Director of Facilities & Security

Description

THIS JOB POSTING WILL CLOSE ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2026, AT 11:00 PM EST.
 

The Director of Facilities & Security is a key leadership position at Fair Lane, with overall responsibility for the estate’s facilities, including the maintenance and security of the buildings and grounds. This role will have significant autonomy in overseeing and administering the estate’s maintenance, custodial, and security staff. They will oversee operations that include building maintenance, custodial, infrastructure systems, Information Technology, and capital improvement plans.

Fair Lane Estate is currently comprised of approximately 53,000 sqft of building space, including a main residence, powerhouse/garage, welcome center, and potting shed/greenhouses. Most of these structures are historic and have a variety of uniquely installed mechanical systems, including boilers, chillers, fan coil units, and a closed loop water infrastructure for both heating and cooling. In collaboration with two direct reports (Facilities & Custodial Technician and Manager of Security, to-be-hired) and several contracted partners, this role will serve as the subject matter expert for all building systems: mechanical/HVAC, electrical, plumbing, security, and IT.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Reports to the President but collaborates and interacts inter-departmentally at all levels daily.
• Communicates and presents to leadership and the Board of Trustees as needed.
• Works with the Senior Director of Finance and Administration to develop, monitor, and manage budgets for Maintenance, Facilities, Security, and IT.
• Works closely with the Senior Director of Gardens and Grounds, the Senior Director of Historic Resources & Education, and the Marketing and Advancement Team to ensure operational alignment with preservation standards, public programming, and revenue generation.
• Continuously evaluates facilities system effectiveness by identifying opportunities for operational efficiencies, cost savings, and risk mitigation, develops recommendations, and leads implementation.
• Identifies and implements operational efficiencies, cost-control measures, and long-term infrastructure strategies.
• Provides full oversight of building systems, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, security, and life-safety systems.
• Serves as a primary on-call responder for operational emergencies, including after-hours incidents.
• Oversees Emergency Preparedness Planning and on-site safety/security.
• Manage and oversee the ordering of all custodial supplies for the facility.
• Manage and oversee day-to-day IT management and strategy in partnership with the Senior Director of Finance and Administration.
• Manages vendor relationships, contract negotiation, and service oversight across multiple trades and service providers.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable OSHA regulations and workplace safety standards.

Recruits, supervises, leads, and develops two direct reports and several indirect reports:

• Manager of Security (Title TBD), who has the responsibility for
• -Leads a team of security specialists, who monitor access points for the estate including all buildings, gates, and public access points, while enforcing guest policies.
• -Ensure guest & staff security across entire estate.
• -Maintain security and life safety systems: building access (keys and digital controls), burglar alarms, and fire monitoring.
• -Create and maintain structured onboarding and ongoing training programs focused on security protocols.
• -Leads security initiatives for all events & programs.
• Facilities & Custodial Technician, who has the responsibility for
• -General maintenance and custodial tasks, inside the home and, to a lesser degree, outdoors, around the gardens and grounds.
• -General mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing maintenance, repair, and contractor coordination.
• -Manages cyclical maintenance and inspections.
• Backup on all direct report responsibilities.

Additional applicable responsibilities as assigned by the department director or the President & CEO to support the work of the organization.

COMPENSATION:

This is a full-time (40 hours per week), exempt (ineligible for overtime pay), year-round, salaried permanent position with benefits. The annual salary will be $85,000 per year, and is non-negotiable.

• 100% employer-paid BCBSM medical (Simply Blue PPO Gold $2,000 deductible) and vision insurance, and Delta dental insurance, for the employee, with 50% employer-paid insurance for dependents and employee-paid plan buy-up opportunities.
• 100% employer-paid life, short-term disability, long-term disability, accident, and critical illness insurance, including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides numerous mental health, finance, and legal benefits.
• 21 days (168 hours) of Paid Time Off (PTO) earned annually; PTO is accrued biweekly at a rate of 6.46 hours.
• 14 paid holidays, which includes a year-end holiday break between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.
• 1 day (8 hours) of paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO).
• Paid parental leave with no minimum service requirement.
• Paid bereavement leave.
• Paid meal (30-minute) and rest (2 x 15-minute) breaks.
• 403(b) plan with a 3% employer contribution and 3% employer match.
• Ford x-plan discount.
• Professional development budget and opportunities.
• On-site and free bean-to-cup coffee machine.
• Donuts, bagels, and other snacks during weekly All-Staff Meetings.
• In-House Perks including a free photo permit (up to $400 value), Tribute Garden discounts ($75 value), and Patron-Level membership without Patron gifts ($300 value).

Requirements

WORKING LOCATION & SCHEDULE:

• This role will primarily be in-person, but is eligible for limited remote work, which may include occasional remote flexibility of 4-8 hours per week.
• This role will be required to attend on-site events, tours, and meetings as scheduled. This role will have flexible hours to compensate for the attendance of events, tours, and meetings. Some evening and weekend work will be required.
• Expected schedule M-F with mutually agreeable start times.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Passion for the mission and work of Fair Lane Estate, Home of Clara & Henry Ford. An understanding of the cultural sector and an appreciation of the importance and relevance of the lives and the many contributions of Clara and Henry Ford.
• At least 7 years of professional facilities management experience.
• At least 5 years of progressive leadership experience with proven practice in managing a team and achieving results.
• Hands-on experience with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and like facilities systems.
• Proven ability to successfully organize and manage multiple workstreams.
• Strong project management and strategic planning skills, with a desire to support via “boots on the ground” implementation and a collaborative mindset.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to ensure professional verbal and written communication with staff, clients, guests, and vendors.
• Self-starter with a desire and commitment to succeed and grow with the organization.
• Collaborative and inclusive “team player” nature. The desire to be part of and contribute to Fair Lane Estate’s collaborative culture is a must.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment with confidentiality and integrity.
• Ability to function effectively, set and evaluate goals, resolve problems, and make decisions.  
• Ability to work well under pressure, meet objectives, and be flexible in a changing and growing organization.
• Experience working in a historic house or estate is preferred.
• Ability to leverage and work with common applications such as Outlook, Word, and Excel.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• N/A

BACKGROUND & REFERENCE CHECKS:

• All offers of employment at Henry Ford Estate are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check. Background checks will be conducted on all final candidates. Background checks include Prior Employment Verification, Personal and Professional Reference Checks, Educational Verifications, and Criminal Conviction Reviews.
• A criminal conviction will not result in an instant withdrawal of an employment offer. Henry Ford Estate considers the nature of crimes and their relationship to positions, the time since conviction, and the number of convictions when deciding if a candidate has clear results.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Henry Ford Estate is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.