Jobs

Since its founding more than 100 years ago, Charles River School students have learned to use both inquiry and creativity to build practical skills, discover new interests, and take responsibility for themselves, their communities, and the future. With a deep history and commitment to social justice, the school offers students in Pre-Kindergarten through eighth-grade a global curriculum grounded in thematic, hands-on teaching and learning. CRS classes are small, learning is personalized, and teachers are accessible. The faculty and staff at Charles River School are exceptionally talented, diverse, active individuals concerned with the development and education of the whole child. The school is located on 16 acres in Dover, Massachusetts, approximately 30 minutes from Boston. Charles River School facilities include a theater, dining room, academic buildings, gymnasiums, a wetlands laboratory and two playing fields.

The Director of Buildings and Grounds oversees the physical operation of all school facilities, including day-to-day campus use, buildings maintenance and groundskeeping, equipment, furniture, vehicles, and special projects, all with a hands-on approach. The Director of Buildings and Grounds is a detail and systems oriented professional with a demonstrated ability to manage and motivate staff and lead projects in the midst of a vibrant Prek-8th grade campus community.

The successful candidate will possess tremendous project management skills and have experience managing campus safety and security, custodial services, budgeting and planning, and various facilities projects. The Director of Facilities reports to the Director of Finance and works closely with the Head of School.

Responsibilities

• Campus Facilities
  • Accountable for daily operations of the physical plant, ensuring pleasant communications and customer service-oriented relationships with faculty, staff, visitors, vendors, and others.
  • Plans, manages, and oversees facilities and equipment for daily use and from inception to completion for special events, meetings, etc.
  • Solicits, reviews bids and negotiates contracts with vendors.
  • Coordinates lock and key needs and maintains distribution of keys, door locks and padlocks on campus.
• General Management
  • Supervises a full-time Facilities Associate and Campus Safety Coordinator.
  • Prepares, updates and regularly communicates schedules for groundskeeping, maintenance and janitorial services.
  • Provides general supervision and project management to facilities-related trades as needed including outsourced landscaping.
  • Establishes and appropriately adjusts the timing of work and procedures to meet scheduled work requirements.
  • Addresses, analyzes and resolves facilities issues and problems.
  • Additional duties, as assigned.
• Campus Security and Safety
  • Oversees and manages overall campus security and safety program and establishes and maintains security requirements and safety protocols.
  • Serves as a strategic partner in the school’s Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Response programs in conjunction with the Head of School, Director of Finance, and other school administrators.
  • Helps to develop and manage Emergency Response Plan (ERP), including facilitation of drills.
  • Maintains appropriate stock of emergency supplies and equipment.
  • Oversees the school’s Fire/Life/Safety ensuring standards are met, updated and maintained.
  • Provides first response for all campus facilities-related emergencies, on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for alarm and facilities-related emergency needs.
  • Serves as a liaison to police, sheriff, and fire department personnel.
  • Manages school’s federal and state regulatory compliance requirements, including OSHA, building codes, and all others.
• Preventative Maintenance
  • Manages, plans, and oversees a regular schedule of short and long-term maintenance of campus buildings/facilities and equipment including HVAC, lighting, elevators, and others.
  • Maintains an adequate inventory of all necessary supplies and parts on-site.
  • Manages tracking system for regular preventative maintenance schedules and ongoing requests.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field. Advanced degree or professional certification (e.g., CFM, IFMA) is a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in facilities management, with at least 2 years in a supervisory role.
• Strong knowledge of building systems, maintenance practices, and safety regulations.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, schedules, and staff effectively.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Ability to perform physical tasks associated with facilities management, including lifting, bending, and working in various weather conditions.
• Ability to respond to emergencies and perform tasks as needed during off-hours.

How to Apply

Charles River School has engaged DovetailED to lead this search. Interested candidates should email a cover letter describing why you are interested in working at CRS and how your talents and experience are a fit for this position (addressed to Head of School, Gabe Burnstein), a resume, and a list of at least three professional references consolidated as a single PDF document to Madison Sunley, Recruiter, at madison@dovetailedsourcing.com. Please do not contact the school directly.

This is a full-time exempt position and reports to the Director of Finance. The salary for this position is $90,000-105,000, commensurate with experience. CRS employees enjoy a competitive employee benefits program including medical, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement plan contribution, and voluntary supplemental life insurance and long-term care coverage.

Charles River School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, personnel policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs and athletic and other school-administered programs. It is the policy of Charles River School to admit students of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin.