Facilities and Engineering Manager
Facilities and Engineering Manager
District Office (DO) Position Description
| Location | Al Khobar, Eastern, Saudi Arabia |
| School / Site | District Office |
| Division / Department | Operations & Facilities |
| Position Type | Administrator |
| Subject / Stages | - |
| Work days / Hours | 230 days @ 8 hours per day |
| Position status | Full time |
| Salary code | Administrator |
| Eligible Applicants | Saudi National |
| Position start date | As soon as possible |
| Application deadline | Until filled |
| Reports To | Joseph Bearns, Director of Operations & Facilities |
| Requisition Number | 08-2526-107 |
SUMMARY
The International Schools Group (ISG) is a non-profit, future-focused school district in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Our five schools, located on four sites, are co-educational day schools delivering Kindergarten 1 to Grade 12 in the American program and Foundation Stage 1 through Year 13 in the British programme to expatriate students as well as some students from the host country. Students enroll in either an American or British curriculum education which encompasses the following school-specific higher-level programs: Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma, International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), (I)GCSE and A levels.
History
Founded in 1962, ISG was originally established to serve the needs of expatriate families working for the U.S. Consulate in Dhahran.
From its initial enrollment of six students to its present status as a district of five schools with approximately 3,400 students, ISG has earned a reputation for providing the highest quality American and British curriculum education. Today, over 70 nationalities make up the ISG community.
Governance
The district is governed by a Board of Trustees, supported by school councils and a partnership with the U.S. Consulate, and is licensed by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education.
Accreditation and Membership
All schools are accredited by the Middle States Association. British School Dhahran and Sara Village School are accredited by British Schools Overseas (BSO). American School Dhahran and ISG Jubail are authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).
All ISG schools are members of the Council of International Schools (CIS). British School Dhahran and Sara Village School are members of British Schools in the Middle East (BSME), Council of British International Schools (COBIS) and the Association of British Schools Overseas (AoBSO).
Our Mission, Core Values, Vision and Strategic Goals
Mission: We inspire innovation and compassionate action.
Core Values: Respect, acceptance, integrity, responsibility … with a commitment to act.
Our Vision: ISG’s world-class education empowers our diverse youth to excel academically, lead and learn, exercise compassion and kindness, and nourish their intellectual curiosity as they strive for a future of success, innovation, and personal fulfillment.
ISG is committed to the three strategic priorities of High Quality Learning, Wellbeing and Belonging, and Professional Excellence. Each of these three priorities have identified goals and objectives and are supported with specific action steps.
ISG Learns
ISG is guided by our district mission, vision, core values, learning principles and assessment beliefs. Our shared focus is further complemented by the diversity of our community and core divisional curricula as we work in partnership with the community to educate tomorrow's future leaders. ISG maintains an emphasis on progressive teaching and learning. Curriculum and learning programs at ISG are evaluated and reviewed consistently, through the lens of current research and are reflective of this research and best practices. This ensures that our programs support high quality learning and are being implemented in the most effective way in the classroom in order to support student learning, enhance program outcomes and learning targets in our unique learning environment. The 2024-2025 ISG Learning Report showcases academic success, college acceptances, professional development, our graduate profile and more.
VACANCY FOR 2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR
ISG Director of Operations & Facilities, Joseph Bearns, seeks an experienced, highly organized Facilities and Engineering Manager to oversee and manage the physical infrastructure and operations across our international school campuses in Dhahran, Dammam, and Jubail. This critical role ensures a safe, efficient, and well-maintained environment conducive to teaching and learning.
NOTE: The job duties of this position require travel between ISG’s Dhahran, Dammam, and Jubail campuses.
JOB DUTIES
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Demonstrate a commitment to the safety and security of children and young people (child protection).
Leadership and Management
- Team Leadership: Lead, train, and manage a multi-site team of technical staff and outsourced contractors across the three campuses.
- Oversight: Provide comprehensive management of all facilities-related activities, ensuring alignment with the school’s strategic goals and operational standards.
- Reporting: Generate and present detailed daily, weekly, monthly, and annual reports on facility performance, maintenance status, budget adherence, and efficiency initiatives to the Director of Operations and Facilities.
Maintenance and Technical Expertise
- Maintenance Programs: Develop, implement, and rigorously enforce daily, weekly, monthly, and annual preventative and reactive maintenance schedules for all building systems and school assets.
- Technical Knowledge: Apply strong knowledge of Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems, with an emphasis on HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems and their optimal performance and maintenance.
- Building Management Systems (BMS): Expertly utilize and manage Building Management Systems to monitor, control, and optimize facility operations, energy consumption, and environmental conditions.
Project Management
- Tendering and Contracts: Contribute to the tendering process for outsourced services, contracted maintenance projects, and facility upgrades, ensuring compliance and cost-effectiveness.
- Efficiency Initiatives: Research, recommend, and implement innovative methods and technologies to improve operational efficiency, reduce utility consumption, and enhance campus sustainability.
Specialized Facilities Management
- Specialized Asset Maintenance: Oversee the maintenance and compliance of specialized campus assets, including swimming pool plant operations (filtration, circulation, disinfection, and water quality testing) and the inspection and upkeep of playground and sports surfaces.
- Lead the Capital Projects Team: Oversee the research and implementation of capital facilities expenditures.
- Regulated Equipment Compliance: Ensure rigorous inspection, testing, maintenance, and statutory certification of all regulated equipment, including compressors and lifting equipment.
- Asset Lifecycle & CMMS Management: Administer a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to track work orders and downtime, maintain the comprehensive asset register, and drive long-term lifecycle planning for major plant and equipment.
- Executive Reporting & KPI Frameworks: Design the Facilities and Engineering KPI framework. Prepare consolidated reporting packs covering facility performance, budget adherence, capex, and sustainability metrics for the Director of Operations.
Compliance, Safety, and Security
- Health and Safety: Ensure strict adherence to all local Saudi Arabian regulations, international standards, and school policies pertaining to occupational health, safety, and fire prevention.
- Inspection and Audits: Conduct regular site inspections and internal audits to proactively identify and address potential hazards, maintenance deficiencies, and compliance issues.
- Environmental & Hazard Control: Direct comprehensive environmental safety programs, including the management of hazardous building materials.
- Construction & Project Safety: Support strict adherence by the Health & Safety figures that provide oversight for all construction, refurbishment, and fit-out projects, enforcing permits-to-work and managing contractor safety inductions.
- Permits and Documentation. Review and collection of the necessary permits and licenses of contractors to conduct work. Quality assurance, testing, and inspection of completed works. Maintenance of documentation library for facilities and engineering maintenance purposes – protocols, instructions, O&M manuals, as-builts, commissioning records, testing results.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Operations & Facilities.
QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
- Minimum of a Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant technical field, such as Mechanical, Electrical, or Civil Engineering, or Facilities Management, or comparable professional certifications with a focus on the MEP area.
Knowledge
The ideal candidate will have:
- Deep practical knowledge of HVAC, BMS, electrical distribution, plumbing, and structural maintenance.
Experience
The ideal candidate will have:
- Minimum of five years of progressive experience in Facilities Management, with significant experience in a multi-site or large-scale institutional environment (education or similar sector preferred).
- Proven experience in leading and managing large, diverse facilities teams and managing outsourced service contracts.
Skills
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (Arabic preferred).
- Strong analytical and decision-making skills to resolve complex technical and operational issues quickly and effectively.
- Exceptional ability to manage vendor relationships and ensure contractors meet performance specifications and safety standards.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.