmen is successful in delivering and maintaining stable, clean and safe teaching and learning environments for all Carmen schools. The DFS will be responsible for developing and implementing the strategic planning, which includes managing day-to-day facility operations at school, managing preventative maintenance, overseeing the safety of building staff (for privately-occupied spaces), managing vendors to provide critical building services, and maintaining facility budgets. Furthermore, this leader will build key district and community relationships in partnership with our Carmen Leadership Team, socializing our network's vision and advocating for adequate space and quality facilities, to ultimately secure and maintain the health of our real estate portfolio. The DFS will also lead and manage school facilities and network safety. The Director of Facilities and Safety reports to Carmen's Managing Director of Operations, and is a member of the network operations team.

Lead the development and execution of facilities management and preventive maintenance plans; ensure appropriate expertise and resources are in place to meet requirements and respond to requests in a courteous, timely, and effective manner; develop the systems for the repair, maintenance, and continuous operation of all building systems including: fire/life safety, mechanical (HVAC, plumbing), electrical (lighting control equipment, bulb replacement, UPS, light construction (painting, doors, locks), digital systems (fire alarm, card access, CCTV security access systems), elevator control, building Maintenance System (BMS)(DDC), and school PA systems.

Lead Planning, Activities, and Solutions to Facilities Issues:

• Oversee preventive maintenance and reactive repair maintenance activities
• Establish a system for tracking and responding to building maintenance and repair requests, and ensure building staff requests are being responded to in a timely manner
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, which includes maintaining up-to-date building documentation and certifications
• Develop and manage facility budget with collaboration from Chief Operating Officer/Chief Finance Officer
• Work with authorizers / City of Milwaukee to ensure that regular inspections are being completed
• In critical situations, provide immediate solutions to facility issues

Manage Our Relationships with Vendor and MPS Facilities:

• Identify and communicate standards for facility cleanliness, maintenance, and safety to MPS facilities and/or vendors
• Create and enforce monitoring tools (e.g. standards, checklists, sign-offs, etc.) to hold vendors and MPS facilities accountable for their responsibilities / scope of work
• Ensure compliance with regulations regarding impartial vendor selection
• Serve as the liaison between school staff and MPS points of contact for facilities matters that require escalation / follow-up
• Manage vendor / MPS issues and collaborate with stakeholders to reach a solution
• Create, review, and/or approve purchase orders related to vendor invoices and conduct follow-ups for any billing / payment issues

Leading Safety at our Schools and in the Network:

• Work with school operations teams to respond to and coordinate all emergency call activities, as necessary
• Provide expertise and feedback to existing safety / drill documentation
• Provide safety training and drills
• Gather feedback to and lead discussions on safety / crisis planning throughout the network and throughout the year

Other duties as delegated and necessary

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• 5 or more years' progressive responsibility and experience in facilities management
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Familiarity with key building systems (HVAC, electrical, mechanical, plumbing)
• Familiarity with OSHA and other Life Safety codes, etc.
• Computer skills necessary to operate BMS system and a personal computer; competency / comfort with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through
• Ability to communicate effectively with facilities staff, school staff, and vendors both verbal and electronic
• Available to work weekends/early & off hours when necessary
• Extreme flexibility, with a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit to accommodate high level of responsibility and multiple priorities
• HVAC or other certificate, ALICE training or other related certifications or licenses a plus

The DSF will maintain a primary office within one of Carmen's schools. The DSF will be expected to spend time at all campuses on a regular basis and to travel, with their own transportation, between campuses on a weekly or daily basis. Occasional early morning, evening or weekend work may be required.

Carmen complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination. We are committed to equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, gender, disability, genetic information, marital status, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, lay-off, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Carmen expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Any actions or behaviors that create an uncomfortable work environment and prohibit an employee to perform their expected duties will not be tolerated.