Chief Operating Engineer, 1st Class

at  University of Ottawa

POSITION PURPOSE:

We are actively recruiting for the position of Chief Operating Engineer, 1st Class in anticipation of the current incumbent’s retirement next year. This key leadership role offers a unique opportunity for an experienced leader to step into a critical position, managing a team of 2nd and 3rd Class operating engineers and overseeing complex operations to ensure the ongoing excellence of uOttawa’s Power Plant.
The Chief Operating Engineer,1st Class, is responsible for extending and optimizing the lifespan of current assets by tactically issuing the goals and objectives required to manage the Central Power Plant, satellite plant and associated distribution system infrastructure that is critical to business continuity at the University.
This seasoned professional will also act as a strategic agent-of-change; they will create structures and processes to proactively and safely measure and manage assets in order to enable continuous improvement and increase efficiencies aligned with associated resources at the University.
TSSA, Ontario Regulation 219/01 states that in order to register a high-pressure steam power plant with energy producing capacity in excess of 11,770 Kilowatts, a first class licensed operating engineer must be in charge.

IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL:

• Operates and maintains in a safe condition: complex chiller and boiler plants, high pressure steam lines, as well as heating and cooling systems and related campus equipment, centrifugal chillers, ice-making equipment and hot water boilers throughout campus.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable legislation, regulations, codes and standards for the assets under their responsibility.
• Provides qualitative and quantitative recommendations and data to assist the senior director in determining changes and improvements to the various assets and how to allocate the departmental budget for operational expenditures within approved budget constraints.
• Provides innovative and strategic leadership and expertise in planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating major and minor projects involving the infrastructure for which they are responsible. Participates in project commissioning and onboarding to ensure a seamless transition between construction and on-going operation.
• Uses balanced key performance indicators to evaluate and manage the performance of internal and external tradespeople. Ensures that system data is accurate to allow for on-going analytics and auditing. Ensures that the methods used are entirely transparent.
• Maintains a healthy and productive work environment. Recruits, trains, leads, mobilizes and evaluates operating engineers and operating assistants under their responsibility in a union environment. Plays a key role within management by promoting health and safety and performance values to foster a culture of safety and performance that supports operational and strategic decision-making.
• Collaborates with key internal groups, such as Asset Management, Construction and Business Management, on different initiatives, such as sustainability efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Monitors and manages all risks and issues, and takes appropriate action to mitigate and resolve them. Plans, directs and co-ordinates activities in the event of emergencies, service interruptions or breakdowns. Applies, tests and maintains the Business Continuity Plan to ensure the continuity of critical University operations.
• Administers contracts and contract agreements associated with third-party contractors, oversees the work of service contractors, prepares and obtains tenders for services and/or renovation projects for the department and recommends changes to future agreements to the senior director as part of related procurement and contract development processes.
• Develops and implements policies, systems and procedures to systematically handle emergencies, and to ensure the operation and maintenance of all equipment and infrastructure under their responsibility, to meet established standards and defined service levels.