Senior Director of Facilities, Buildings &Grounds, & Capital Outlay

Title: Senior Director of Facilities, Buildings & Grounds, & Capital Outlay

State Role Title: Trades Manager II

Hiring Range: $115,000 - $145,000 commensurate with experience

Pay Band: 6

Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Location: MAIN MUSEUM

Agency Website: https://www.vmfa.museum/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

The VMFA is a major cultural and public serving institution in the Commonwealth of Virginia, stewarding, in conjunction with its affiliated Foundation, an approximately 700,000 square foot campus that includes an art museum with multiple galleries, a nearly 500 seat theater, a 600 space parking structure, residences, and a dedicated art storage facility among other properties. The campus spans 10 acres of horticulturally curated public spaces and includes structures from the historical to modern. A major 173,000 square foot expansion and 45,000 square foot renovation project is scheduled to begin later this year.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

General Information:

We are currently seeking applications for an exceptional individual to join our Building and Grounds Department as a Senior Director of Facilities, Buildings and Grounds, and Capital Outlay.

Position Overview

Reporting to the CFO, the Senior Director of Facilities, Buildings & Grounds, and Capital Outlay provides strategic leadership and executive oversight for all physical assets, infrastructure systems, and capital development initiatives. This role is responsible for the stewardship, modernization, and long term sustainability of a complex, high visibility campus that blends historic structures, contemporary architecture, public spaces, and specialized environments for art conservation and public viewing.

The Senior Director serves as the agency’s primary facilities executive, overseeing a multidisciplinary team and managing relationships with state oversight bodies, design and construction partners, regulatory authorities, and community stakeholders. This position is critical to the visitor experience and fundamental to the Museum’s mission to serve all Virginians.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Facilities Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive facilities strategy aligned with the agency’s mission, long term strategic plan, and capital priorities.
• Oversee operations, maintenance, and lifecycle planning for 11 buildings exceeding 700,000 sf.
• Ensure the reliability and performance of critical systems, including HVAC, life safety, security, and environmental controls for art preservation.

Capital Outlay & Construction Management

• Oversee all capital outlay processes in accordance with Commonwealth of Virginia requirements, including project initiation, budgeting, procurement, and reporting.
• Serve as the Museum-side point of contact for a major 173,000 sf expansion project and 45,000 sf renovation project scheduled to begin in 2026.
• Manage relationships with architects, engineers, construction managers, JOC Contractors, service vendors and state oversight entities (e.g., DGS, DEB).
• Oversee feasibility studies, design development, approved project construction administration, commissioning, and project closeout.
Grounds & Horticultural Stewardship
• Direct the care and enhancement of 10 acres of curated, horticulturally managed public spaces.
• Ensure landscape design, maintenance, and sustainability practices support the agency’s aesthetic, environmental, and public use goals.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

• Maintain full compliance with state building codes, environmental regulations, ADA requirements, and safety standards.
• Develop and manage operating budgets, capital budgets, and long range financial plans for facilities and infrastructure.
• In conjunction with colleagues, participate in emergency preparedness, risk mitigation, and business continuity planning for the facilities related aspects of the physical camp