Director of Facilities and Maintenance in Seattle, Washington at Lakeside School

FTE: 1.0 FTE
Appointment Year: Full Year
OT Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt

Lakeside School, an independent coeducational day school serving grades 5-12 in north Seattle, seeks an experienced, collaborative, and service-oriented Director of Facilities and Maintenance to provide strategic and operational leadership for the school’s physical environment. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Director is responsible for the stewardship, maintenance, renewal, and day-to-day readiness of Lakeside’s buildings, grounds, on- and off-campus athletic facilities, school-owned residences, and related infrastructure across multiple sites.

Lakeside's facilities span two north Seattle campuses - the Middle School and Upper School campuses - separated by approximately three blocks of residential neighborhood. Together, the campuses encompass nearly 40 acres and include multiple academic, administrative, arts, athletic, and support buildings, extensive grounds, and a mature tree canopy characteristic of the Pacific Northwest. The School also owns and maintains nearly 30 neighborhood residences that are rented to school employees. Lastly, the School rents and maintains a crew boathouse on Lake Washington in Kenmore, approximately five miles from the main campuses. The Director leads the facilities team and key external partners; manages operating and capital resources; oversees preventive maintenance, regulatory compliance, and facilities-related emergency response; and contributes to long-range campus planning. The successful candidate will combine strong people leadership and technical judgment with a deep commitment to creating safe, welcoming, accessible, sustainable, and well-maintained spaces that support teaching, learning, and community life.

Lakeside: Fast Facts

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership for the maintenance, repair, operation, and long-term care of school buildings, grounds, mature trees and landscape, on- and off-campus athletic facilities, and school-owned residential properties.
• Oversee custodial services and ensure high standards of cleanliness and custodial care across all school facilities, including classrooms, restrooms, offices, common areas, and athletics, performance, and all indoor and outdoor program spaces.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive preventive and corrective maintenance program for building systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, life-safety, controls, and other critical infrastructure.
• Assess the condition of facilities and infrastructure; establish priorities for deferred maintenance, renewals, and replacements; and maintain accurate records, plans, schedules, and asset information.
• Plan and oversee thoughtful care of the landscape and trees, including coordination with arborists and other specialized contractors as needed.
• Contribute to campus master planning, capital renewal planning, and facilities-related strategic initiatives, including serving as a key school representative on renovation and construction projects.
• Use work-order, asset-management, energy-management, and related systems to improve service, accountability, planning, and decision-making.

• Lead, supervise, schedule, evaluate, and develop facilities staff, including custodial, maintenance, and grounds employees and other staff assigned to the department.
• Build a culture of professionalism, responsiveness, teamwork, safety, continuous improvement, and excellent service to students and employees.
• Partner with Human Resources and school leadership on staffing, performance management, professional development, and employee relations.
• Serve as a management representative in the administration and negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement applicable to facilities staff, fostering productive and respectful labor-management relationships.

• Develop and manage the facilities operating budget and multi-year capital renewal budget in partnership with the Controller; monitor expenditures, forecast needs, and identify opportunities for cost-effective stewardship.
• Prepare scopes of work; solicit and evaluate bids and proposals; recommend contractors and vendors; negotiate and administer contracts; and monitor quality, safety, schedule, and budget performance.
• Plan and lead facilities projects from concept through completion, coordinating closely with school leaders and program owners to minimize disruption to teaching, athletics, events, and summer programs.
• Provide clear reporting to senior leadership and, as requested, Board committees on facility condition, capital priorities, budgets, project status, risks, and emerging needs.

• Ensure facilities operations comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including occupational safety, fire and life-safety, accessibility, environmental health, asbestos/AHERA, and other building-related regulations.
• Coordinate required inspections and testing for building systems and equipment and ensure timely correction and documentation of any deficiencies.
• Serve in designated facilities-related safety and accessibility roles, including OSHA/safety and ADA coordination responsibilities as assigned.
• Maintain effective working relationships with inspectors, utilities, fire officials, public agencies, contractors, and other external partners.
• Advance energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, responsible purchasing, and other sustainability goals, including compliance with applicable Washington clean-building requirements.
• Participate in emergency planning and incident response; provide calm, practical leadership during weather events, utility failures, building emergencies, and other disruptions; advise leadership on campus operating conditions and school closure decisions as appropriate.
• Maintain reasonable after-hours availability for urgent facilities matters and ensure an effective on-call response structure.

• Coordinate facilities support for assemblies, performances, athletics, graduations, community gatherings, summer programs, and other school events, including space readiness, furniture, temporary installations, and event logistics.
• Serve as the School’s day-to-day landlord contact for faculty and staff tenants in school-owned residences; coordinate property maintenance, ensure smooth tenant move-ins and move-outs, and partner with the Business Office on lease and financial matters.
• Oversee the condition, maintenance, and safe operation of school vehicles, buses, and equipment, in coordination with other school departments. This includes acquisition, licensing, and compliance requirements of school fleet vehicles.
• Collaborate closely with Community Safety, Technology, Athletics, division offices, academic departments, events staff, and other campus partners on operational needs and projects.
• Communicate proactively with faculty, staff, students, families, and school leaders about facility issues, project impacts, service timelines, and operational changes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in facilities management, construction management, engineering, business/operations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education, technical training, and professional experience.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in facilities, physical plant, construction, property, or campus operations, including significant supervisory and budget responsibility.
• Demonstrated success leading skilled trades or facilities teams and managing contractors, vendors, and complex projects.
• Experience with capital planning, preventive maintenance, building systems, and project delivery in an active, occupied environment.
• Experience in an educational, nonprofit, campus, or similarly service-oriented setting is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in a union environment and with collective bargaining agreements is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing fleet vehicles and transportation logistics is desired.

• Broad working knowledge of commercial and school building systems and trades, with the technical judgment to diagnose issues, evaluate options, and make sound repair-versus-replace decisions.
• Excellent people leadership skills, including coaching, accountability, conflict resolution, and the ability to build trust across a diverse workforce and school community.
• Strong project-management, organizational, and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and respond effectively to changing operational needs.
• Financial acumen and experience developing budgets, evaluating bids, managing contracts, and communicating the financial implications of facilities decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical information for non-technical audiences and present to senior leaders and Board members.
• High level of judgment, discretion, composure, responsiveness, and follow-through, especially in urgent or emergency situations.
• Demonstrated cultural awareness and the ability to work respectfully and effectively with people who bring different identities, experiences, roles, and perspectives to the community.
• Proficiency with common business technology and facilities-management systems; ability to use data and technology to improve maintenance planning and service delivery.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet school requirements for operating school vehicles as applicable.
• Required to reside in a designated school-owned residence near campus as a condition of employment.

• Ability to move throughout multiple campuses and facilities, including frequent walking, stairs, ladders, mechanical spaces, roofs, and outdoor areas.
• Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions and to respond to facility conditions in active school environments.
• bility to safely lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds on an occasional basis, with assistance or equipment used for heavier loads.
• Ability to respond to urgent facilities needs outside normal working hours when necessary.

The statements in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by (an) individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities related to the position. This job description will be reviewed periodically as duties and responsibilities change with business necessity and school policy and procedures. Essential and marginal job functions are subject to modification.

Salary range: $140,000- $180,000 based on experience and qualifications, plus rent-free school-provided housing for the family in a designated residence near campus.

Lakeside School is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding candidates and provides a competitive compensation package and a comprehensive set of benefits, including:

• Employer-paid medical, vision, and dental insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount program
• Flexible spending accounts
• Retirement plan
• Free lunch and parking
• Bus and bike benefits
• Housing assistance program
• Paid holidays and vacation
• Use of school library and gymnasium
• Professional development opportunities

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and at least 3 references via Lakeside’s online application system. The position will remain open until filled.

At Lakeside, we are committed to sustaining a school in which individuals representing diverse cultures and experiences instruct one another in the meaning and value of community. We seek employees who are excited to contribute to a collaborative school environment and who understand that excellent facilities work is essential to the safety, belonging, learning, and daily experience of students and colleagues. To learn more about working at Lakeside—including professional development, mentoring, benefits, and opportunities for involvement—please visit the Careers page on the Lakeside School website. Lakeside School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on any basis protected under federal, state, or municipal law.