Director of Facilities

Harlem Childrens Zone • New York, NY

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York, seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned Director of Facilities to lead the Facilities Department. The Director of Facilities will bring a deep commitment to Harlem Children’s Zone’s mission: breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty through comprehensive, community-based programming that creates opportunities for children and families to thrive in school, work, and life. This leadership role is responsible for overseeing all facilities operations, compliance, maintenance, capital projects, budgeting, and strategic planning across HCZ’s 28 locations. The Director will ensure that all facilities are safe, efficient, and fully compliant with applicable regulations while providing strategic direction to support the organization’s growth and operational excellence. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience managing multi-site facilities operations and a strong working knowledge of regulatory agencies and requirements, including FDNY, ECB, DOB, and DOH. The successful candidate will demonstrate expertise in facilities management, vendor oversight, budget development and management, compliance, risk mitigation, and team leadership. For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know.

Requirements

• Demonstrated success leading complex facilities operations across multiple buildings or campuses.
• Experience leading maintenance, engineering, custodial, and facilities teams in highly regulated environments.
• Strong knowledge of building systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire/life safety, security, and building automation systems.
• Experience leading capital improvement projects, facility renovations, and infrastructure modernization initiatives.
• Proven ability to manage multimillion-dollar operating and capital budgets while balancing competing organizational priorities.
• Demonstrated success developing preventive maintenance programs and utilizing facilities management systems (CMMS) to improve operational performance.
• Experience negotiating and managing vendor relationships, service contracts, and procurement processes.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory compliance, including OSHA, ADA, environmental regulations, and applicable building codes.
• Exceptional leadership skills with experience developing high-performing teams through coaching, accountability, and continuous professional development.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across all organizational levels.
• Strong analytical, financial, and project management capabilities with a data-informed approach to decision-making.
• Sound judgment, executive presence, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead effectively during periods of change and operational complexity.
• Bachelor's degree required; Engineering, Facilities Management, Construction Management, Architecture, or related field preferred.
• A minimum of 8–10 years of progressively responsible facilities leadership experience, including experience leading large operational teams.

Nice To Haves

• Professional certifications such as Certified Facility Manager (CFM), Facility Management Professional (FMP), LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), or comparable credentials are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership, coaching, and performance management for facilities, maintenance, engineering, custodial, and building operations teams while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive facilities strategy that aligns operational priorities with organizational goals and long-term growth.
• Oversee the maintenance, repair, and continuous improvement of multiple facilities while ensuring safe, efficient, and welcoming environments.
• Develop and manage preventive maintenance programs that maximize asset life cycles, minimize operational disruptions, and improve service delivery.
• Lead capital improvement planning, facility renovation projects, and infrastructure investments while ensuring projects are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Direct vendor procurement, contract negotiations, and ongoing vendor performance management to ensure high-quality services and fiscal responsibility.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including OSHA, ADA, fire and life safety, environmental, and building code requirements.
• Develop emergency preparedness, business continuity, and crisis response plans while serving as a key leader during operational emergencies.
• Partner closely with Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Security, and program leadership to support organizational priorities and improve operational effectiveness.
• Develop facilities budgets, monitor expenditures, analyze operational metrics, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce long-term costs.
• Implement operational standards, policies, procedures, and performance metrics that drive consistency and continuous improvement across the facilities function.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on facilities planning, infrastructure investments, organizational risk, and operational strategy.

Benefits

• Highly competitive base salaries
• Paid time off
• Employee referral bonus
• Career advancement
• No-cost health insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-and long-term disability
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commuter benefits
• Financial wellness perks
• Additional Benefits (Discounts on flights, hotels, theme parks, concert tickets, and more.)

What This Job Offers

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