About the Role

The Senior Specialist, Renovations & Facilities serves as an accountable facilities leader responsible for ensuring schools operate as safe, compliant, and instruction-ready environments aligned to Success Academy’s standards of excellence. This is an execution focused, outcomes-driven role. 

The Senior Specialist translates institutional standards into disciplined daily action and serves as the primary liaison between school leadership, government partners, and contractors. This position owns performance, enforces expectations, and drives timely resolution to protect instructional time. 

The ideal candidate demonstrates urgency, strong judgment, and accountability, and operates effectively in complex, fast paced environments where results and follow through matter.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the operational condition of schools and maintain full accountability for facilities performance and daily readiness.

• Conduct frequent, high quality inspections and document findings with clear owners, deadlines, and required corrective actions.

• Uphold and enforce institutional standards for excellence, cleanliness, safety, aesthetics, and compliance, without exception.

• Hold school stakeholders, government partners, and contractors accountable for meeting responsibilities and performance expectations.

• Drive timely resolution of facilities issues by assigning actions, tracking progress with urgency, escalating when needed, and closing items.

• Serve as first line escalation lead, elevating risks with clear impact, documentation, and recommended solutions.

• Maintain accurate, audit-ready records and ensure disciplined tracking through established systems and tools.

• Travel as required to support facilities operations, projects, and organizational priorities.

• Execute other duties as required to uphold operational excellence.

Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in facilities management, construction, or building operations; multi-site experience strongly preferred. Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent professional experience in large scale multi site facility management accepted.

• Experience supporting schools or mission-driven organizations with high operational standards preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to set expectations, move work forward with urgency, and hold vendors, contractors, and partners accountable.

• Practical understanding of building systems (HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire and life-safety) to evaluate recommendations and ask informed questions.

• Familiarity with NYC DOE/SCA processes and co-located school environments preferred.

• Strong judgment with the ability to assess risk, escalate decisively, and drive issues to timely, measurable resolution.

• Proficiency with Monday.com, Trello, and Google Workspace for structured tracking, reporting, and accountability.

• High standards for organization, documentation, and follow-through in fast paced environments.

• Clear, professional communication skills and the ability to lead through clarity, firmness, and credibility.

• Deep commitment to protecting instructional time and maintaining facilities that support excellence in teaching and learning.

We are currently hiring three (3) Senior Specialists to oversee specific regional portfolios. While these roles are predominantly based out of our central Network Office in downtown Manhattan, each hire will be assigned to a dedicated portfolio within one of the following regions: Brooklyn, Queens, or The Bronx.

Role Overview: 

The Head of Renovations & Facilities is responsible for the strategy, execution, and performance of all facilities operations across Success Academy’s portfolio, including 59 schools in New York City, 5 schools in Miami, and K–12 campuses. This role leads the full lifecycle of facilities management—from day-to-day operations and preventative maintenance to capital planning and renovations—ensuring all buildings are safe, compliant, and aligned to the organization’s standards for quality and experience.

Reporting to the Executive of Operations, Enrollment, Board Relations, Renovations & Facilities, this leader oversees a multi-functional team and external vendor network to deliver consistent, high-quality building operations at scale. The role is accountable for setting and executing a strategic facilities roadmap, managing departmental budgets, and ensuring the right systems, processes, and expertise are in place to support both immediate operational needs and long-term portfolio growth.

The Head of Renovations & Facilities drives performance across all core building systems—including fire and life safety, security, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and vertical transportation—while also overseeing custodial services, grounds maintenance, food service coordination, and space management. This role ensures preventative maintenance programs and capital improvement initiatives are executed effectively, minimizing disruption to school operations and extending asset life.

Success in this role requires strong operational leadership, the ability to manage complexity across a diverse portfolio, and a focus on building scalable systems that deliver reliable, responsive, and high-quality facilities support to schools.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Set Facilities Strategy & Execution: Define and lead a multi-year facilities strategy that ensures all schools are safe, compliant, and aligned to Success Academy standards, while supporting portfolio growth and evolving operational needs.

• Oversee Day-to-Day Operations: Ensure consistent, high-quality building operations across all sites, including rapid response to issues, strong service levels to schools, and minimal disruption to instruction.

• Lead Renovations & Capital Projects: Plan and execute capital improvements, renovations, and new site readiness, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to specification.

