Facilities / Operation Manager

Taaleem

Dubai, UAE

Ref: HP749-104

Job description / Role

Employment: Full Time

Primary Purpose of Job
• To maintain the school facilities to the best possible condition with regard to health, safety, security and cleanliness, and to oversee the operational efficiency of contracted support services – security, cleaning staff & any other contracted staff

Key Relationships
• Principal, Bursar/Operations Manager, Maintenance Team, School Finance and HR, External Contractors, Central Office Operations Department (facilities, procurement, transportation, housing, health & safety)

Key Responsibilities

Staff Management
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships and engage in positive communication with all staff and senior leaders
• Provide leadership for the facilities team, cleaners, security team, and any other contracted staff
• Ensure the professional development and high quality training of the facilities team
• Conduct appraisals of the facilities team and advise the school Operations Manager and Central Facilities Manager of performance issues that cannot be managed at the school level that may require staff replacement
• Advise the school Operations Manager and Central Facilities Manager of any facilities team absences and leaves to ensure adequate coverage at the school at all times
• Adhere to the school’s policies and procedures and ensure all supervised staff do as well

Health and Safety
• Be familiar with and adhere to the Taaleem Health and Safety Policy as well as the school policies
• Take reasonable care of the health and safety of self and others affected by work, and cooperate with the school Operations Manager and Taaleem Central Office in ensuring that health and safety responsibilities are carried out
• Ensure the school’s contracted cleaning company immediately and properly addresses any ‘emergency cleaning duties’ which may occur during the school day: e.g. clearing up ‘hazardous substances’ such as split chemicals, broken glass, vomit, blood, etc
• Ensure the school’s contracted cleaning company regularly disinfects ‘hazardous areas’ to protect children
• Conduct monthly operational checks of school alarm systems and fire safety appliances and report any problems to the Operations Manager and Central Facilities Manager to be acted upon immediately
• Assist in timely fire drills. Confirm all fire escapes are kept free from obstructions to maintain a safe exit from the buildings.
• Be fully aware of the school’s fire drill policy and support its compliance
• Ensure the school’s pool (if applicable) is kept clean and safe for the use of students and checking twice a day the level of chemical levels, which must immediately be reported in the Municipality Log
• Ensure the school’s pool areas (if applicable) are secured when a guard or teaching staff are not present and all other pool safety procedures are adhered to at all times.
• Report any breaches or improvement needs to the Principal and Head of Procurement and Operational Support immediately
• Support the Operations Manager, Principal and/or their delegate with the administration of the Crisis Management and Reporting protocol if/when required
• Ensure the safe storage of chemicals and hazardous substances
• Ensure all contractors are inducted, shown the relevant risk assessments, and are made aware of any deficiencies or other hazards in the areas where they will be working
• Monitor daily security personnel ensuring all procedures are adhered to and accurate time-keeping of their schedules

Transportation
• Complete a bus inspection once per term and sign off per the Central Office Transportation issued checklist.
• Notify the Principal and the Central Office Transportation Controller of any abnormalities and take corrective action immediately
• Communicate and address any issues with the bus company as necessary to ensure smooth service

Building and Grounds Maintenance
• The Facility Manager is the school’s key authority in ensuring the school campus is kept to a standard that is required by local and international school inspection boards at all times in terms of cleanliness, health and safety, and functionality.
• A comprehensive checklist is provided by the Central Facilities Manager to guide the school Facilities Manager in this regard.
• The Facilities Manager must adhere to this checklist and address any shortcomings immediately and provide feedback to the Central Facilities Manager of any improvements to the checklist as needed
• Work in conjunction with the school Operations Manager, Principal or delegated person, and Central Office Operations on short (immediate), medium (up to and including summer works) and long-term (3-year cycle) maintenance and improvement requirements.
• This includes creating a rolling program of maintenance comprising of decoration, renovation/upgrades and repairs.
• In addition, judicious use of the school’s maintenance budget for minor repairs as well as regular improvements requires proactively seeking the views and vision of the Principal and Central Office Operations
• Conduct a daily inspection of all school equipment/machinery and buildings and report any abnormalities with costed solutions to the school Operations Manager and Central Facilities Manager for corrective action should the nature of the problem be beyond the school FM team’s capability
• Supervise repairs conducted by the school FM team as necessary and act as the responsible lead for signing off on tasks to attest to their proper completion
• Monitor the work of contractors; liaising and reporting on progress to the school Operations Manager or delegated person; informing them when jobs have been satisfactorily completed and invoices can be passed for payment
• Monitor the quality of cleaning undertaken by the school’s contracted company including a regular review of the work schedule and report to the school Operations Manager whenever cleaning issues cannot be addressed at the school level detailing the issues and recommending resolutions that can be escalate to the Head of Procurement and Operational Support
• Contact approved contractors for emergency repair work, following policies as specified by Taaleem and issue orders as required
• Ensure that all grassed, paved, artificial surfaces and tarmacked areas of the school are kept clean by the school contracted and FM staff, particularly after sand storms and major rains
• Organize the set up and take down of equipment required by the school for activities

