SEA LIFE PARK HAWAI

ʻI

POSITION SUMMARY

The Maintenance Director is the senior leader responsible for the reliability, maintenance, repair, and improvement of Sea Life Park Hawaiʻi's facilities, mechanical systems, utilities, life support systems (LSS), grounds, and maintenance infrastructure. Reporting to the Assistant General Manager, this position combines department leadership and project management with strong hands-on technical capability. The Maintenance Director is expected to diagnose problems, develop practical solutions, and personally step in when needed to troubleshoot or complete critical repairs. The position leads the Maintenance team, establishes priorities, assigns work, manages contractors and capital projects, and holds team members accountable for completing work safely, correctly, on time, and within budget. Particular emphasis is placed on life support systems, pumps and motors, plumbing, mechanical systems, and practical working knowledge of electrical systems.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

Reports To:

General Manager Directly Supervises:

Maintenance Supervisors/Leads and Maintenance Team Members; oversees contractors and project vendors as assigned.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Maintenance & Technical Leadership Direct the day-to-day maintenance, repair, and upkeep of park facilities, equipment, utilities, animal-support infrastructure, and grounds. Maintain a highly visible, hands-on presence in the park and respond directly to complex, urgent, or recurring equipment and facility problems. Troubleshoot mechanical, plumbing, pump, motor, LSS, and related system failures; identify root causes and implement practical, durable solutions. Use appropriate hand and power tools and personally assist with repairs when the situation requires additional technical expertise or urgency. Ensure work orders are prioritized based on animal welfare, life safety, guest impact, operational continuity, asset protection, and business need. Establish preventive and predictive maintenance practices that reduce equipment failure, emergency repairs, and operational downtime. Life Support Systems (LSS) & Utilities Provide technical leadership for aquatic life support systems serving animal habitats, pools, and water features. Oversee inspection, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of pumps, motors, filtration equipment, valves, piping, plumbing, and related LSS components. Partner closely with Animal Care and Veterinary leadership to ensure systems supporting animal habitats remain reliable and operational. Develop preventive maintenance schedules, inspection standards, documentation, spare-parts strategies, and emergency response plans for critical LSS assets. Support water-system modifications, equipment replacement, and system upgrades with an emphasis on reliability, maintainability, safety, and minimal operational disruption. Project Management & Capital Improvements Serve as project manager for maintenance, facility, infrastructure, LSS, renovation, and capital improvement projects from concept through completion. Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, phasing plans, material requirements, vendor requirements, and completion standards. Coordinate internal teams, contractors, vendors, permits, purchasing, and operational stakeholders to keep projects moving and eliminate delays. Track milestones and hold responsible parties accountable for commitments, quality, budget, and deadlines. Identify obstacles early, develop alternate solutions when conditions change, and communicate project status, risks, and decisions to leadership. Conduct project closeout, verify completed work, document system changes, and ensure outstanding deficiencies are corrected. People Leadership & Accountability Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable the Maintenance team, creating clear expectations for productivity, workmanship, safety, urgency, and follow-through. Assign work based on priority and team capability; monitor progress throughout the day and actively remove barriers preventing completion. Ensure projects and work orders do not stall by establishing owners, deadlines, checkpoints, and clear definitions of completion. Participate in hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, coaching, recognition, corrective action, and succession planning. Develop team technical capability through cross-training in LSS, plumbing, mechanical systems, basic electrical troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and safe work practices. Build a culture in which leaders and technicians take ownership of problems, communicate early, propose solutions, and finish what they start. Facility Reliability & Operational Readiness Conduct frequent site inspections to identify safety hazards, equipment concerns, facility deficiencies, deferred maintenance, and appearance issues. Ensure critical facilities and systems are ready for daily park operation and respond rapidly to failures that affect animals, guests, employees, or revenue. Maintain organized shops, tools, equipment, parts inventories, technical records, and maintenance documentation. Coordinate planned shutdowns and repairs to minimize disruption to animal care, guest operations, and park programs. Financial & Vendor Management Develop and manage the Maintenance department operating budget, labor plan, purchasing, and project expenditures. Control costs while balancing reliability, safety, asset life, and operational needs. Evaluate repair-versus-replacement decisions and recommend capital priorities based on risk, condition, cost, and operational impact. Solicit and evaluate contractor/vendor proposals, oversee outside work, and ensure contractors meet scope, safety, quality, schedule, and budget requirements. Safety, Compliance & Emergency Response Ensure compliance with OSHA requirements, company policies, lockout/tagout procedures, confined-space requirements, fall protection, chemical safety, and other applicable standards. Maintain safe work practices for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, LSS, construction, and maintenance activities. Respond to facility and equipment emergencies and provide calm, practical technical leadership during incidents. Coordinate with leadership and affected departments on emergency repairs, temporary solutions, shutdowns, and return-to-service decisions.

