Director of Operations and Sustainability

Position: Director of Operations & Sustainability  

Revised July 2024

About the District

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is a PK-8 elementary school district serving the students of Oak Park in Cook County, Illinois. Oak Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, adjacent to Chicago. It is the 29th-most populous municipality in Illinois with a population of 54,583 as of the 2020 U.S. Census.  The district consists of 8 elementary schools and 2 middle schools which serve 5,532 students. 

Oak Park School District is a highly diverse and welcoming school community for all. Our community has a history of being forward-thinking and inclusive.  We are racially and economically diverse with about 46% of our students identifying as African-American, Hispanic, multiracial, or Asian. 

Portrait of a District 97 Leader:

• Champions the vision of the school district

• Models a forward-thinking and innovative mindset

• Stewards public funds with a high sense of responsibility

• Leads with an unrelenting commitment to universal student success 

• Demonstrates the ability to organize teams to achieve common goals

• Leads with an awareness of the cross-functional nature of district work

• Generates a culture of care for, learning with, and service to the community

• Aspires to the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality

• Demonstrates a passion for working with a culturally, racially linguistically diverse district team of administrators, educators, and staff in all roles

• Actively seeks feedback, including critical feedback intended for professional growth

• Understands the intersection of public school leadership, student learning, and equity

• Courageously addresses adult behavior that does not meet professional expectations

About the Role

The Director of Operations & Sustainability provides the building engineers and custodial services staff with assignments and schedules, helping to manage and guide the work, ensuring completion of building projects following district standards. The Director will provide 24/7 support to engineers, custodial staff, and building administrators as directed by the Senior Director of Buildings and Grounds. The Director is expected to ensure the safety of workers, students, staff, and community members. The Director must be able to work with diverse constituencies to facilitate teams designed to create and implement plans around energy, waste, food, transportation, procurement, equity, and other relevant sustainability topic areas.

Essential Role Responsibilities:

• Coordinates building cleaning and general upkeep projects with building engineers to facilitate efficient, timely completion of building-level tasks. 

• Tours regularly and inspects custodial and building engineer work, assessing  the site for safety.

• Utilizes cleaning and facility operational standards, as well as department procedures, organizing and scheduling needed maintenance that building engineers can perform. 

• Supports personnel as assigned to maximize workforce efficiency and meet varying shift requirements throughout the district, including coverage for extracurricular and outside programs and events.

• Directs and supervises the substitute custodial program and assigns subs when and where needed.

• Responds to emergencies during and after hours to resolve immediate safety concerns.

• Manages procedures necessary in receiving, routing, and recording materials and supplies delivered to the building(s)

• Coordinates the custodial supply bidding process, including complying with green requirements and maintaining supplies and equipment that conform to district and community sustainability guidelines.

• Schedules staff to cover events and building rentals in School Dude.

• Coordinates with existing local governing bodies, initiatives such as PlanItGreen and the  C4 Cross Community Climate Collaborative and K-12s to create efficiencies and develop collaborative projects and strategies across institutions and communities.

• Facilitates and participates in meetings, workshops, and seminars for sustainability, energy conservation, and reducing our carbon footprint.

• Researches and supports grant proposal development and submissions, securing grants that support sustainability outcome achievement.

• Collaborates with senior leaders to communicate with parents and students, involving them in sustainability education and goal attainment.

• Brings leading-edge knowledge and best practices to respective school leadership and attends mandatory Board of Education and committee meetings.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Content Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Preferred 

Specific Knowledge competencies desired to perform the functions of the job satisfactorily include:

• Materials handling procedures, inventory techniques, safety practices, and procedures.

• Working knowledge of the overall custodial operation.

• Building HVAC systems.

• Electrical equipment, lighting systems, painting, carpentry.

• Proven aptitude for successful completion of tasks.

Flexibility is required to meet deadlines, assign schedules, supervise staff, and complete tasks. The Director of Operations & Sustainability must be able to work with a diverse group of individuals and effectively lead, motivate, coordinate, and guide various individuals with different levels of skills and training. The Director must have the capacity to schedule several activities, meetings, and events. Problem-solving is required to analyze issues and create action plans. 

Candidate Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent required. Post secondary education is preferred.

• Job-related experience with increasing levels of responsibility is desired. 

• Any combination of education and experience providing the required skill and knowledge for successful performance would qualify.

• Previous experience in building maintenance and cleaning regimens is desirable.

• Must be willing to adjust work hours to coordinate outcomes from multiple shifts.

Physical Requirements: 

This position requires working in standard office, school, and building site environments, as well as being able to work outdoors in inclement weather conditions. Ability to work at heights on ladders and automatic lifts. Exposure to cleaning chemicals and solvents contaminated trash, grasses, pollens, etc. Ability to stand, bend, reach high and low, stoop, and walk around up to 85% of the day. Frequent walking up and down stairs, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Must lift 15 to 50 pounds and push and pull 15 to 50 lbs.