Energy Conservation
• Undertake strategies to reduce the consumption of water, cooling and electricity whilst ensuring the standards of the school are maintained and/or improved

Staff Accommodation
• Liaise with the school’s HR Advisor and Central Office Procurement and Operational Support section to ensure the preparation, maintenance (if applicable) and departure of staff in Taaleem Provided Accommodation (TPA) meets all requirements.
• The primary focus is on TPAs outside of Taaleem Residences in Dubai Studio City and responsibilities can include:
• support of preparing units, inspecting units and getting teacher’s signature on the inspection checklist cleaning of units at end of tenancies, the changeover of keys submit the final inspection report to Operations Assistant at Central Office with all the payment receipts against utilities which impacts Full and Final Settlements ensuring repairs are adequately performed.
• Familiarize and adhere to the Housing Procedures Document issued by Procurement and Operational Support on all aspects of TPA and the specific roles and timings pertaining to schools

Key Performance Indicators
• Fines avoided from regulators/authorities for non-compliance in any operational aspect of the school
• Utilities managed within budget parameters
• Number and severity of breaches to established operational (including health and safety) protocols per Taaleem and school-based policies and procedures
• Number of stakeholder complaints and ability to effectively resolve complaints at the school level when reasonably expected
• Expenditure on repairs that could have been prevented through routine or planned maintenance

Requirements

Position Requirements:

Education
• High School graduate and recognized industry regulated qualifications

Experience
• A minimum of two years’ experience in a similar role (e.g. Facilities, Projects, Contracts Management).
• Minimum of two years’ experience managing teams in a complex organization

Competencies
• A strong knowledge base of health and safety procedures coupled with knowledge of (and corresponding qualifications wherever appropriate) electro mechanical systems (such as AHU’s / water pumps) and the ability to carry out minor maintenance works in conjunction with the school’s handyman
• Working knowledge of maintenance skills e.g. electrical, plumbing, carpentry
• The ability to explain issues and requirements to the school’s senior leadership team
• Well organized and good at making decisions so that work plans and schedules reflect the needs of the school
• Ability to manage and distribute resources in the most cost efficient ways
• A knowledge of security and cleaning practices with effective management of contractors
• The ability to manage individual staff members and groups of contracted staff members
• Excellent communication skills and command of the English language, in written and oral form
• Proficient in Microsoft packages such as Word, Outlook and Excel
• Attributes: Excellent interpersonal relationships and communication skills. Excellent people management skills.
• Calm in all situations and able to delegate roles to team members.
• Attention to detail and an ability to problem solve.
• Experience within an international setting.
• Experience of working within or with a school/educational setting.

About the Company

Taaleem's main activity is the development and management of early childhood, primary and secondary schools. With quality at the forefront of our offering, we tailor each project to answer the specific educational requirements of a wide range of families by offering top international curricula including British, American, the International Baccalaureate and our custom early childhood programme.

Taaleem, which means education in Arabic, is committed to inspiring students and helping them to identify and develop their passions and talents. We only recruit the best international teachers who are capable of delivering our international curricula in a creative and engaging manner.

Taaleem is seeking to raise the educational standards in the region. The combined experience of its core team of senior education leaders in international education policy, operations and global management best practices means Taaleem is well positioned to ensure the creative of truly exceptional schools that satisfy the most comprehensive and exacting education developmental requirements.

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Operations Manager salaries in UAE

Average monthly compensation
AED 13,500

Breakdown available for industries, cities and years of experience