Director of Facilities & Security

About the role

This is a key leadership position at Fair Lane Estate with overall responsibility for the estate’s facilities, including the maintenance and security of the buildings and grounds. The role oversees maintenance, custodial, and security staff, and administers building systems including mechanical/HVAC, electrical, plumbing, security, and IT. Fair Lane Estate comprises approximately 53,000 sqft of building space across a main residence, powerhouse/garage, welcome center, and potting shed/greenhouses, with historic structures and specialized mechanical systems such as boilers, chillers, fan coil units, and a closed loop water infrastructure for heating and cooling.

Responsibilities

• Reports to the President and collaborates across departments daily; 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.
• Collaborates with the Senior Director of Gardens and Grounds, the Senior Director of Historic Resources & Education, and the Marketing and Advancement Team to align operations with preservation standards, public programming, and revenue generation.
• Continuously evaluates facilities systems to identify operational efficiencies, cost savings, and risk mitigation; develops and implements recommendations.
• Provides full oversight of building systems including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, security, and life-safety systems.
• Serves as primary on-call responder for operational emergencies, including after-hours incidents.
• Oversees Emergency Preparedness Planning and on-site safety/security.
• Manages ordering of all custodial supplies and 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 OSHA regulations and workplace safety standards.
• Recruits, supervises, leads, and develops two direct reports and several indirect reports:
  • Manager of Security (Title TBD):
    • Leads a team of security specialists monitoring access points, buildings, gates, and public access points while enforcing guest policies.
    • Ensures guest and staff security across the estate.
    • Maintains security and life safety systems including building access controls, burglar alarms, and fire monitoring.
    • Creates and maintains structured onboarding and ongoing training programs focused on security protocols.
    • Leads security initiatives for all events and programs.
  • Facilities & Custodial Technician:
    • Performs general maintenance and custodial tasks inside the home and, to a lesser degree, outdoors around the gardens and grounds.
    • Handles general mechanical (HVAC), electrical, and plumbing maintenance, repair, and contractor coordination.
    • Manages cyclical maintenance and inspections.
    • Serves as backup for direct report responsibilities.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by the department director or the President & CEO.

Requirements

• Working location & schedule: Primarily in-person with limited remote eligibility (4–8 hours per week); attendance at on-site events, tours, and meetings as scheduled; flexible hours to accommodate events; some evening and weekend work required; expected schedule M–F with mutually agreeable start times.
• Mission alignment: Passion for the mission and work of Fair Lane Estate, Home of Clara & Henry Ford; understanding of the cultural sector and appreciation for the lives and contributions of Clara and Henry Ford.
• Experience: At least 7 years of professional facilities management experience; at least 5 years of progressive leadership experience managing teams and achieving results.
• Technical skills: Hands-on experience with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and related facilities systems.
• Project leadership: Proven ability to organize and manage multiple workstreams; strong project management and strategic planning skills with a collaborative mindset.
• Communication: Outstanding interpersonal and professional verbal and written communication with staff, clients, guests, and vendors.
• Work style: Self-starter committed to growth; collaborative team player who contributes to Fair Lane Estate’s culture; exercises good judgment with confidentiality and integrity; able to set and evaluate goals, resolve problems, and make decisions under pressure in a changing organization.
• Preferred: Experience working in a historic house or estate.
• Tools: Ability to leverage common applications such as Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Compensation

• Full-time (40 hours/week), exempt, year-round salaried position.
• Annual salary: $85,000 (non-negotiable).
• Benefits include:
  • 100% employer-paid BCBSM medical (Simply Blue PPO Gold, $2,000 deductible), vision, and Delta dental insurance for the employee; 50% employer-paid insurance for dependents with 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) with mental health, finance, and legal benefits.
  • 21 days (168 hours) of Paid Time Off (PTO) earned annually, accrued biweekly at 6.46 hours; 14 paid holidays including a year-end 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 × 15-minute) breaks.
  • 403(b) plan with 3% employer contribution and 3% employer match.
  • Ford X-Plan discount.
  • Professional development budget and opportunities.
  • On-site 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).