Director of Facilities & Operations

This is an English language position; NO Chinese language proficiency required.
Exempt, full-time position

OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a facilities professional to join CAIS as a vital member of the team working to bring our new 19th Avenue Campus to life. This game-changing facility will support CAIS in becoming the world’s most innovative, inspiring, and influential Mandarin immersion school.

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate finds resonance with CAIS’s mission to Embrace Chinese, Become Our Best Selves, and Contribute to a Better World. The Director of Facilities and Operations will work to ensure that our campuses meet the ?Strategic Vision 2020-2025? goal of “Reimagining Our Learning Spaces.” The Director of Facilities and Operations is responsible for strategic and tactical management of the School’s buildings and grounds and the School’s operations in the areas of traffic management, security, safety and emergency preparedness, event set up and coordination, and neighbor relations. The Director of Facilities and Operations will play an integral role in managing our move from our current four Hayes Valley campus and office locations to the 19th Avenue Campus. Additionally, the Director is responsible for careful stewardship of the facilities related budgets and will work closely with the Board of Trustees’ Facilities Committee on initiatives related to the school’s aspirations for enhanced and expanded facilities and improvements to the current buildings and grounds.  This full-time, exempt position may sometimes require evening or weekend work. The Director supervises the Facilities Team and will be building a new team which will be composed of both full-time and third-party contractual staff. This position reports directly to the Chief Financial and Operating Officer and works closely with the Head of School and all Divisional Heads.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS:
  • Provide and maintain a safe, clean, and healthy environment for the students and staff of the school
  • Plan, manage and direct all phases of the facilities operations and implementation of all facilities projects including a tracking and prioritization system for facilities requests from staff
  • Supervise all maintenance, grounds, janitorial and other contract personnel.
  • Oversee the maintenance, repair, and safety of the buildings which includes work with contracted construction managers to maintain safety conditions at all times
  • Plan and implement maintenance and renovation of buildings, and grounds which includes preparation of all bids and quotations for contracted work, equipment, and supplies

• BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS:
  • Plan and manage campus security which includes: key tracking and distribution, scheduling after hours caretaker rounds, hiring additional security as needed, building and maintaining a proactive relationship with the local police department
  • Purchase all necessary building, grounds, emergency preparedness and custodial supplies and equipment
  • Coordinate set-ups for school events
  • Monitor campus parking
    
    
• COLLABORATIONS:
  • Lead major capital projects as an essential member of the project management team
  • Collaborate in the emergency planning and management process
  • Participate in school-wide meetings and events as a member of the Administrative Council
  • Serve as the school’s liaison with neighbors as needed

• PLANNING AND COMPLIANCE:
  • Maintain an inventory of all equipment and drawings, plans, manuals, and warranties in an organized and accessible manner
  • Monitor the planning, maintenance, and replacement of capital equipment
  • Annually conduct an asset inventory and evaluate building and equipment condition and timing and replacement of such
  • Schedule and oversee annual and routine inspections for: fire extinguishers, fire alarms and sprinklers, trees, backflow, and play equipment and maintaining a proactive relationship with the local fire marshall and fire department
  • Monitor all facility work to ensure compliance with CalOSHA standards, building and fire codes, maintain IIPP and health and safety.
  • Provide and maintain a working knowledge of any current and ongoing certificates, registrations, licenses, and other documents and support administration of the insurance program

• APPROACH AND PROCESS:
  • Develop and present recommendations for modernization of internal systems, and best practice implementation
  • Demonstrate complete integrity and inspire trust in order to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse, multicultural environment and promote and contribute to an inclusive and respectful workplace
  • Exhibit sound judgment related to confidential conversations, projects, and information related to the school or any of its constituents including effective communication regarding such matters to the appropriate individuals

• • Execute responsibilities efficiently, accurately, and on or before deadlines
  • Uphold the mission, vision, and values of CAIS including a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Display initiative, internal motivation, flexibility, curiosity, and an approach to learning and growth

• OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

• BA or BS or equivalent experience
• Project Manager Certification preferred, such as Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Minimum 5 years of related management experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in a nonprofit or independent school is preferred.
• A self-starter and team player with a sense of urgency who is driven to learn and continually identify and determine the cause of problems, and seeks ways to improve professional skills and programs
• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with a wide-ranging audience, including staff, parents, volunteers, students, alumni, and external stakeholders
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and managerial skills and a cooperative team approach
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Occasional availability on nights or weekends
• Initial and continued criminal background clearance by DOJ and FBI
• Initial and continued tuberculosis clearance

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and all other applicable laws, CAIS provides reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities. A qualified individual is a person who meets the skill, experience, education, or other requirements of the position and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Lift and/or carry moderate weight (40 pounds)
• Sit, stand, walk, climb stairs or ladder, reach, perform repetitive hand motions, hear, speak
• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer terminal
• Prolonged and irregular work hours on occasion
• Work with frequent interruptions

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Inside and outside environment. Demanding physical conditions may include: climbing ladders; working in high places, tight quarters, and under and on buildings; and working in inclement weather. Must be able to work with potentially hazardous materials in a safe manner and safely perform required duties in potentially hazardous environments.

BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

The CAIS Board of Trustees and administration are expressly dedicated to ensuring that CAIS is a great place to work. The school is committed to attracting, developing, retaining, and rewarding top-tier employees with a strong benefits package. The salary range for this position is: $125,000 - $175,000, based on experience. Please see the final page for a description of benefits.

ABOUT CAIS

As the nation’s first Mandarin Immersion Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies our mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. We value honest self-assessment, thoughtful self-reflection, intentional planning and focused implementation. We are known as an ambitious school, and we are making substantial progress on our multi-year vision to reimagine immersion, reimagine our culture of learning, reimagine character and community, and reimagine our learning spaces. While our three campuses are located in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco through the end of this school year, we will be moving to start school in September 2024 at our new campus on 19th Avenue in San Francisco, which more than doubles our program space and allows all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus.

TO APPLY

CAIS’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is central to our mission. People of color and LGBTQIA candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Email cover letter, resume, and list of references to CAISHR@cais.org. In the subject line please indicate: “Director of Facilities and Operations.”  Please no calls.

CAIS as a Workplace

Chinese American International School is dedicated to attracting, developing, rewarding and retaining world-class employees and ensuring that this is a great place to work. We put a high priority on advances in compensation, benefits, and work climate with a 2023–2024 benefits package and perks including:

Distinctively CAIS Benefits

• Commuter benefits provided (up to $300/month)
• Trips to China and Taiwan
• Dynamic, dual culture setting valuing honest self assessment, thoughtful self reflection, intentional planning, and focused implementation

Financial Benefits

• CAIS contributes 5% of your earnings immediately in a 403(B) retirement plan (no contribution required on your part)
• Transparent salary benchmarked to the Bay Area’s competitive standards, including annual cost-of-living adjustments

Professional Development

• Robust opportunities for conferences, workshops, and courses

Health Benefits

• CAIS pays 100% of the premium for medical, dental, vision, acupuncture, short-term disability and long-term disability, and life insurance for you (along with competitive rates for spouse and family coverage)
• Employer-funded Health Savings Account (HSA) and Pre-tax HSA employee contribution
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for medical and dependent care

Vacation / Holiday / Paid Time Off

• 10 Paid Federal holidays
• Up to 2 additional days off for religious holidays
• Accrue 11.5 days of Sick Time annually
• Accrue 10 to 20 days of Vacation Time annually based on years of service

Quality of Life and Appreciation

• Monthly appreciation lunches
• Twice-yearly Faculty/Staff Appreciation Weeks
• Annual milestones luncheon
• Free tickets to annual dinner/dance gala
• Lunar New Year luncheon
• Birthday gift card

About Chinese American International School

As the nation’s first dual language Chinese and English Preschool through 8th grade school, CAIS embodies this mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. Our three campuses are currently located in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. We are thrilled to announce that we have purchased a campus on 19th Avenue in San Francisco which would more than double our program space and allow all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus. We anticipate moving all divisions to the new campus in the 2023-2024 school year. For more information, visit the Middle School Website and https://www.cais.org/about-us/employment.

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