EXPECTATIONS

Be a hands-on leader who is equally comfortable managing a project plan, coaching a team member, diagnosing a failed pump, or helping complete a critical repair. Approach problems with a solutions-oriented mindset and avoid allowing unresolved maintenance issues to become recurring operational problems. Create clear priorities and ensure the team completes assigned work rather than simply identifying or reporting problems. Communicate proactively with park leadership and operational departments regarding outages, project status, risks, delays, and required decisions. Balance urgency with safety, quality, cost control, and long-term reliability. Lead by example through professionalism, accountability, technical curiosity, organization, and follow-through.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

(KPIs) System Reliability & Operational Readiness Critical LSS and facility system uptime/availability. Reduction in repeat equipment failures and unplanned downtime. Daily operational readiness of critical systems and facilities. Response and restoration time for high-priority maintenance issues. Work Order & Preventive Maintenance Performance Preventive maintenance completion rate and on-time completion. Work-order backlog, aging, and closure rate. Percentage of priority work completed by committed due dates. Reduction in deferred maintenance and recurring corrective work. Project Execution Projects completed on time, within approved scope, and within budget. Achievement of project milestones and timely resolution of obstacles. Quality of project closeout, documentation, commissioning, and correction of deficiencies. Successful coordination of contractors, vendors, internal resources, and operational stakeholders. Leadership & Team Performance Team productivity, accountability, attendance, engagement, and retention. Completion of staff training and development plans. Improvement in team technical capability and cross-training. Demonstrated follow-through by supervisors and team members on assigned projects and work orders. Financial & Asset Management Performance against Maintenance operating and project budgets. Effective management of overtime, purchasing, contractors, inventory, and repair costs. Demonstrated cost avoidance and asset-life improvement through preventive maintenance and effective repair decisions. Safety & Compliance Completion of required inspections, safety training, and corrective actions. Reduction in preventable safety incidents and maintenance-related hazards. Compliance with required maintenance documentation and safe-work procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible maintenance, facilities, engineering, aquatics, aquarium, water park, theme park, resort, industrial, or comparable technical operations experience. Minimum 3-5 years of supervisory or management experience leading maintenance or technical teams. Demonstrated experience managing complex maintenance, construction, renovation, or capital projects. Practical hands-on experience troubleshooting and repairing mechanical equipment, pumps, motors, plumbing systems, piping, valves, and related infrastructure. Experience with aquatic life support systems or comparable water-treatment/recirculation systems. Working knowledge of electrical systems and the ability to perform appropriate basic electrical troubleshooting; licensed electrical work must be performed by appropriately qualified personnel where required. Strong mechanical aptitude and demonstrated ability to diagnose problems, determine root causes, and develop workable repair solutions. Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, equipment manuals, technical drawings, and project documents. Working knowledge of OSHA requirements and maintenance safety practices. Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record. Preferred Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, Construction Management, or related field; equivalent combination of education and significant relevant experience will be considered. Experience with aquarium or zoological life support systems, including filtration, pumps, motors, valves, piping, and water circulation equipment. Formal project management training or demonstrated responsibility for multi-phase capital projects. Experience managing contractors, project budgets, procurement, and preventive maintenance programs. Trade background or advanced technical training in plumbing, mechanical systems, electrical systems, HVAC, industrial maintenance, or related discipline.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Excellent project management, organization, prioritization, and follow-through. Strong people-management skills with the ability to set expectations, delegate effectively, coach performance, and hold teams accountable for results. Strong hands-on troubleshooting and repair capability. Working knowledge of LSS, pumps, motors, plumbing, mechanical systems, and basic electrical troubleshooting. Ability to move between strategic planning, project management, supervisory responsibilities, and hands-on fieldwork as operational needs require. Sound judgment and creative problem-solving under time pressure. Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to coordinate effectively across Animal Care, Operations, Finance, vendors, and executive leadership.

COMPENSATION

Target Salary:

$90,000 annually. Additional compensation and benefits includes medical/dental/vision coverage, paid time off and holidays, retirement benefits, and other company benefits as applicable.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Regular on-site presence in an active marine life park and outdoor environment. Work includes both office/project-management responsibilities and substantial field presence in maintenance, mechanical, utility, and animal-support areas. May be exposed to water, pool chemicals, heat, humidity, rain, noise, moving equipment, confined spaces, heights, and other conditions inherent to maintenance operations. Must be able to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and respond to urgent operational issues as business needs dictate. Must be able to safely use tools and access equipment and work areas necessary to inspect, troubleshoot, and support maintenance activities.

STATUS Full-time, Salary, Exempt Schedule:

Based on operational needs; regular weekend/holiday coverage and emergency response may be required.

Pay:

$90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Retirement plan Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person