Position Summary

Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s Facilities Division invites applications for the position of Mechanical Trades Manager.

We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good. As part of this community, the Facilities Division designs, constructs and maintains a dynamic, safe, and sustainable campus to continually advance its nationally benchmarked living and learning community. The mechanical trades shops are responsible for maintenance to make the campus a comfortable, safe, and attractive place to learn, live, and work; and responding quickly to the emergency and repair needs of the campus community.

WCU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; generous retirement plans; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

The Mechanical Trades Manager helps to oversee the maintenance and operations for mechanical, electrical, HVAC and plumbing systems for 102 campus buildings and campus utilities including electrical, geothermal, water, storm and sewer drainage systems; manages an operating budget of over $1,000,000; manage a skilled workforce of represented employees and outside contractors; utilizes a CMMS work order system to schedule, track, and report on service requests and develop, administer budgets, schedules, and standards of performance; and direct programs with a “boots on the ground” approach to ensure effective and efficient operations and process improvements.
 
As a member of the Facilities Divisional staff, this position is deemed essential. Essential employees must remain or report to work during partial or full day closings of the University due to hazardous road conditions, emergency circumstances or for other reasons. The Mechanical Trades Manager is on call to immediately respond to all emergencies to ensure operation of the University.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate professional experience in facilities mechanical maintenance management including excellent planning and management skills; experience working independently to manage priorities; experience driving innovation and continuous process improvement; and a commitment to providing outstanding customer service to diverse campus constituents.  

Responsibilities include:

• Provide mechanical oversight for maintenance of building systems
• Manage the HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing and off shift trades shops and forepersons 
• Lead recruitment, hiring, training and retention 
• Oversee staffing, attendance, performance evaluations, recognition, discipline, and setting of individual work standards 
• Collaborate with Facilities Division to resolve daily requests from students, faculty, and staff in a timely manner
• Communicate with building trades staff, triage requests during peak times, and follow up with campus requestors to confirm resolution
• Ensure excellent customer service to the campus community including timely responses to requests and concerns
• Discuss facilities challenges with the campus community to identify improvement areas and solutions
• Define and document all systems related preventative maintenance action items
• Ensure preventative maintenance is completed as required
• Collaborate with Auxiliaries for equipment replacement
• Maintain compliance with WCU standards and regulatory compliance standards in all buildings
• Provide mechanical systems advice/support to campus partners planning facilities improvements
• Manage the maintenance, operations and updating of mechanical systems in all campus buildings plus campus utility systems which include electrical, geothermal, water, natural gas, storm and sewer drainage systems
• Monitor building automation programs, identify potential issues, and coordinate corrective actions
• Manage operating budget 
• Implement and direct programs to ensure efficient operation and promote process improvement in the trades
• Maintain open communications with members of the university and provide feedback regarding ongoing mechanical needs and projects
• Support labor relations and collaborate with union representatives
• Oversee training and safety 
• Write and manage contracts as needed
• Respond immediately to emergencies
• Serve on committees as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate degree or a mechanical certification or degree from a trade school or ten years of professional experience in facilities maintenance management and
• Five years of experience with personnel management and
• Five years of operating budget experience and
• Five years of experience with mechanical maintenance management and
• Expertise in one or more building systems (electrical, mechanical, building automation)

Preferred Qualifications

• License in a mechanical trade
• Demonstrated experience in CMMS
• Unionized workforce experience
• BAS for HVAC systems and controls experience

Special Instructions

The salary for this position is $91,526.

Ask about opportunities for partial work from home and WCU alternate work schedules.

Candidates must apply online at https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/wcupa. Application allows for cover letter and resume attachments (both required for consideration). 
 
Applicants must successfully complete the interview process to be considered as a finalist.
 
Developing and sustaining a diverse faculty and staff advances WCU's educational mission. The University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer encouraging diversity. Women, persons of color, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
 
All offers of employment are subject to and contingent upon satisfactory completion of all pre-employment criminal background checks.

About West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University (WCU) of Pennsylvania is among the top regional comprehensive public universities in the nation, serving more than 17,500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a national reputation for excellence, value, and student success. Founded in 1871 as an institute for teacher preparation, West Chester offers more than 118 undergraduate and 103 graduate programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the main campus in West Chester, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the Philadelphia campus, and online. Five colleges and two schools comprise the University: Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the School of Music, and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies. Located in Chester County (25 miles from downtown Philadelphia) the area combines the best of enjoyable daily living with easy access to the full spectrum of country and city attractions. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

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