The Center for Independent Living (CIL), founded in Berkeley as the nation’s first independent living center, is a pioneer of the disability rights and independent living movement. Our radical legacy is rooted in peer-led advocacy, cross-disability solidarity, and the belief that all people with disabilities have the right to live with dignity, choice, and freedom. Today, CIL provides advocacy and direct services that increase awareness, collaboration, and opportunity among people with disabilities and the broader community. Our programs equip people with skills, knowledge, and resources to challenge ableism, eliminate barriers, and pursue lives they value.

Salary: $73,983 per year

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Location: Berkeley, CA – On-Site

Work Arrangement: Full-time in person

Travel: Occasional local travel for facilities-related needs, site visits, vendors, and potential office/facility searches

Reports to: Director of Operations

About the Role

The Facilities Manager & Community Builder leads the day-to-day operations of CIL’s Berkeley office and drop-in community space, helping ensure it is accessible, welcoming, organized, and actively used by staff, consumers, community members, volunteers, and partners.

This role is the central anchor of our shared office and community environment. We’re looking for someone who takes ownership of a space and its systems while also cultivating the activities, relationships, and community culture that make people feel welcomed and connected.

As our primary community and culture weaver on the ground, you aren’t just managing an office - you’re helping create an ecosystem for connection and belonging. Backed by a strong team, you’ll independently manage day-to-day operations, untangle logistics, facilitate cooperation among staff and consumers, and use sound judgment to keep the space thriving.

The role brings together facilities and office operations, front desk leadership, and community space stewardship.

What You’ll Do

• Lead facilities and office operations. Manage the day-to-day operation of the Berkeley office and drop-in space, ensuring it is safe, accessible, organized, welcoming, and ready for use. Develop practical systems for shared spaces, supplies, purchasing, room use, safety, accessibility, vendors, and recurring office needs. Coordinate with Ed Roberts Campus staff, contractors, vendors, and internal teams, and support renovations, expansion, and other facilities projects as needed.
• Lead the front desk and visitor experience. Oversee front desk operations and coverage; supervise, train, and support staff and volunteers; and establish consistent practices for welcoming visitors, responding to inquiries, receiving deliveries, and connecting people with CIL programs and resources.
• Build a vibrant community space. Help shape the culture of CIL’s Berkeley location as a place where people with disabilities can drop in, connect, participate, and build community. Develop relationships with community members and partners, create informal and low-barrier opportunities for connection, gather feedback, and continually look for ways to strengthen belonging and use of the space.
• Support meetings, events, and activities. Coordinate on-site logistics for staff meetings, trainings, community gatherings, and other activities, including room setup, accessibility, supplies, equipment, food and hospitality, and day-of operations. Partner with Programs and other teams while keeping program design and service delivery with the appropriate program staff.
• Build systems that work. Create and improve procedures, playbooks, checklists, and other systems that help staff and volunteers operate the space consistently. Identify recurring challenges, develop practical solutions, delegate effectively, and know when an issue needs to be elevated to the Director of Operations.

What We’re Looking For

You may be a strong fit if you bring:

• Experience in facilities operations, office management, community-space operations, hospitality, nonprofit operations, or a related field.
• Experience supervising, training, or coordinating staff and/or volunteers.
• Strong organizational and systems-thinking skills, with the ability to independently manage multiple priorities and solve day-to-day problems.
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to create a welcoming environment for people with diverse backgrounds, identities, disabilities, and access needs.
• An understanding of accessibility, disability inclusion, and independent living values—or a willingness to develop this knowledge.
• Experience supporting community spaces, events, or public-facing environments is a plus.
• Sound judgment, clear communication, and the ability to recognize when an issue requires escalation.
• Comfort with shared documents, calendars, communication platforms, and common workplace technology.

Experience working with people with disabilities and/or within disability, community-based, or social-service organizations is preferred. Equivalent combinations of education, lived experience, training, and professional experience will be considered.

Reasonable accommodations can be provided to support qualified individuals in performing the essential functions of the position.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and a cover letter describing your interest in this position and how your lived and/or professional experiences connect to our mission and values.

All job offers are contingent on successfully passing a pre-employment background check.

If you require a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process, please contact the Hiring Team at [email protected].

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

CIL Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity), national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Persons with disabilities, veterans, women, and individuals from historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

CIL is an E-Verify participating employer.