The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens has retained Helbling, a ZRG company to conduct an executive search to secure a Vice President of Facilities, Operations, and Capital Programs.

 

Position:

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens (“The Huntington”) seeks a visionary, strategic, and collaborative Vice President of Facilities, Operations, and Capital Programs. The successful candidate will have extensive management experience in a complex, fast-paced organization. 

Reporting directly to the President with a dotted line to the SVP and Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Facilities, Operations, and Capital Programs provides strategic and tactical leadership for The Huntington’s facilities, security, capital improvements, and operational services. This executive-level position oversees the comprehensive management of The Huntington’s physical infrastructure and ensures that the institution operates efficiently and effectively to support its mission and maintain the highest standards for safety and excellence. 

Major responsibilities include oversight of the physical infrastructure, and upkeep; security; emergency planning, safety, and risk management; asset renewal and major construction projects; master planning and implementation of related improvements; and centralized institutional operations and processes, including parking. 

The role requires a highly organized and team-oriented individual with stellar communication skills and a holistic understanding of the relationships between The Huntington’s people, its cultural and historic significance, projects, programs, collections, and physical spaces, as well as their 2 connections to the institution’s mission and strategic goals. 

S/he/they will demonstrate a background of working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible approach. 

For more details about this opportunity, please view the position profile by clicking on the cover image above. 

Essential Duties:

Leadership and Management

• Serve as a member of the President’s Senior Staff team.
• Develop and implement strategic, business, financial, and operational plans for the campus facility and its operation to ensure proper coordination and effective employment of resources in support of the organization’s mission and goals.
• Work cooperatively with the campus community to ensure that facilities operations and services are consistently responsive to the needs of The Huntington and ensure the continuity of the mission.
• Oversee physical plant operations, including engineering, custodial, facilities services, security, service center for shipping and receiving and mail services, facilities procurement, vehicle and transportation management, parking management, and safety management.
• Supervises a team of approximately 175, including Facilities (an Operations, Engineering, & Custodial staff of 35), Security (a 24-hour operation, staff of 132), and Capital Project Management (staff of 5 plus external consultants). Manages five direct reports: Associate Director of Facilities, Senior Facilities Project Manager, Security Director, Operations Manager, and the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Facilities, Operations, and Capital Programs. 
• Serve as the institutional lead for emergency planning, updating and implementing institution-wide safety plans, preparations, and training, including the Emergency Response Plan. Serve as Deputy Incident Commander in the Emergency Operations Center when activated and for exercises and drills.
• Oversee the creation and management of a holistic risk management program including business continuity, emergency response, standard operating procedures, and associated compliance plans; ensure consistent implementation and administration of requirements by department heads, contract service providers, and others as necessary. Enforce policies and procedures that promote safety and regulatory compliance. Implement progressive strategies to instill and maintain a culture of safety.
• Oversee all major construction projects and asset renewal, including library art building rehabilitation, gallery improvements, on-campus fellow housing, storage renewal, office planning, and comprehensive physical plan initiatives. Drive the execution of large-scale capital projects (currently ranging from $10 million to $125 million) and facility improvements, coordinating with architects, construction contractors, consultants, and stakeholders to ensure timely and on-budget completion. Coordinate and review architectural and engineering plans to ensure designs meet codes and needs.
• Work closely with the Director of the Botanical Gardens to manage major botanical capital improvements and oversee campus sustainability programs. 
• Integrate sustainability and resiliency into core operation practices, plans, and projects. 
• Establish plans to improve energy efficiency and integration of renewal energy technologies.
• Manage and implement the multi-year, comprehensive physical plan, including facility conditional assessments, physical asset reports, and engineering documentation. Ensure that existing and planned buildings meet standards for maintenance and operations, including those pertaining to the protection of rare materials and special collections.
• Lead institutional space utilization planning, in coordination with the President and Senior Staff. Maintain and communicate institutional protocols for space planning and allocation. 
• Continuously evaluate business processes to ensure Facilities and Operations provide effective and efficient services across the organization. Leverage data analytics to review trends, costs, and opportunities to improve business operations and develop short and long-range facilities plans to meet needs.
• Develop and manage the annual facilities and operations budgets, ensuring financial accountability, cost-effective solutions, and proactive budget planning. The division budget currently totals $10M related to operations, facilities and security including staffing, utilities, insurance, recurring maintenance and repairs, and supplies and equipment purchases.

Relationship Building and Communications

• Lead and mentor a team of managers responsible for facilities, capital projects, security and safety, and operations, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration. 
• Emphasize exceptional customer service and proactively communicate with the campus community. 
• Cultivate relationships with external partners, vendors, and regulatory agencies to enhance operational capabilities and secure resources.
• Engage and guide the work of professional services providers including Architects, Engineers, and special consultants for a variety of projects. 
• Serve as primary liaison for state, county, and local emergency response, public service, public health and regulatory agencies. 
• Work closely with the Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors. Act as the primary liaison to Board leadership and the Buildings and Grounds Committee related to facilities and operational matters, providing regular updates and strategic recommendations. Act as the primary liaison to applicable steering committees related to capital projects and comprehensive physical campus plans. 
• May perform other related duties as assigned.

