JOB DESCRIPTION

This role is an exciting opportunity to serve as a leader within a diverse and dynamic team committed to the audacious task of transforming public education in Providence Public Schools. By any measure, and over many years, the Providence Public School District (PPSD) has failed to deliver on its most fundamental obligation: fair and equitable access to a rigorous education for all children. The time for change is now and the district is in the process of a game-changing transformation led by a newly appointed State Turnaround Superintendent, in coordination with the Rhode Island Department of Education and with the support of the larger Providence community.

The Director of School Facilities and Capital Planning (hereinafter Director) will report to the Chief Operating Officer and will interact at a significant level with a wide range of staff across PPSD, the City of Providence, the Rhode Island Department of Education, the Rhode Island Governor's Office, as well as with other public agencies. The Director will be responsible for leading district capital planning, new school construction, and major school renovation projects, ensuring capital budgeting through final project execution are completed efficiently and with the interests of Providence's students foremost in mind.

The individual in this role will also be responsible for overseeing the district's Facilities Manager, Plant Supervisors, maintenance and custodial budget, ensuring contracted maintenance and custodial activities meet standards of high-quality and are appropriately delivered.

EDUCATION TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's Degree prefered, not required

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND CURRICULAR LINKAGES

The Director will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Lead District Capital and Long-Term Facilities Planning
  • Serve as the district's primary lead and expert on facilities, maintenance, and oversight of the development and execution of the City-led capital planning process;
  • Oversee the development and execution of PPSD's capital revolving fund, identifying projects aligned with district priorities and managing vendors in completion of construction projects
  • Leverage vendors, including district's owner's project manager, to ensure projects are completed on time and without cost overruns
  • Develop space planning scenarios/configurations, as new projects roll out requiring different uses of school space and as the district's needs for swing space continue to evolve;
  • Assist in regular assessments of the district footprint, together with demographers where appropriate, to inform decisions about facilities.

• Oversee District-Occupied Facilities
  • On an ongoing basis, conduct site visits and otherwise evaluate the quality and condition of all district-occupied facilities;
  • On an ongoing basis, develop remediation and/or improvement plans for issues flagged during evaluation of district-occupied facilities;
  • On an ongoing basis, ensure accountability over school managers who occupy district-occupied facilities and do not comply with maintenance expectations and or other facility use expectations;
  • Maintain relationships with relevant contractors;
  • Assemble and maintain school building maintenance schedules, in partnership with the City;
  • Visit school buildings to assess facility needs and monitor ongoing projects.

• Manage District's Maintenance and Custodial Services
  • Ensure the district's maintenance and custodial budget is appropriately allocated, and project manage the provision of any contracted maintenance or custodial services;
  • Ensure maintenance and custodial contracts deliver on intended contractual outcomes and provide a high-quality, clean learning environment;
  • Coordinate meetings between the district's maintenance vendor, the district and the City of Providence.
  • Lead the negotiation and development of new contracted services as necessary.

• Management of Facilities Intergovernmental Relations
  • Partner/coordinate with the state School Building Authority and the City of Providence regarding school construction-related activities, as described above;
  • Coordinate with external partners, including City Hall and community based organizations, to align efforts citywide;
  • Strengthen systems for managing all of the above.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS STANDARDSplemental Information

• Ideal candidates will ideally have a minimum of two (2) years' experience in the field of buildings and grounds supervision; or
• Has been certified an educational facilities manager through an industry accepted certification offered at a regionally accredited institution of higher education or an approved postsecondary institution located within or outside Rhode Island; and
• Familiarity with state environmental regulations related to school buildings

The Candidate

Successful candidates must demonstrate a deep belief in the capacity of all students to achieve at high levels and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders to drive transformative change within and outside of an organization. Any successful candidate must be able to translate an educational vision into a long-term facilities plan, and translate back facility requirements and impacts to lay people such as district leaders and other stakeholders in the educational field. Ideal candidates will ideally have a minimum of 10 years of supervisory experience in construction, with a number of years of experience in working specifically on school-related projects or within a district.

Knowledge, Skills, and Mindsets Required

• A deep belief in the capacity of all students to achieve at high levels;
• The demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders to drive transformative change within and outside of an organization;
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by job.
• Proven ability to motivate staff/contractors to produce projects on time and within budget.
• Strong ability to manage simultaneous complex projects and have strong, prioritization skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, exhibiting an ability to effectively communicate with multiple stakeholders across a complex ecosystem, including school leaders, administrators, colleagues, parents, contractors, and other Providence stakeholders.
• Excellent presentation skills, coupled with experience presenting to senior management, board-level staff, and/or elected officials.
• Available outside business hours, as needed, for meetings and project-specific tasks.
• You must complete the new hire compliance training prior to your first day of employment
• Bilingual Preferred
• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check. Selected candidates cannot begin work until passing their background check.

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, holidays, and Personal Time Off (PTO).