• Manage Preventative Maintenance Programs: Establish and enforce preventative maintenance systems to maximize asset life, reduce reactive work orders, and improve overall building performance.

• Own Vendor Strategy & Performance: Source, onboard, and manage vendors providing critical services (HVAC, custodial, security, food service, etc.), holding partners accountable to clear performance standards and SLAs.

• Build & Lead High-Performing Teams: Recruit, develop, and manage a facilities team with clear roles, strong accountability, and a service-oriented mindset.

• Ensure Compliance & Life Safety: Maintain full compliance with all regulatory, safety, and inspection requirements, including fire/life safety systems, emergency preparedness, and local/state codes.

• Manage Budgets & Financial Performance: Develop and oversee departmental and site-level budgets, ensuring disciplined cost management and strategic allocation of resources.

• Drive Operational Excellence & Systems: Implement scalable systems, tools, and processes to improve efficiency, transparency, and data-driven decision making across the portfolio.

• Partner Cross-Functionally: Collaborate with internal stakeholders (school leadership, operations, real estate, technology) and external partners (districts, landlords) to align on priorities, resolve issues, and enable successful school operations.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in facilities management, building operations, or related fields, including oversight of large, multi-site portfolios

• Proven leadership experience managing and developing high-performing teams, with the ability to drive accountability and results

• Strong track record of executing capital projects and renovations, including planning, budgeting, and on-time delivery

• Deep knowledge of building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire/life safety) and preventative maintenance best practices

• Experience managing vendor relationships and service contracts, with a focus on performance management and cost control

• Demonstrated ability to build and implement scalable systems and processes across complex operations

• Strong financial acumen, including budget development, forecasting, and cost management

• Familiarity with regulatory compliance, safety standards, and local/state building codes

• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively in fast-paced environments

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally and influence at all levels of the organization

• Experience in education, public sector, or mission-driven organizations is a plus

About the Role

The Senior Specialist, Renovations & Facilities serves as an accountable facilities leader responsible for ensuring schools operate as safe, compliant, and instruction-ready environments aligned to Success Academy’s standards of excellence. This is an execution focused, outcomes-driven role. 

The Senior Specialist translates institutional standards into disciplined daily action and serves as the primary liaison between school leadership, government partners, and contractors. This position owns performance, enforces expectations, and drives timely resolution to protect instructional time. 

The ideal candidate demonstrates urgency, strong judgment, and accountability, and operates effectively in complex, fast paced environments where results and follow through matter.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the operational condition of schools and maintain full accountability for facilities performance and daily readiness.

• Conduct frequent, high quality inspections and document findings with clear owners, deadlines, and required corrective actions.

• Uphold and enforce institutional standards for excellence, cleanliness, safety, aesthetics, and compliance, without exception.

• Hold school stakeholders, government partners, and contractors accountable for meeting responsibilities and performance expectations.

• Drive timely resolution of facilities issues by assigning actions, tracking progress with urgency, escalating when needed, and closing items.

• Serve as first line escalation lead, elevating risks with clear impact, documentation, and recommended solutions.

• Maintain accurate, audit-ready records and ensure disciplined tracking through established systems and tools.

• Travel as required to support facilities operations, projects, and organizational priorities.

• Execute other duties as required to uphold operational excellence.

Skills & Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in facilities management, construction, or building operations; multi-site experience strongly preferred. Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent professional experience in large scale multi site facility management accepted.

• Experience supporting schools or mission-driven organizations with high operational standards preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to set expectations, move work forward with urgency, and hold vendors, contractors, and partners accountable.

• Practical understanding of building systems (HVAC, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire and life-safety) to evaluate recommendations and ask informed questions.

• Familiarity with NYC DOE/SCA processes and co-located school environments preferred.

• Strong judgment with the ability to assess risk, escalate decisively, and drive issues to timely, measurable resolution.

• Proficiency with Monday.com, Trello, and Google Workspace for structured tracking, reporting, and accountability.

• High standards for organization, documentation, and follow-through in fast paced environments.

• Clear, professional communication skills and the ability to lead through clarity, firmness, and credibility.

• Deep commitment to protecting instructional time and maintaining facilities that support excellence in teaching and learning.

We are currently hiring three (3) Senior Specialists to oversee specific regional portfolios. While these roles are predominantly based out of our central Network Office in downtown Manhattan, each hire will be assigned to a dedicated portfolio within one of the following regions: Brooklyn, Queens, or The Bronx.