Facilities director Jobs in Washington, DC

How You’ll Contribute

How You’ll Contribute

Job Description Summary

The National Geographic Society headquarters, based in Washington, , is undergoing a significant renovation project on its campus (called Base Camp), which will be completed in 2026. Components of the new guest experience will include a state-of-the-art pavilion entrance, auditorium, iconic photo gallery, exhibition space, immersive walk-through attraction, retail, food and beverage, education center, archives, tours, and exciting new event space. The capstone of the renovation is a one-of-a-kind nighttime experience in the courtyard.

The Senior Director of Facilities and Mechanical Maintenance leads and oversees skilled teams responsible for mechanical maintenance, custodial operations, mailroom services, loading dock logistics, carpentry, painting, conference services support and office space configuration and management. The position ensures that infrastructure and services operate efficiently, regulatory standards are met, and service delivery meets organizational role also plays a critical part in supporting the Base Camp renovation project, ensuring infrastructure readiness and operational continuity for the enhanced campus.

This position is considered essential and is on-call as needed, responding to emergencies and unscheduled operational issues in a timely manner. As Base Camp and the Museum of Exploration operate year-round on multiple shifts, flexibility to work different types of shifts is crucial. The regular work schedule of this position could include weekend, holiday, early-morning, and late-evening coverage.

Your Impact

Your Impact

Responsibilities Include

Strategy & Planning (35%)

Implement and evaluate facility and mechanical maintenance processes, identifying opportunities for efficiency improvements.

In partnership with other Operations teams, develop and implement standards for customer service for the facility and mechanical maintenance teams.

Develop, implement, and oversee safety protocols, emergency response plans, and regular quality control audits.

Create and oversee departmental budgets, review and report on financial statements, forecast expenses and deviations from budget, anticipate changes in operating costs, develop approaches to mitigate impact of unplanned expenses.

Oversee project timelines, budgets, and vendor contracts, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.

Collaborate with stakeholders to minimize disruptions during project work and maintain operational integrity.

Ensure that all operations comply with safety regulations, building codes, and environmental standards.

Ensure inspections, repairs, and work orders are performed according to regulatory standards and operational needs.

Provide recommendations on infrastructure investments and participate in long-term planning.

Direct facility improvement projects, including upgrades and renovations, ensuring they align with organizational priorities.

Perform analysis of business operations, formulate and recommend departmental KPIs, determine costs / ROI of operational and capital expenditures.

Team Development and Leadership (25%)

Lead and oversee operations across facility functions, including maintenance operations, custodial services, mailroom and distribution, loading dock operations, carpentry & painting, conference services support, and office space configuration and management.

Supervise departmental managers, ensuring that teams are appropriately staffed, trained, and equipped to meet daily and long-term service requirements.

Implement performance management and staff development initiatives to promote growth and a high-performing, strongly-service-oriented workforce.

Foster a collaborative culture focused on teamwork, safety, and operational excellence.

Plan and align staffing resources to meet both immediate and future facility needs.

Partnerships and Collaboration (20%)

Act as the primary point of contact for escalated facility issues, ensuring timely resolution and high service quality.

Demonstrate proactive communication with internal and external stakeholders, tenants, neighbors, vendors, suppliers, and appropriate local agencies and offices.

Create and present reports and updates to subordinates, peers, and leadership through effective executive communication and presentation skills.

Work closely with internal departments, on-site tenants, and other entities to provide facilities support for events, exhibits, and other organizational needs.

Develop and enforce customer service standards, creating feedback channels to continuously improve service delivery.

Conduct regular service assessments and make adjustments based on stakeholder needs and organizational priorities.

Oversee technical contractors to ensure compliance and performance standards are met.

Foster effective tenant relationships as they relate to physical space, cleaning, mail / packages, loading dock use, server rooms and back of house needs.

Business Operations (20%)

In consultation with leadership, implement best practices in facility maintenance, management, and energy efficiency.

Conduct or facilitate regular safety training sessions for managers and staff to maintain a culture of excellent customer service and operational safety.

Coordinate and standardize policies, procedures, and service expectations across the department to maintain consistent service quality.

Oversee and report on preventive maintenance for facility and mechanical systems, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical infrastructure, as well as building envelope and energy efficiency system predictive & preventative maintenance.

In consultation with other Departments, negotiate and oversee contracts with suppliers, vendors, and other partners.

What You’ll Bring

Minimum Years and Type of Experience

12+ years of relevant experience with at least 5+ years of management experience.

Necessary Knowledge and Skills

Demonstrated experience using effective interpersonal skills, listening, diplomacy and tact to build strong relationships with stakeholders and staff

Experienced, effective manager and team builder

Ability to interact with a diverse audience

Skilled in time management and ability to meet deadlines with accuracy

Skilled in demonstrating independent judgment, discretion and decision-making

Ability to maintain confidentiality and professional work standards and ethics

Experience managing complex infrastructure operations across a multi-facility campus.

Familiarity with computer-aided maintenance management systems (CMMS).

Experience managing facilities within museums, cultural institutions, or other public-facing organizations.

Fluence with personal computers and common business software.

Desired Qualifications

Project management certification

District of Columbia Master Electrician’s license

Supervision

5 direct reports and multiple contractors

Salary Information

The National Geographic Society offers a competitive and holistic total rewards package. Our compensation structure and transparent pay philosophy are based on industry-specific market data for similar-sized nonprofit organizations.

The salary range for this position accounts for a wide range of factors including but not limited to organizational need; specific skill sets; experience and training; certifications; and more. At the National Geographic Society, individuals are typically hired at or near the starting point of the salary range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

The salary range for this position is $166,200 - $175,000

In addition, the National Geographic Society offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance; engaging and comprehensive wellness program; 401(k) retirement savings plan with matching contributions after 6 months of employment; flexible paid time off benefits with up to 22 days of paid annual leave per calendar year (15 days for new hires in their first year, prorated based on the number of pay periods remaining in the year) and 10 days of sick leave; 12 paid holidays and a paid winter break between December 25 and 31; paid parental leave, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility benefits; learning and development opportunities; Lifestyle Spending Account; pet adoption assistance and insurance; pre-tax transportation benefits with a generous employer subsidy; employer-paid life insurance and disability benefit; and a variety of National Geographic discounts and perks.

Job Designation

Resident - Our Resident category recognizes that certain staff need to be physically present at Base Camp to do their work. Some Resident staff must be at Base Camp every day to do their jobs, while others may only need to be physically present onsite some of the time to meet looming deadlines or to get work done and may require a unique schedule. As such, this category has been revised to provide maximum flexibility depending on what’s required for each individual role. The days Resident staff come into the office will be determined by their teams and workflow, and they should work with their supervisors to determine their specific schedule. And throughout the year, their schedule may be adjusted based on cyclical work cycles, deadlines, and / or ebbs and flows of work.