Director of Facilities and Operations

NLCS (Singapore) believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success and that contributions should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities.

Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but not limit the employee, nor NLCS (Singapore), to only the work identified. It is the expectation of the school that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our organisation.

Our School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The School expects all teaching staff, non‐teaching staff and volunteers to share and uphold this commitment.

NLCS (Singapore) is seeking a Director of Facilities and Operations to oversee the maintenance, safety, and operational efficiency of its campus. This senior leadership role ensures the school’s physical environment supports its educational mission while complying with local regulations and sustainability goals. The school is committed to safeguarding children and you will be expected to lead your teams with safety aspects uppermost in your mind.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Bursar, you will have the day-to-day management of the School Estate, and Operational and logistic aspects of the School in liaison with third-party providers as and where appropriate. Act as deputy to the Bursar as required.

Facilities Management

• Oversee the maintenance and repair of all school buildings, grounds, and equipment.
• Develop a 5-year Forward Maintenance Plan and deliver it to time and budget.
• Ensure compliance with local codes, safety regulations, and environmental standards.
• Develop and implement preventive maintenance schedules for HVAC, electrical systems, plumbing, and other infrastructure.
• Manage renovation, retrofitting, and construction projects within budget and timelines.
• Provide the intelligent customer to vendors in setting client expectations and standards of workmanship of third-party contractors.

Operations Oversight

• Supervise custodial, security, porterage, and facilities staff to ensure smooth daily operations.
• Plan and execute emergency response protocols, including fire safety drills.
• Be responsible for negotiating, drawing up, monitoring, and enforcing all Service Level Agreements and contracts within your area including transport, catering, landscaping, cleaning, security, etc.

Financial & Resource Management

• Develop and manage the estate, facilities, and operations budget, ensuring cost-effective operations which meet the development of the school.
• Identify opportunities for energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives.
• Maintain accurate records of maintenance activities and expenditures.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the primary liaison between the school community and external agencies (e.g., SCDF, contractors).
• Provide regular updates to school leadership on facilities performance and improvement plans.

Compliance Management

In conjunction with the Compliance Manager, ensure that the School meets its statutory and regulatory requirements and maintains a proactive approach to storing and recording in a central repository its regulatory documentation (licenses, certifications, inspection and formal reports, accreditations, etc.).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or a related field or higher.
• Minimum 8–10 years of relevant experience in facilities or operations management.
• Strong project management skills with experience in handling upgrades or large-scale projects.
• Familiarity with building automation systems and IoT solutions is an advantage.
• Skills Required:
• Leadership and team management abilities.
• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal).
• Proficiency in using facilities management software and tools.

This role offers an opportunity to contribute to a dynamic, high-tempo educational environment while ensuring the optimal performance of the school’s physical and logistical assets.