Director, Facilities

KIMMEL CENTER • Philadelphia, PA

15d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Facilities oversees the maintenance, operations, and management of buildings and grounds for The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts’ three performing arts centers. This role extends beyond general facilities management to include specialized technical and operational support for live events, public assembly spaces, and venue-specific requirements across the campus. Reporting to the Vice President, Facilities, the Director manages budgets, supervises staff and external contractors, and develops preventative maintenance programs for both front-of-house and back-of-house spaces.

Requirements

• Five to ten or more years of facilities management experience required, with performing arts venue operations strongly preferred.
• At least three to four years of leadership or supervisory experience required.
• Strong knowledge of building systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, maintenance processes, safety standards, and code compliance.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and technical documentation.
• Experience with work order systems, building automation systems, spreadsheets, budgetary tools, and facilities maintenance software aligned with organizational technology standards.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred; extensive relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Facility Manager (CFM) or Facility Management Professional (FMP) from IFMA are highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Oversee preventative maintenance, repairs, and daily operations for buildings, equipment, grounds, and venue infrastructure.
• Ensure core building systems—including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, fire suppression, and related systems—remain safe, reliable, and fully operational.
• Maintain front-of-house and back-of-house spaces to support public use, performances, rehearsals, education programs, and private rentals.
• Hire, train, supervise, mentor, direct, and evaluate facilities staff, including maintenance and administrative personnel.
• Schedule and oversee external contractors for specialized work such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, and fire suppression services.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with third-party vendors, contractors, and external service providers.
• Coordinate with unionized staff, including IATSE stagehands, as needed to support venue operations.
• Develop, prepare, and proactively manage departmental operating budgets.
• Support contract negotiations and purchasing decisions in alignment with budget goals and organizational priorities.
• Collaborate with all relevant departments to meet technical and operational needs for performances and events.
• Ensure backstage and production-support spaces are properly maintained, including lighting, plumbing, HVAC, dressing rooms, loading areas, and other event-critical areas.
• Provide appropriate facilities staffing for performances, rehearsals, educational initiatives, private rentals, and other scheduled activities.
• Remain available for emergency response, strategic consultation, and evening, weekend, or holiday support as dictated by the performance schedule.
• Partner with marketing, sales, programming, audience services, production, security and administrative teams to support event promotion, bookings, community engagement, and operational readiness.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards, including OSHA, ADA, building codes, fire codes, and public assembly requirements.
• Support emergency preparedness and disaster recovery planning.
• Oversee specialized venue systems, including separate HVAC systems for house and stage areas, to maintain appropriate environmental conditions for audiences, performers, and staff.
• Apply knowledge of commercial kitchens, food and beverage operations, and dock management where applicable.
• Coordinate with the Vice President of Facilities and Capital Director to support capital project completion, strategic planning and sustainable facility initiatives.

Benefits

• Equal opportunity employer. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, veteran or disability status.
• Employees are expected to be able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position, with or without job modification/reasonable accommodation.
• POEA strives to comply with the accommodation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and other related federal, state, and local laws.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director