Director of Operations

Position Overview

Friends of Rittenhouse Square is seeking a Director of Operations to support the beautification and ongoing care of Rittenhouse Square Park in Philadelphia.

The ideal candidate will be highly driven and self-motivated, able to identify emergent issues and coordinate a quick response to solve a wide array of challenges and opportunities. Working closely with the Executive Director, contracted teams, and City partners, the Director of Operations will be given the opportunity to build, extend, and directly participate in the maintenance and operations program that makes Rittenhouse Square one of the most vibrant and beautiful public spaces in the country.

This role combines hands-on facilities management, supervision of contracted services, and community engagement, alongside other roles, responsibilities and opportunities depending on the season.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and build strong relationships with partners, including contracted services, City of Philadelphia teams, volunteers, and others to ensure that Rittenhouse Square continues to be maintained to the highest standards.
• Develop annual park maintenance plan, prepare budget projections and monitor adherence to the annual budget.
• Identify focus areas and effectively prioritize capital projects and improvements alongside ongoing maintenance, and emergent and new issues such as damage, lighting, facility and machinery malfunctions.
• Directly support the ongoing cleanliness of the Square by performing graffiti removal on an ongoing basis.
• Maintain inventory and ensure proper care/storage of all tools, carts, equipment, and supplies to support the park maintenance functions.
• Coordinate and communicate with other team members and stakeholders to disseminate pertinent information and provide support as needed.
• Respond quickly to emergency situations including but not limited to storm damage, hazards, and other extreme acts of nature.
• Represent the organization professionally and serve as primary representative for visitors, neighbors, and community stakeholders.
• Maintain safety protocols and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and all other applicable standards.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from accredited college; 5 years of increasingly responsible experience in park maintenance or related field, including a minimum of 3 years in a position that supervised staff; or equivalent education and/or experience.
• Possess a fundamental understanding of park standards, principles and equipment.
• Experience in community programming, event management, and volunteer coordination/management, as well as pressure washing, landscaping equipment, and application of historic preservation standards strongly preferred.
• Ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems using a high degree of independent judgement and personal initiative.
• High emotional intelligence, ability to develop deep, trusting relationships with diverse individuals from many different backgrounds, and foster an atmosphere that respects and celebrates cultural and individual differences
• Strong computer literacy including Google Suite products, GIS mapping software, and other software applications and data management practices that may be utilized in facilities management. Strong written and verbal communication skills required.
• Ability to view challenges and problems as opportunities for growth and transformation.
• This position will be expected to participate in occasional evening and weekend events and programs on an as-needed basis

Reports to: Executive Director

Salary range: $50,000 - $70,000 per year plus benefits.

Target start date: Immediate Hire

Note: This is a full-time, on-site position.

TO APPLY:

Send a single PDF labeled “YourLastName_YourFirstName” to careers@friendsofrittenhouse.org that includes:

• A cover letter describing your relevant experience and interest in the position
• Your resume

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with a final deadline of August 31,2025. References will be contacted as the hiring process moves forward.

No phone calls, please.

ABOUT FRIENDS OF RITTENHOUSE SQUARE:

Friends of Rittenhouse Square was created in 1976 to address the increasing gap between available city funding and the needs of Rittenhouse Square. With a mission to “preserve, protect and beautify,” we are the City’s primary operating partner for the Square, raising funds and managing the many programs to sustain the needs of this extraordinary public space. For more information, please visit https://www.friendsofrittenhouse.org/

Friends of Rittenhouse Square is an Equal Opportunity Employer and having a diverse staff is a fundamental principle, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.