Operations and Facilities Manager

Part-Time, 60%

POSITION OVERVIEW

Theodore Payne Foundation seeks a part-time Operations and Facilities Manager to organize and strengthen the systems our staff rely on every day. Reporting to the Executive Director, the position covers project management, facilities and vendor coordination, operational compliance, and technology across both TPF nursery sites. The work is both hands-on and structural: handling the project, repair or purchase, and building the process that makes the next one faster.

The role partners with the Director of Horticulture and the Nursery and Production Managers on nursery infrastructure and in-house fixes, with Finance staff on budgets, contracts, insurance, and compliance, and with the Director of Programs on volunteer and fellow support. There are no direct reports, though the role directs external contractors, vendors, volunteers, and service providers as projects require.

The position will suit an experienced operations, project management, or IT professional looking for a smaller stage and a shorter week. TPF is a 65-year-old nonprofit dedicated to land stewardship and native plant production. Our 25-person team is pragmatic and hands-on by nature, so nothing sits in committee between having a good idea and implementing it. The results of your work will be immediately visible in a place that matters to the broader community.

The key skills for this role are project management, organizational discipline, attention to detail, and technological fluency. Practical, hands-on aptitude will also find an outlet. The role extends to strategic initiatives that bear on our mission, including input to the capital budget and support for the selection of new garden and nursery sites.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

At any one time the role will carry some portion of the work below, optimized for a 60% schedule and prioritized in collaboration with the Leadership Team. The percentages indicate relative weight rather than a fixed allocation, and part of the job is being clear about prioritization and what a given project displaces.

Projects and Systems:

30%

• Help drive site and infrastructure projects to completion, from a small renovation or roofing repair to a grant
• funded site improvement or a data migration: build the schedule, coordinate the people, track the status, and help close it out.
• Help design and document the procedures, calendars, budgets, and tools that let others execute, and set up escalation paths so that routine problems do not wait on this role.
• Evaluate how current systems are working and tune them to be faster, easier, and more repeatable.
• Maintain a findable record of vendors, contracts, warranties, service histories, and account access and help us evaluate and negotiate new contracts.

Facilities and Vendor Coordination:

30%

• Serve as a key point of contact for contractors and service providers: solicit bids, schedule access, supervise the work, and verify completion before payment.
• Coordinate response to building system issues, including HVAC, alarm, electrical, plumbing, and irrigation. Determine whether each is an in-house fix or a contractor call, and handle light repairs directly where that is faster.
• Help build and maintain a preventive maintenance schedule covering equipment servicing, filter changes, backflow testing, and seasonal irrigation work.
• Manage purchasing and janitorial service so that facilities stay stocked and in good order.

Coordinate heavy equipment rental.

Compliance and Risk:

25%

• Coordinate site access and safety, including keys, access codes, gates, roads, and equipment.
• Build and maintain TPF's compliance calendar: permits, inspections, certifications, testing, and renewals across buildings, fire safety, and vehicles.
• Administer or coordinate required staff training, including workplace safety and harassment prevention, and maintain the records that document completion.
• Serve as the intake point for workplace incident reporting. File claim documentation and maintain the log.
• Handle vehicle administration for our small fleet: registrations, commercial and DOT requirements, scheduled maintenance, use logs, and the driver records our insurance carrier requires.
• Assemble documentation for insurance renewals and coordinate claims with our brokers.

Technology:

15%

• Serve as a key contact for TPF's IT vendor and internet service provider. Ensure they resolve routine issues directly and escalate larger problems.
• Collaborate on administration of the Microsoft 365 environment in partnership with our IT vendor, including development of an organized file architecture, permissions, and shared workspaces.
• Coordinate the migration of remaining shared drive content into SharePoint and OneDrive, including staff transition.
• Support the procurement, configuration, and deployment of staff computers, radios, and peripherals.

Maintain inventory and a replacement cycle.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Five or more years in operations, project management, IT management, or facilities management, including direct responsibility for vendors, budgets, and schedules.
• Demonstrated record of building operational systems that other people can run, and of carrying projects to completion independently, gathering input where it is needed rather than waiting for direction.
• Fluency with business technology as both a power user and an administrator, including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and spreadsheets.
• Track record of holding outside vendors and contractors to scope, cost, and schedule.
• Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through on records, filings, and tracking.
• Sound judgment about priority, including the willingness to say what can wait.
• Clear, concise written communication.
• Open, collaborative, friendly verbal communication and positive teaming.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in a small organization, where one role had to span several functions.
• Experience serving as owner's representative on a construction or capital improvement project.
• Experience with commercial vehicle compliance, including DOT and FMCSA requirements.
• Hands-on skill in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, or irrigation.
• Conversational Spanish.
• Interest in California native plants and in TPF's mission.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work is performed at a desk and outdoors across two active nursery sites, including unpaved and uneven ground, with exposure to seasonal heat, sun, and dust.
• Frequent walking, standing, and bending, with occasional lifting and carrying of up to 40 pounds.
• Valid California driver's license and, for any driving on TPF time, a driving record acceptable to TPF's insurance carrier.

Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

SCHEDULE AND PAY

$30.00 to $36.00 per hour, depending on experience. This is a non-exempt, overtime-eligible position at 24 hours per week, worked across three regular days set with the Executive Director. Occasional early morning, late afternoon, or weekend hours may be required to meet contractors and service providers, with the weekly schedule adjusted accordingly. On site at our Sun Valley headquarters, with visits to our Los Nogales nursery.

BENEFITS

• Health and dental coverage.
• 401K plan with employer match of up to 4% of annual salary.
• Paid vacation, sick, and holiday time, prorated for a part-time schedule.
• 30% staff discount on plants, seeds, pottery, and TPF merchandise.
• Work in a serene environment, surrounded by gardens, hiking trails, plants, and wildlife with a great team.