Vice-President of Facilities and Construction (Full-Time)

Description

Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Cheekwood is distinguished as one of the leading Country Place Era estates in the nation and is currently the third highest attended destination in Nashville, Tennessee, welcoming on average 400,000 visitors annually, with a membership base of 18,000. Formerly the family home of Mabel and Leslie Cheek, this 1930s estate, with its 30,000-square-foot Mansion and 55-acres of gardens, today serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum with furnished period rooms and galleries devoted to American art from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. The property includes 13 distinct gardens as well as a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring outdoor monumental sculpture, and regularly hosts contemporary sculpture exhibitions on its expansive property. Annually it presents seasonal festivals, including Orchids at Cheekwood, Cheekwood in Bloom, Harvest at Cheekwood, and Holiday LIGHTS. Cheekwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and nationally as a Level II Arboretum. It is a three-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden and in 2021 was recognized by Fodor’s as one of the 12 Most Beautiful Gardens in the American South.

Position Overview

The VP of Facilities & Construction provides strategic and operational leadership for all aspects of the three core functions of facilities management: daily operations (including custodial and event set-ups), facility maintenance, and construction. This role serves as a member of the senior leadership team and collaborates across the organization.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities - General

• Exhibits commitment to Cheekwood’s mission and values, ensuring that strategic and operational objectives are met.
• Provides leadership, management and training and to all housekeeping and maintenance staff; maintains a positive team culture.
• Supervises contract services associated with facilities maintenance, custodial operations, and waste management to ensure compliance with contract terms and Cheekwood’s policies and goals.
• Prepares and manages the Facilities department’s operating budget, monitors expenditures, obtains competitive bids, and ensures compliance with Cheekwood’s financial policies.
• Ensures adherence to safe workplace practices and maintains safe, well-organized, and clean work areas and storage facilities.
• Ensures equipment is inventoried, well-maintained, properly stored and in good working order.
• Attends weekly logistics meetings, monthly safety committee meetings and other meetings as required.
• Serves as the staff liaison for the Facilities Committee and works with the Committee Chairperson to conduct quarterly meetings.
• Ensures repairs, maintenance and construction comply with applicable laws, building and safety codes and other regulations.
  
  

Management of the Facilities Department’s Three Core Functional Areas

Daily Operations

• Organizes housekeeping support for Cheekwood’s daily public operations, including highly attended festivals and programs, as well as internal operations.
• Maintains a constant awareness of the guest experience to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness and safety for all visitors.
• Determines appropriate staffing levels, including use of contract labor and in-house housekeeping staff.
• Oversees the preparation of spaces and setup for in-house meetings, rental events, and special events and attends events as necessary.
  
  

Facilities Maintenance

• Supervises the daily activities of department managers, building superintendents and maintenance technicians.
• Coordinates and manages preventive maintenance and repair of significant historic buildings, other public and private building spaces, parking lots and roadways, fleet vehicles, and utilities and infrastructure.
• Directs an efficient work order system and manages interdepartmental communications to ensure repairs of facilities, infrastructure, and equipment meet acceptable timelines.
• Regularly updates and evaluates the facilities condition index to identify short-term and long-term improvement needs and to prioritize deferred restoration and critical repairs.
  
  

Construction Projects

• Plans, and executes major capital projects, including new projects, renovations and large capital repairs.
• Functions as the primary project manager in all phases of capital construction, including planning and design, budget development, implementation and project close-out.
• Focuses project-related information flow to Senior Leadership to facilitate effective decision-making.
• Collaborates with Operations Teams and Senior Leadership to coordinate and ensure construction projects and facility maintenance activities accommodate the institution’s public and special event operations.
  
  

Requirements

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least five years of management experience that demonstrates progressively responsible leadership roles, preferably in a complex organization.
• Experience in non-profit and/or facility operations preferred.
• Experience in budgetary and cost controls.
• Strategic thinker, self-motivated, detail-oriented.
• Effective written and oral communication, organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including motivating, developing, and coaching staff and providing effective management and delegation in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Team player with proven ability to work collaboratively with executive leadership, operational staff, guests and members, and donors.
• Committed to quality of service and sensitivity to diversity and inclusion; ability to work in a dynamic, culturally diverse community.
• Proficiency in computer software as needed.
• Availability to work flexible hours, including nights/weekends.
• Valid driver’s license to drive garden vehicles and personal vehicles for business purposes.
  
  

Benefits

The well-being of Cheekwood employees is essential. So, when it comes to our benefits package, we offer one of the best. We offer the following benefits to all full-time employees:

• Health Insurance with an HRA
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance (100% paid by Cheekwood)
• Long Term Disability Insurance (100% paid by Cheekwood)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• 403b and Roth 403b with a generous employer match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off and 11 Paid Holidays
• Aflac products are offered.
  
  

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA) Statement

Cheekwood is committed to embracing, pursuing, and celebrating inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility among our board, staff, leadership, partners, vendors, volunteers, members, supporters, and visitors.

We will be steadfast in our efforts to welcome people of all races, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, religions, political affiliations, ages, and abilities.

We recognize we have much work to do and pledge to pursue new and previously underrepresented ideas, artists, advisors, partners, instructors, innovators, and audiences so that all voices can be heard, respected, and supported.

• Cheekwood employees have an opportunity to participate in an active Diversity Committee promoting inclusivity and engagement.