About The Huntington:

The Huntington’s history began in 1919, when railroad and real estate businessman Henry Edwards Huntington and his wife, Arabella Duval Huntington, signed a trust document that transformed their private estate into a public institution. Their extensive library, art, and botanical collections were made available “to promote the public welfare.” Following Henry’s death in 1927, The Huntington opened publicly to visitors in 1928 and has grown over the past century to become an internationally renowned collections-based nonprofit institution that supports and promotes the humanities, the arts, and botanical science. 

Today, The Huntington is a world-class research and educational institution, singular for the breadth and depth of its collections. The Huntington Library is one of the world’s great independent research libraries, with some 12 million items spanning the 11th to the 21st century, including more than 45,000 objects. The Botanical Gardens, encompassing roughly 130 acres, feature living collections in 16 themed gardens with more than 83,000 living plants and a laboratory for botanical conservation and research. Each year, some 2,000 scholars in the fields of history, literature, art history, and the history of science, technology, and medicine come from around the world to conduct academic research in the collections. The continued digital growth of The Huntington’s online platforms play a critical role in fulfilling strategic priorities for education, engagement, and access. The Huntington’s mission is to share its world-renowned collections to support scholarship, foster learning, inspire creativity, and offer transformative experiences for diverse audiences.

Karen R. Lawrence assumed her position as the ninth president of The Huntington on Sept. 1, 2018, following a decade as president at Sarah Lawrence College. Relevance, access, and diversity have been important themes in President Lawrence’s leadership at The Huntington. In particular, she has championed the institution’s public mission, including enhancements to the visitor experience on-site and online as well as partnerships that expand The Huntington’s audiences and impact. President Lawrence leads a team of 11 senior staff, who direct more than 600 full- and part-time staff members.

The Huntington's Board of Trustees consists of seven individuals from wide-ranging backgrounds who hold fiduciary responsibility for the institution. A 67-member Board of Governors provides additional strategic oversight. The Huntington’s 
approximate annual operating budget is $85 million and its annual endowment is $750 million. 

To learn more, please visit huntington.org and Strategic Plan | The Huntington.

Location:

San Marino, CA

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture or other related field, or equivalent experience. Must be able to demonstrate the experience and education required to perform duties described. 

• Master’s degree in business or other advanced degree in engineering, management, or related field.

Work Experience: 

• A minimum of 12 to 15 years of senior management experience in facilities, operations, and construction, preferably in a complex or multi-site organization. Candidates must demonstrate the ability, knowledge and experience to provide leadership for planning, development, and operations of facilities, including major construction projects.

• Experience in non-profit, academic, or cultural organizations, particularly experience with a cultural institution with museums, library, or botanical collections. 
• Professional certification or relevant industry training.

• Exceptional leadership capabilities, including the ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams.
• Team player with proven ability to work collaboratively and individually within complex and fast-paced organizations as well as build relationships with internal stakeholders and external constituencies. 
• Demonstrated success in motivating, developing, and coaching staff and providing effective management and delegation in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Commitment to quality of service and a culture of accountability.
• Ability to navigate and influence within a complex, dynamic organizational structure.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• In-depth experience with construction projects, purchasing and contracting, including reading architectural plans and specifications, and construction management. 
• Extensive understanding of facilities management principles and practices, including 
• commercial building systems (mechanical, lighting, life-safety, electrical, plumbing, and 
• building management control systems) and substantial knowledge of building construction, maintenance tools, materials, and their applications. 
• Demonstrated experience with operations management practices, financial systems, security programs, capital project management, budget management, and process development.
• Knowledge of plant systems operations, equipment, utilities, hazardous materials, and safety programs. 
• Experience leading emergency planning and incident response systems and management practices to help the institution prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from incidents.

• Technical proficiency and confidence with standard suite of applications (Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, web browsers, etc.) as well as specialized applications and platforms such as those related to project management and scheduling, security and facilities monitoring, work order control, utilities management, architectural and engineering 5 construction documents. Capacity to quickly master new tools and platforms as technologies evolve. 

• Ability to exemplify the highest level of interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills with attention to diplomacy and tact. 
• Exceptional organizational and task management ability. The ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure, show good judgment, respond to changing demands, and prioritize while managing multiple concurrent projects. Capacity to anticipate needs and problems and respond proactively. 
• Strategic thinker with a visionary approach to facilities and operations management. 
• Exceptional problem-solving and decision-making skills. 
• Proven track record of successfully leading large-scale projects and operational teams in a complex organizational environment. 
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with specialist audiences, such as first responders, engineers, architects, and contractors, as well as staff, trustees, board of governors, and the public. 
• Proficiency in strategic planning, project management, and financial oversight. 
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of operations. 
• Strong work ethic and high degree of initiative. 
• Physical ability to oversee and direct all facility service functions throughout the property and relevant offsite locations.

• The VP of Facilities, Operations, and Capital Programs will work in a dynamic, multi-faceted environment, overseeing operations across various departments, including the library, art museum, botanical gardens, and supporting facilities. This role will involve both office-based work and frequent visits to the grounds, facilities, and various departments to ensure smooth operations. 
• The position requires the ability to navigate and inspect multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, which may involve walking, standing, bending, and occasionally lifting or carrying items up to 25 pounds. The VP will be required to assess and address operational challenges, often requiring site inspections in varying weather conditions across The Huntington’s expansive grounds, gardens, and museum spaces.

Compensation and Location: