Facilities Manager, 25-26 Academic Year

Facilities Manager, 25-26 Academic Year

Reports to: Director of Operations

Who We Are:

Heartwood Community School is a community-focused, tuition-free charter school serving Jasper, Beaufort, and Hampton Counties in South Carolina. We believe in educating the whole child—nurturing each student academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Honoring every child’s unique journey, we bridge home and school to foster a compassionate, empowering environment where students feel seen and valued.

Our mission goes beyond academics; we guide students to become resilient problem-solvers, compassionate community builders, globally minded citizens, emotionally intelligent leaders, and lifelong learners. Embracing mistakes as part of growth, we equip students to thrive in school and life—ready to make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.

The Role:

Heartwood Community School seeks a dedicated and proactive CDL certified Facilities Manager who is committed to ensuring a safe, well-maintained, and operationally efficient school environment. This individual will play a crucial role in overseeing facilities management, security, and transportation operations, supporting the overall mission of the school.

The Facilities Manager will lead and supervise a team, including bus drivers and operations coordinators (janitorial and maintenance staff), to ensure seamless day-to-day operations. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and management skills to coordinate maintenance schedules, respond to emergencies, and uphold safety protocols.

This position is integral to school operations—often the first person on-site to ensure the school is ready to open, staff are in place, and systems are functioning efficiently.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Supervision

• Supervise, train, and support bus drivers and operations coordinators to ensure operational excellence.
• Establish and maintain a culture of accountability, professionalism, and service within the facilities and operations team.
• Develop and manage partnerships with external vendors to support facility operations, transportation, and security.
• Maintain strong communication and collaboration with both internal teams and external partners to optimize resources and enhance an overall safe school environment.

Facilities & Maintenance Oversight

• Ensure the campus is safe, clean, and fully operational each school day.
• Develop and oversee preventative maintenance schedules for school buildings, grounds, and equipment.
• Manage and coordinate building repairs, vendor contracts, and compliance with safety regulations.
• Oversee the response to maintenance emergencies, ensuring timely and effective resolutions.

Transportation & Emergency Dispatch

• Maintain the bus maintenance schedule, ensuring compliance with all state and federal transportation regulations.
• Serve as the backup driver for school routes when necessary.
• Act as the dispatcher for transportation and emergency situations, coordinating responses effectively.

Safety & Emergency Preparedness

• Develop and implement emergency response protocols, including fire drills, lockdown procedures, and severe weather preparedness.
• Ensure safety measures are in place and enforced throughout the school campus.
• Conduct regular safety audits to proactively identify and address risks.
• Collaborate with local law enforcement, the school resource officer, and emergency response teams as needed.

Daily School Operations

• Ensure all operational staff are in position at the start of each day.
• Monitor and manage the readiness of the facility and transportation to support uninterrupted school operations.
• Maintain detailed records of facility operations, maintenance logs, and incident reports.

Skills & Characteristics:

• Commitment to Heartwood’s mission, with a dedication to creating a safe and welcoming learning environment.
• Strong leadership and management abilities, with experience supervising teams.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Proactive problem-solver, capable of anticipating and addressing operational challenges.
• Effective communicator, able to coordinate across multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Crisis management skills, with experience handling emergencies and security concerns.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; relevant work experience in facilities management, operations, or school administration may substitute.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in facilities management, transportation, or a related field.
• Experience supervising teams in an educational or operational setting.
• Valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with Passenger Endorsement or willingness to obtain.
• Knowledge of school maintenance procedures and emergency management is a plus.

Compensation:

The salary for this role is $80,000, with eligibility for a relocation package. To uphold our commitment to equitable and fair compensation, we offer a competitive salary and have a no-negotiation policy.

We are committed to building a best in class team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability.