Facilities Director

Position Overview

The Facilities Director oversees the daily operations, maintenance, security, and structural longevity for the David Brower Center’s state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum-certified, 45,000-square-foot multi-use building in downtown Berkeley, CA. Opening its doors in 2009, this landmark civic facility is entering its second decade as a vibrant hub for the environmental movements, housing 30+ resident (primarily non-profit) tenants, a public art gallery (Hazel Wolf Gallery), a sustainable restaurant, and a high-occupancy conference center including the 180-seat Goldman Theater. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Facilities Director is a critical technical leader responsible for building operations, preventative maintenance, maximizing building system efficiencies, navigating upcoming infrastructure lifecycles, and managing the property's dedicated operational budgets.

This is an on-site position.

Key Responsibilities

Advanced Building Systems

• Operations & Reliability : Lead day-to-day operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, including high-performance in-slab heating and cooling radiant, dedicated outdoor air ventilation, building automation and controls, photovoltaic solar, water-conserving rainwater/reclaimed-water, fire/life safety systems, and related building systems.
• Preventive & System Optimization : Develop and manage preventive and corrective maintenance, routine inspections, work orders, required testing, and equipment histories. Use building automation platforms to set monitoring, alarms, trends, and diagnostics to identify faults and prioritize corrective action. Track energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and system-performance indicators and identify recommissioning or optimization opportunities.
• LEED Infrastructure Stewardship : Maintain and calibrate the building’s cutting-edge green systems, including a rooftop solar photovoltaic array, automated daylighting controls, and a specialized rainwater harvesting system.
• Emergency Preparedness & Security : Maintain and exercise procedures for fire, earthquake, utility outage, water intrusion, equipment or building automation system failure, security incidents, and other disruptions; coordinate building access/security and provide or arrange after-hours response.

Facility Committee Coordination & Strategy

• Governance Liaison and Technical Collaboration : Partner with Board Facilities Committee on long-term asset strategy, capital planning, major projects, sustainability performance, and significant operational decisions. Provide regular updates on building condition, risks, and planned improvements.

Team Leadership & Cooperative Staff Management

• Supervisory Oversight : Directly supervise Building System Coordinator and Facilities Coordinator.. Foster a collaborative, supportive environment that ensures high performance, accountability, and clear communication.
• Collaborative Integration : Exhibit exceptional interpersonal and people skills to work cooperatively across all internal facets of the staff. Maintain close, productive partnerships with the Executive Director, Events Director and Board Facilities Committee to coordinate operational needs seamlessly.
• AV/IT Operational Balance : Support the Building System Coordinator, who retains localized, day-to-day management and operational responsibility for AV and IT systems serving renters and event spaces.

Capital Infrastructure Lifecycle & Project Management

• Upgrade Assessment : As the facility approaches its 20-year operational milestone, proactively lead the physical and technical assessment of building systems, components, and structural assets requiring modernization, heavy repair, or complete replacement. Document the assessment in a rolling multi-year capital plan based on asset condition, criticality, useful life, replacement cost, and opportunities to improve reliability, efficiency, and sustainability, in conjunction with the Facility Committee.
• AV/IT Modernization Oversight : Assist in upgrade projects for the building's core AV and IP network systems, ensuring technical delivery aligns with long-term infrastructure goals.
• Bid Procurement : Draft technical scopes of work, initiate competitive requests for proposals (RFPs), get comprehensive vendor bids, perform diligent cost-benefit analyses, and make procurement recommendations.
• Implementation Oversight : Oversee the physical implementation of capital upgrades, ensuring construction, MEP installations, and structural updates are delivered in accordance with approved scope, budget, schedule, codes, sustainability objectives, and project quality requirements.

Budgeting & Facilities Administration

• Facilities-Specific Financial Management : Oversee, develop, and track the annual facilities operational budget (covering parts, preventive maintenance contracts, utilities, and emergency repairs).
• Vendor Contract Compliance : Procure, coordinate, and evaluate third-party specialty contractors for janitorial, landscaping, elevators, and advanced engineering systems. Verify scope, schedule, quality, insurance, and contract performance.
• Compliance Documentation : Coordinate required permits, inspections, testing and regulatory documentation for building systems and projects; maintain accessibility and life/safety features in operable condition; and coordinate with qualified consultants, contractors, and authorities having jurisdiction to support compliance with applicable building, fire, accessibility, environmental and workplace-safety requirements.

Tenant Support & Event Logistics

• Resident Non-Profit Support : Act as the primary interface for resident non-profit organizations, managing day-to-day facilities issues, communicating planned disruptions, and building access controls.
• Event & Gallery Integration : Partner with the Event and Exhibitions teams to ensure facility readiness for events and installations, including access, building-system coordination, load-in/load-out logistics,life/safety requirements, protection of building finishes and restoration of spaces.

Skills and Qualifications

• Experience : 5+ years of combined experience in facilities management and/or facilities commissioning, proven expertise with commercial, institutional or complex multi-use properties and strong working knowledge of commercial HVAC hydronic systems, heat pump operations and DDC controls.
• Staff Management & Emotional Intelligence : Proven track record of managing staff with a cooperative, highly collaborative leadership style. Must possess excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to work gracefully across multiple organizational facets (including committees, and staff).
• Technical Oversight & Vendor Management : Experience interfacing with and managing technical staff/contractors, including background knowledge sufficient to oversee capital AV/IP system infrastructure overhauls.
• Lifecycle Leadership : Demonstrated experience assessing aging building infrastructure, managing RFP/bidding processes, and directly supervising major capital improvement or replacement projects.
• Technical Proficiency : Deep understanding of commercial HVAC, building automation platforms, plumbing grids, and remote access monitoring/sensor software.
• Collaborative Style : Proven ability to interface effectively with executive leadership, and facility committee structures.
• Mission Alignment : A strong, authentic commitment to environmental sustainability, conservation, and climate action.
• Physical Requirements : Ability to lift up to 50 pounds; ability to walk stairs.

Compensation & Status

Salary Range : $90,000 – $110,000 Annually (commensurate with experience).

Status : Full-Time, Exempt

Please confirm in your cover letter that the posted salary range is acceptable to you.

Commitment

The David Brower Center encourages applications from people of all backgrounds and life experiences. We are committed to workplace diversity, equity, and meaningful professional development.

To Apply

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to View email address on click.appcast.io with “Facilities Director” in the

subject line.