Vice President of Facilities

Description

Mission:

The Vice President of Facilities manages the IDEA experience beyond the classroom by ensuring that every school facility is safe, well-maintained, and operationally excellent from a student’s first day on campus through graduation. This role is dedicated to eliminating facilities-related obstacles that could distract teachers and school leaders from delivering high-quality instruction.

The Vice President of Facilities leads the vision, strategy, and execution for quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement across IDEA Public Schools’ facilities operations. This role ensures operational excellence at every campus with a specific emphasis on preventive and corrective maintenance, campus safety and compliance, asset management, and building systems performance. Leads and ensures excellence in custodial services, building cleanliness, and grounds maintenance, while driving strong service delivery standards and a customer-focused culture that supports safe, welcoming, and well-maintained learning environments across all campuses. The Vice President of Facilities also builds and sustains a high-performing facilities organization, ensuring that strong talent, clear accountability, customer-focused service standards, and effective systems are in place across the department to deliver responsive, high-quality support to campuses and regions.

Success in this role depends on strong partnerships with Chiefs, Executive Directors, Principals, campus teams, and external vendors to collaboratively operate high-quality learning environments that support positive student, family, and staff experiences. They will also partner closely with the Vice President of Construction & Real Estate to ensure facility maintenance trends, equipment lifecycle needs, and planned expansions are proactively accessed and communicated into future bond planning, with capital replacement and compliance requirements strategically addressed to uphold safety and regulatory standards.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The VP of Facilities provides leadership and strategic direction while directly supervising individual roles comprised of Directors that oversee Operations, Energy, Finance & Budget, and Compliance.

Location:

This is a full-time (remote/on-site) position based in Texas with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate.

Travel Expectations:

• Ability to travel up to 35% of the time

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities

Essential Duties:

• Provides strategic oversight across campus facilities, budgeting, operations, energy management, compliance, and project execution.
• Establishes and monitors service delivery standards across all regions and campuses, ensuring responsive, high-quality facilities support; implements clear service level expectations, performance metrics, and feedback mechanisms to drive customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

• Ensure retention of facilities full-time staff members at or above goal set for retention year over year
• Builds organizational systems and operating mechanisms to achieve operational and financial excellence in facilities (cost/SF, A+ in Quality, Safety & Energy Audits)
• Provides strategic oversight by directing energy efficiency, sustainability, and utility cost management initiatives, promoting environmentally responsible practices.
• Ensures compliance with legal and regulatory obligations, particularly regarding safety and environmental standards.
• Oversees the development and management of facilities budgets, ensuring effective resource allocation and adherence to financial standards.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads and fosters a culture of safety
• Drives accountability, outcomes and results
• Provide feedback and coaching in supervisory capacity
• Partners and collaborates with cross-functional teams across the organization

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Strategic Decisions: This team member uses data and trends to drive decisions that impact multiple teams, while anticipating risks and planning contingencies for key initiatives. They apply strategic frameworks to clarify challenges and guide coherent action, and they actively support others in strengthening their strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities.
• Manage Work and Teams: This team member leads cross-functional coordination to align efforts with strategic goals, optimizing resource use and minimizing silos. They build accountability frameworks, monitor key performance indicators to guide adjustments, and mentor emerging leaders, while implementing scalable systems that enhance efficiency and team effectiveness.
• Grow Self and Others: This team member identifies development needs across multiple groups and integrates them into broader strategic plans. They create structures that support ongoing growth, engage in succession planning, and continuously refine development strategies based on outcomes and data. Through this work, they foster a culture where continuous learning is a core part of daily work and leadership.
• Build a Culture of Trust: This team member builds trust and drives positive engagement across multiple groups, as reflected in strong feedback and survey results. They proactively address concerns, model transparency and authenticity, and foster collaboration through open, honest communication and shared ownership.
• Communicate Deliberately: This team member communicates a clear and compelling vision that aligns team efforts with organizational goals. They proactively identify and address communication gaps across workstreams, implementing solutions to enhance coordination, while anticipating and resolving stakeholder concerns before they surface.

Additional Skills:

• Must have solid written and verbal communication skills
• Must be reliable, punctual have a strong drive to do whatever it takes
• Must be open to observation and feedback
• Able to work independently when needed
• The ability to motivate, delegate, and lead a diverse team to accomplish goals.
• Computer literacy; can use Microsoft Office software.
• Strong mathematical skills with ability to understand, analyze and interpret data (charts, graphs, etc.).
• Ability to read blueprints, structural drawings, and plans
• Strong knowledge of construction materials, processes, and equipment
• Strong knowledge of construction procurement laws
• Can follow verbal and written instructions/guidance.

Required experience:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 7+ years related work experience and/or training, or equivalent with a strong track record of advancement and success
• 4 years of management experience with demonstrated success in goal attainment, coaching, developing, and employee retention

Preferred experience:

• Experience in an education setting
• Project Management (PMP preferred)
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

Physical Requirements:

• Capability to move around campus sites, which may include navigating uneven surfaces, climbing stairs, and occasionally working in confined spaces.
• Ability to remain on your feet for extended periods during site inspections and meetings, and to handle physical demands such as lifting and carrying materials up to [specify weight, e.g., 25 lbs.] as needed.