Director of Facilities, Grounds, and Exhibit Maintenance

Job Title: Director of Facilities, Grounds, and Exhibit Maintenance  
Reports to:  Chief Executive Officer 
Schedule:  40 hours per week 
Classification: Full-time regular employee, salaried, exempt 
Salary: $68,000-75,000   

Position Overview 

The Director of Facilities, Grounds, and Exhibit Maintenance oversees all buildings, grounds, and exhibit maintenance for Discovery Museum, ensuring that exhibits, buildings, and grounds work in concert to support a positive visitor experience for the children, families, and school field trips we serve. Additional close involvement in major construction and renovation projects on our campus. This role is part of the Museum’s management team and sits on the Board of Directors’ Building and Sustainability Committee.  

 Key Responsibilities 

  • Supervise, direct, and maintain a building, grounds, and exhibit maintenance program for the Discovery Museum with total gross facilities of approximately 25,000 square feet within 4.5 acres of outdoor exhibit area and parking 
  • Maintain facility systems, such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation, plumbing, and electrical 
  • Manage contractor and vendor relationships and review service contracts regularly to ensure facility management needs are being met; negotiate bids and contracts for third party workers 

  • Prepare operating reports and work with CFO to prepare annual budgets 

  • Initiate purchase requests and monitor expenses and payments within budget.  Plan and oversee preventative maintenance of buildings, systems, and exhibits 
  • Ensure all processes and compliance programs are met and ensure all utility systems are inspected and in accordance with regulations 

  • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and/or effectiveness of the department’s work, both through redeployment of existing resources and by proposing important structural investments. 

  • Coordinate building security and maintenance services 

  • Maintain a safe work environment for all employees 

  • Maintain a safe environment for Museum visitors, staff, and guests 

 Supervisory Responsibilities 

The Director of Facilities, Grounds, and Exhibit Maintenance supervises the Exhibits Maintenance Manager and a team of four part-time Facilities Assistants. 

 Qualifications and Requirements 

  • Minimum of five years’ experience in facilities management, maintenance, construction, or related field 
  • Minimum of two years’ supervisory experience 
  • Must be available outside working hours for call backs 
  • Knowledge of building operating systems; working knowledge of electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems 
  • Working knowledge of principles and practices of project management 
  • Working knowledge of procurement and contracts 
  • Sound knowledge of health, safety, and environmental regulations 
  • Must have good organizational skills and ability to efficiently multi-task, define problems, and resolve them quickly independently and through others 
  • Experienced at developing and maintaining budgeting 
  • Attention to detail 
  • Must have excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, specifically an ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with direct reports, internal personnel at all levels, and external vendors 
  • Must possess basic computer skills relevant to the position 
  • Current driver's license required, and an excellent driving record is a requirement of continued employment 
  • All positions at Discovery Museum require a satisfactory Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background check and proof of COVID-19 vaccination (unless eligible for a religious or medical exemption) before beginning employment 

 Physical Demands and Work Environment 

  • Both general office conditions and occasional outdoor work with exposure to extreme temperatures and inclement weather conditions 
  • This role is active in nature; regular movement throughout and across Discovery Museum grounds is required, as is some hands-on maintenance and grounds maintenance work when needed 
  • This position requires prolonged periods of time walking, standing, bending, lifting, ascending and descending steps and ladders, and occasional use of personal lift; must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds 
  • Availability to respond to emergencies in the evenings and weekends is required 

 Benefits 

In addition to a creative, fun, and flexible work environment, Discovery Museum offers the following benefits with this position: 

  • 3 weeks of paid vacation time 
  • 2 weeks of paid sick time 
  • 10 paid holidays 
  • Health insurance, with Discovery Museum paying 75% of premium for individual coverage or 50% of premium for family coverage 
  • Voluntary dental plan 
  • Voluntary 403(b) retirement plan 
  • Free or discounted admission to more than 1,000 museums and cultural institutions and a variety of discounts on museum programs, memberships, and museum store items 

 About Discovery Museum 

Discovery Museum is a hands-on museum that blends science, nature, and play, inspiring families to explore and learn together. Our mission is to spark delight in learning by igniting curiosity and creativity in children and adults, as they discover together the joys of science, nature, and play. 

As an organization, we strive to broadly reflect the communities we wish to serve, both in visitors to our campus and our own staff, volunteers, and board members. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive space for all. We believe that a diversity of thoughts, experiences, backgrounds, personalities, and identities helps us think bigger and better, and enables us to reach our goals more effectively. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply. 

To Apply 

Interested candidates please send a cover letter and resume to Marie Beam, Chief Executive Officer, at mbeam [at] discoveryacton.org (mbeam[at]discoveryacton[dot]org).  

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment requirements, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please likewise direct your inquiries to Marie Beam at mbeam [at] discoveryacton.org (mbeam[at]discoveryacton[dot]org). 

We respectfully request that you do not call to inquire about the status of your application. Those candidates chosen for interviews will be contacted.