Facilities Manager

Dubai Heights Academy is a warm and welcoming place to work. Located in the Al Barsha South area of Dubai, this is an exciting opportunity to join our team.

The school opened in 2017. It offers an inclusive, exciting and outstanding education to an international community of students from FS1 to Year 12 (2025-2026) and will grow to Year 13 in the next academic year.

The campus is state-of-the-art with separate buildings for each phase as well as a 380 seat auditorium. There are three temperature controlled swimming pools, fully equipped science and computer labs, specialist rooms for art, DT, Food Technology, music, and drama. There are three libraries, three multipurpose sports halls, a full size football pitch, a variety of outdoor play areas and two spacious canteens.

Our sprawling 292,000 sqft campus boasts 3 buildings dedicated for each phase. We opened a new secondary building in August 2025.

Dubai Heights Academy follows the National Curriculum for England as the basis of its curriculum. This has been tailored to comply with local requirements and supplemented with Arabic language, Islamic Studies, Moral Education and Social Studies.

In addition, Dubai Heights Academy has partnered with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to develop and deliver a bespoke AI (artificial intelligence) project-based programme for secondary and an early language programme using social robots for Primary, to further enrich our broad and balanced curriculum.

We are driven by an underlying philosophy captured by our school ethos of ‘Every Child, Every Mind and Everybody matters’ and believe that every student deserves the best possible education, regardless of background and ability.

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced and proactive Facilities Manager to oversee the daily operations of our facilities, with a strong focus on health and safety compliance. The ideal candidate will ensure that all buildings, equipment, and services meet regulatory standards while providing a safe, secure, and efficient working environment for staff and visitors.

Key Responsibilities

Facilities Management

• Oversee the maintenance, repair, and upkeep of buildings and infrastructure through the development, implementation and monitoring of a robust Planned Preventative Maintenance programme.
• Manage service contracts (cleaning, security, maintenance, waste management, etc.).
• Conduct regular inspections to ensure facilities are in optimal condition.
• Coordinate space management and facility improvements.
• Maintain an accurate asset register for facilities equipment, furniture, fixtures, plant and major infrastructure, ensuring timely servicing, replacement and lifecycle planning.
• Monitor cleaning, hygiene, waste management and pest control standards across the campus, ensuring a safe, clean and well-presented school environment

Health & Safety

• Ensure full compliance with the requirements of all relevant authorities, including Dubai Municipality, Dubai Civil Defence, KHDA, Dubai Health Authority and any other applicable regulatory bodies.
• Develop, implement, and regularly review health and safety policies and procedures.
• Conduct risk assessments and ensure mitigation measures are in place.
• Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate records of safety inspections, incidents, and compliance documentation.
• Organise regular fire drills, emergency response exercises, and evacuation procedures.
• Ensure all fire safety systems, alarms, and emergency equipment are regularly tested and maintained.
• Monitor contractor compliance with health and safety requirements.

Training & Awareness

• Deliver health and safety inductions for new staff.
• Coordinate first aid and fire safety training.
• Provide ongoing safety training and awareness sessions.
• Promote a strong safety culture across the organisation.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with external contractors, suppliers, and regulatory authorities.
• Ensure all third-party vendors comply with safety standards and contractual obligations.

Budget & Reporting

• Manage facilities budget, including maintenance and safety-related expenses.
• Prepare regular reports on facilities performance and health & safety compliance.

Safeguarding and child protection awareness

• Ensure all facilities staff, contractors and third-party providers comply with the school’s safeguarding, child protection, access control and visitor management procedures.

Traffic, parking and drop-off/pick-up operations

• Support the safe and efficient operation of traffic flow, parking, student drop-off and pick-up arrangements, including liaison with security teams and relevant authorities where required.
• Support daily bus operations and complete health and safety checks relating to vendor contract and compliance.

Business continuity and emergency planning

• Contribute to the school’s emergency response, crisis management and business continuity planning, including severe weather, utilities failure, lockdown, evacuation and site closure procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Facilities Management, Engineering, or related field
• Recognised Health & Safety certification
• Minimum 3 years of experience in facilities management with strong HSE exposure
• In-depth knowledge of local health and safety regulations
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in school / corporate / hospitality environments
• Certification in Fire Safety or Emergency Management

What We Offer

• Competitive salary package
• Professional development opportunities
• Supportive and collaborative work environment

Interviews will take place at Dubai Heights Academy or via Zoom, should a face to face interview not be possible. Closing date for applications is as advertised, however interviews may take place ahead of this date so an early application is advantageous. Whilst we thank all applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please submit a supporting statement along with your CV, highlighting the evidence based impact you have made in your role and your key skill sets.

Safeguarding Statement

Dubai Heights Academy is totally committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and as such expects all its employees to share this commitment.

All new staff will be subject to enhanced pre-employment clearance including identity checks, criminal background checks (from your home country/country of residence), qualification checks (attestation) and employment checks to include an exploration of any gaps in employment and at least two satisfactory professional references, which will be verified.

Applicants may also be required to provide other applicable personal documents e.g. degree, marriage certificate etc. A full checklist will be provided to successful candidates.