About the Wende Museum
The Wende is an art museum, historical archive of the Cold War, and center for creative community engagement that explores and inspires change.

Job Description
The Facilities Manager ensures that the Wende’s indoor and outdoor spaces look beautiful and operate seamlessly and sustainably. Current facilities include a museum with galleries, office spaces, kitchen, bathrooms, and a garden in Culver City, and a large storage facility in El Monte (soon moving to Hawthorne). The Facilities Manager will play a large role in the storage move as well as the capital project to create a new Creative Community Center adjacent to the museum. This position is ideal for candidates with previous experience in museum facilities, construction, architecture, interior design, hotel or restaurant management, theater and set design, or any other field where impeccably maintained facilities are central to operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Manages short- and long-term maintenance and improvements of the Wende’s galleries, garden, office spaces, and off-site collections storage facility, working closely with the Executive Director as well as staff from various departments, outside vendors, and contractors
• Communicates and coordinates with facilities vendors such as carpenters, designers, and landscapers
• Develops and maintains a thorough working knowledge of all facilities systems
• Prepares project-specific and long-term facilities budgets and secures competitive bids as needed
• Handles facilities-related administration (e.g., compliance, insurance, registration)
• Initiates and supervises regular emergency equipment testing and emergency protocols
• Liases with city and county officials in relation to fire, security, building code compliance, and permitting
• Supports event and exhibition production with facilities-related needs
• Supervises two staff members: one facilities specialist and one custodial specialist

This is a manager-level staff position with high inter-department exposure. The position reports to the Executive Director while working with staff throughout the organization.

Regular, on-site attendance is required.

Compensation: $50,000-$70,000

This is a full-time position available April 2022.

Ideal Candidate/Required Qualifications

• Two or more years’ experience as a facilities or venue manager or coordinator, or in a related field
• Knowledge of facilities systems, including AV, electrical, lighting, HVAC, plumbing, security, IT, and landscaping
• Experience reading and interpreting building and design plans
• Experience preparing and managing budgets, purchasing, and securing competitive bids
• Project management experience
• Basic carpentry and/or design skills
• Ability to lift and/or move up to thirty pounds unassisted
• Valid CA driver’s license and reliable automobile with insurance coverage for use on the job
• Ability to work primarily on-site
• Willingness and availability to work some nights and weekends, and to respond to facilities emergencies during and after hours, as needed

Ideal Candidate

• Responsive, resourceful, and creative problem solver with construction, design, and/or facilities maintenance/repair/improvement skills
• Takes pride in a beautiful venue
• Experience working in a museum, gallery, theater, hotel or restaurant, or nonprofit
• Interested in sustainability and motivated to identify and implement ways to continually maintain, improve, and innovate facilities with sustainability in mind
• Bilingual or multilingual a plus
• Able to multi-task a variety of activities, prioritizing conflicting needs
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to work effectively independently and also as a positive team player
• Able to demonstrate emotional maturity and strong interpersonal skills

Recognizing that this is an ongoing process, the Wende Museum is committed to continually increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability. People of color, LGBTQIA+ people, people without formal education, and others who may have been marginalized by conventional hiring practices are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply
Submit a resume and cover letter in a single PDF attachment with the subject line “Head of Facilities” to [email protected] by 6/3/2022.