Director of Facilities

OVERVIEW

Part American palace, part industrial shed, Park Avenue Armory is dedicated to supporting unconventional works in the visual and performing arts that need non-traditional spaces for their full realization, enabling artists to create, students to explore, and audiences to experience epic and adventurous presentations that cannot be mounted elsewhere in New York City. Park Avenue Armory provides opportunities for employees to enrich and develop their love of the arts while contributing their specific skills, expertise, and talents. www.armoryonpark.org

TheNew York Times called the Armory “…one of the world’s most sought-after venues for performance, music, and supersized art projects.” The Armory building is 210,899 square feet occupying a full city block. Its exterior is landmarked by the city as is its 55,000-square-foot Drill Hall, main corridors, and eighteen historic rooms.

SUMMARY

The Director of Facilities is responsible for the overall maintenance and repair of the Armory physical plant, and manages the maintenance staff, building systems and equipment, and related operating, repair, and project budgets. The Director is charged with ensuring that the Facilities team assists, coordinates with, and provides support to the Production and Programming Departments for productions, as well as for frequent and concurrent program, activity, event, rental, and front-of-house needs. The Director is expected to be highly proactive in being informed and aware of all activities in the building and on the grounds and to understand the needs and implications of these activities related to the facilities. Highly effective organization, management, and communication skills are essential to the successful performance of the Director’s responsibilities.

The Director of Facilities reports to the Vice President of Capital Projects and Facilities and works in close collaboration with the Director of Operations and Security. The Director directly supervises the Director of House Management, five full-time maintenance staff, several part-time maintenance staff, and engineering contractors. The Director works in close collaboration with colleagues across the organization and interacts frequently with managers and staff in production, programming, development, education, and other departments requiring facilities support and services.

Due to the nature of this role and interaction with staff across the organization, this is a fully on-site role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Facilities Management

• Responsible for overall maintenance and upkeep of buildings and grounds covering a city block, including extensive front-of-house and back-of-house spaces that are frequently set up and struck for multiple purposes, office and storage areas, and exterior areas including roofs, sidewalks, and gardens.
• Responsible for facilities maintenance and services, including organizing and assigning tasks to the maintenance staff, supervising their work, and directly assisting with work when needed, to ensure that work is completed in a timely and professional manner.
• Responsible for administration of the maintenance staff, including scheduling and coordination, timekeeping, time off requests, and maintaining a roster of part-time staff.
• In consultation with Vice President of Capital Projects & Facilities, manage operating, staffing, repair, and project budgets, including developing and planning expenses, tracking invoiced expenses against budget, analyzing and reporting on budget to actual variances, and reforecasting budgets based on new and changing conditions and events.
• Manage contractors and vendors to maintain and execute timely repairs to all building systems to ensure optimal conditions for productions and audience, including HVAC, chiller plant, steam station, hot water systems, and BMS controls; and develop and implement preventive maintenance and energy management programs for all infrastructures as new systems are brought online.
• Manage contractors and vendors to maintain, ensure code compliance (including inspection and testing), execute timely repairs, and clear any Department of Buildings (DOB) and Fire Department of New York (FDNY) violations related to elevators, plumbing, fire safety, and other equipment.

• Production and Event Support

• Oversee and ensure timely and proper execution of set ups and strikes for frequent building activities, meetings, conferences, and events, including scheduling, staffing, troubleshooting, using plans and templates, and providing hands on support.
• Coordinate with Production and Programming teams on Facilities support and items needed for productions, including scheduling, staffing, managing inventory and storage, and ensuring appropriate production budget coding.

• Capital Project Support

• Support Vice President in organizing and managing the government funding process for capital projects, including applications, contracts, reports, and requisitions.
• Support the Vice President in liaising with historic preservation agencies and their oversight over the Armory’s restoration, renovation, including the New York City Landmarks Commission, the New York State Historic Preservation Office, etc.
• Consultation with Vice President on prior capital project construction to ensure appropriate repairs to and maintenance of systems and features renovated during those phases.

• Department and Staff Management

• Oversee effective functioning of Facilities and Front of House departments, ensuring that daily and recurring tasks, work requests, projects, and staff policies and procedures meet institutional needs and are executed or implemented in a timely manner and to a high professional standard.
• Proactively manage Facilities staff, include recruiting and hiring, evaluating performance, providing professional development, and training, counseling, and disciplining, and recommending changes in pay rates, job classifications, and employment status.

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function to a high professional standard. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Ideal candidates will be organized, motivated, high-energy, hands-on self-starters who work well within a fast-paced environment.

• Proven skill in handling diverse constituencies, managing multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, problem-solving, and excelling in complex environments with rapidly changing priorities and competing deadlines.
• Demonstrated strength in project management with excellent organizational skills and proven ability to complete projects on schedule and within budget, especially on capital projects involving construction, renovation, and infrastructure, working knowledge of building systems and engineering, pre- and post-construction technical drawings and specifications, and theater planning a plus.
• Proven effectiveness in staff management with history and progression of supervisory experience and leadership and substantial knowledge of management, supervision, and training practices; excellent communication skills and ability to manage and motivate diverse staff and vendors professionally and effectively.
• Knowledge of fire safety, security operations, safety regulations, codes, and safe work practices.
• Familiarity with codes, ordinances, and best practices affecting construction and repair, especially in historic facilities, with sensitivity to preserving and protecting landmark structures.
• High degree of skill and comfort with technology and computers, including knowledge of BMS programs.
• Strong proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Bachelor’s degree in management or a technical field preferred, or equivalent experience.
• FDNY S-12, S-13, and S-95 licenses preferred, EPA Universal Refrigerant Certification a plus.
• Availability to work nights, weekends, and holidays, as needed, and to respond to emergency situations on an “on call” basis.
• Spanish language skills are a plus.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• 7+ years in Facilities Management is required, with at least five years in a senior management position in a demanding real estate environment, preferably in a fast-paced arts, cultural, or entertainment organization, or the equivalent combination of education, training, and transferable experience to successfully perform essential functions of the job.
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a technical field, but experience is the most important qualification.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Research shows that women and people from traditionally excluded groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the qualifications for a role. If much of this job posting describes you, then please apply for this role.

Park Avenue Armory provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.