Manager of Facilities

Brookfield Zoo has an amazing history:  December 1919, 83 acres of land donated for creating a zoo; 1922, ground is broken; 1927, the first buildings are constructed (Reptile House, South Gate, and a powerhouse); 1932, Primate House, Australia House and North Gate work begins; and opening ceremonies commence with the public opening of Brookfield Zoo on June 30, 1934.  The Manager of Facilities contributes to the success of the Chicago Zoological Society by effectively managing the construction and maintenance of facilities, utilities, and supporting staff throughout the park to further the Society’s goal of providing extraordinary guest experiences and being financially sustainable.

Primary duties and responsibilities:  Hire, select, develop, and manage qualified department staff.  Make appropriate recommendations with respect to department structure, staffing and manpower needs.  Responsible for assuring adherence to Society policies and the union contract.  Working with Society staff, develop and maintain programs for short- and long-term special and routine repairs and programmed maintenance.  Coordinate activities of assigned Leads, compile information and translate into short and long-term capital needs and repair programs, identify budget resources, approve material purchases, assure digging permits are initiated and approved, establish departmental standards, assure all SOP programs are maintained and necessary resources are budgeted.  Work with Safety Department to administer employee safety programs and maintain required information and records.  Coordinate/schedule services as necessary in support of special events with requesting clients and other P&F sections.  Develop and implement actions to improve workplace culture with an emphasis on driving results and fostering inclusion.  Actively lead employee engagement, talent development, recruitment, and retention initiatives.

Assist with construction program and act as project manager as assigned.  Participate in capital project planning teams as assigned.  Schedule and coordinate construction activities, addressing applicable building codes and regulations.  Assist in the evaluation of bids and selection of contractors.  Assure construction projects are fully communicated to all affected parties.  Monitor construction to assure compliance with specifications.  Apply conservation criteria, as appropriate, to material selection and construction methodology.  Administer contracts as required.  Correct any deviations from scope.  Recommend design changes and field adjustments to assure performance requirements are met.  Inspect and approve completed work and approve requests for payment.  Monitor and review work schedules and produce update reports as required.  Update facility surveys and documentation.  Add new items to CMMS inventory, tasks and schedules.  Assist in public communications as needed.  Develop, administer, and control section operating budget.  Approve and control all section expenditures and purchasing accordingly.  Control scheduling of available labor hours.  Produce long-range planning schedule using functional programs for supporting data such as CMMS, Time and Attendance, financial and others.  Develop and maintain section’s Standard Operating Procedure programs.

Establish, implement and enforce quality control standards and conduct regular and necessary inspections.  Develop technical specifications for material and applications standards.  Develop and administer emergency response plans for life-threatening or other emergency-type situations to include response procedures and standards and documentation of available resources.  Provide call-in schedule and procedures.  Coordinate annual facilities program planning.  Manage required physical maintenance, future capital plans, collection health and welfare physical/facility requirements, and facilities and communication goals to produce collaborative plans to systematically update and improve facilities.  Manage Equipment Repair operations to ensure that all assigned equipment is routinely inspected and maintained in a proper manner, permits, etc. are current, and all repairs are efficiently completed in a timely manner and expenses are managed within the assigned budget.  Meet with inspectors annually and as needed to ensure annual permit process is completed in a timely manner, the Carousel is operating in a safe condition, and staff are at all times adhering to the Illinois Carnival and Amusement Rides Safety Act.  Utilize CMMS and other programs that identify available labor hours, requested services, scheduling concerns, and accurately reflect costs for all work and special events.  Develop/maintain functional system programs and project management program for each utility system throughout the Park.  Assure all budgeted resources are utilized efficiently and that function programs support set goals and objectives.

This position description summarizes the primary duties and functions of this position, but should not be considered a complete listing of every duty the incumbent may ever be called upon to perform.

The requirements for this position include the following:  High school diploma or (GED) equivalent required.  Associate’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering Technology or the equivalent of a relevant mechanical or electrical technical course of study with appropriate certification.  Seven years of experience in facility operation, maintenance and management and of small to medium-sized construction projects; and five years of supervisory experience, including two years supervising union employees.  Ability to read blueprints and construction specifications, and experience developing and maintaining budgets required.  Good communication and interpersonal skills; experience and/or ability to work and interact effectively with a diverse, multicultural audience and staff; and English fluency at a full professional proficiency. Ability to write technical specifications and perform job accounting summaries, organize work projects, meet critical deadlines, delegate responsibility, and hold staff accountable.  Must be highly flexible and able to respond and adapt quickly and easily to change.  Must be strategic in his/her orientation and a team player.

Computer proficiency in Microsoft Outlook or a comparable email software program; prior experience using Microsoft Word and Excel.  Familiar with basic editing of documents in Microsoft PowerPoint.  A valid driver’s license is required on date of hire.  If an Illinois resident, must possess a valid Illinois driver’s license at the time of hire or must obtain one within 90 days of hire.  A valid out-of-state driver’s license is required at time of hire for out-of-state residents.

Preferred qualifications include: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or Technology with a minor or experience in a relevant field. Experience and knowledge of computerized scheduling and costing programs.   Experience in public or not-for-profit institutions and/or comparable-sized organizations a plus.  Multilingual ability, Spanish fluency a plus.

The Chicago Zoological Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer.