Project Engineer (Facilities Safety Management)

at  Region of Waterloo

OUR STORY:

Committed to fostering opportunities for current and future generations, the Region of Waterloo is an inclusive, thriving and sustainable region of connected rural and urban communities with global reach. Our mission is to serve, engage and inspire, by delivering quality services to a diverse population of 630,000+, while creating a healthy, collaborative environment of learning, respect and innovation.
This is a place where employees are valued and recognized for their talents and contributions to our success. Our employees take pride in making a difference in people’s lives through the work that we do. We are looking for people like you to help make it happen.
The Role
Leads the Division’s participation in the corporate safety management system program to support safe project management and building operations and maintenance. Coordinates building-related investigations/assessments of safety hazards, including designated substances, electrical safety, hazardous energy, fall protection, and confined spaces. Plans remediation and abatement capital projects. Ensures designated substance surveys for region-owned buildings. Advises on safety legislation, requirements, codes, and procedures, and develops safety procedures and protocols, including documentation, reporting, and coordinating with corporate health and safety staff as appropriate.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Orients and reviews work quality of consultants and other professional and technical contractors, with responsibility for selection and termination. Enforces contract terms and budgets. Participates to ensure operations and project teams, contractors, and consultants on regional sites comply with health and safety and other related legislation. Directs the work of students.
• Prepares detailed project budget estimates; establishes budget requirements for in-house services; and manages budgets. Negotiates/authorises claims, disputes, payments, extra work, requirements, and contract/design changes. Arranges purchase orders; prepares, reviews, approves/recommends payments to consultants and contractors. Has signing authority. Ensures retention of holdbacks per Construction Lien Act; in the event of default/other claims/disputes, negotiates with bonding companies.
• Works with corporate health and safety staff regarding issues for the Division, including clarifying, investigating, documenting, and reporting as required.
• Leads the development and implementation of a facilities safety management program.
• Acts as a technical expert/resource to divisional staff, staff in other departments, project teams, consultants, and other parties, as it relates to regional buildings, and in coordination with corporate health and safety staff as appropriate. Exchanges information, collaborates, provides technical expertise/ advice, and participates on interdepartmental project teams. Represents the Region as a technical expert in building-related designated substance management issues, electrical safety, hazardous energy, and other safety-related issues.
• Coordinates designated substance surveys, including asbestos assessments per corporate asbestos management plan, and in concurrence/alignment with water and wastewater process equipment reporting.
• Coordinates, procures, interprets, and critically analyses consultant technical and engineering reports and findings to identify errors, questions, and determine extent of asbestos/designated substances in regional properties. Plans and implements asbestos investigations and testing programs, studies, and remediation and abatement for capital projects.
• Coordinates annual asbestos reassessments and Waterloo Region Housing in-unit/common area inspections; reviews/interprets reports, and ensures reporting requirements are met. Updates centralised reporting system and maintains documentation for vendors and contractors.
• Coordinates, procures, interprets, and critically analyses consultant technical and engineering reports and findings to identify errors and questions, and determine situations of hazardous energy in building operating equipment.
• Develops, implements, and assists in maintaining a data management system for designated substances, electrical safety, hazardous energy, fall protection, and confined spaces, including links to other hazard inventory databases.
• Investigates and reports on building-related incidents (e.g., indoor air quality, lighting levels, mould situations), coordinating with corporate health and safety staff as appropriate.
• Interprets TSSA codes, legislation, and regulations for equipment operation and safety practices for divisional staff.
• Manages consultant investigations for design solutions for fall restraint situations for inclusion in scope of work for capital projects.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Advises the Division when safety practice due diligence is required per procedures, including for designated substances. Liaises with corporate health and safety for compliance requirements tracked in the safety management system.
• Establishes pre-qualified vendor list for safety-related work (e.g., designated substance surveying, abatement, arc flash studies). Leads consultant selection processes, including all phases of the tender process. Reviews and negotiates work plans/budgets. Presents recommendations to Committees and Council. Ensures signing, sealing, and provision of insurance certificates and bonding.
• Oversees phases of abatement and remediation projects. Interprets construction documents.
• Arranges material/equipment testing inspections. Establishes deficiency lists, conducts final inspections, and issues completion certificates as requirements are met.
• Arranges equipment arc flash and hazardous energy assessments. Interprets results of assessments, provides recommendations, and coordinates mitigation of hazardous conditions through equipment adjustment, modification, or replacement. Conducts final inspections; develops equipment safety placards, verifies accuracy, and publishes documents to asset management system; establishes deficiencies; and corrects standard operating procedures.
• Plans and implements strategy to identify regulatory compliance requirements, with corporate health and safety staff. Coordinates with divisional staff to develop a compliance requirement database and verify compliance. Coordinates/ assists in resolving non-compliance issues.
• Identifies opportunities and assists Legal with negotiations to recover costs associated with land contamination management programs or remediation projects.
• Interprets Pre-Start Health & Safety Reviews (PSHSR) to determine safeguarding measures to protect staff, contracted resources, and equipment.
• Administers the online safety standards repository for the Department, including document access, subscription fees, and user issues/ troubleshooting.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skill acquired through a degree in applied science or engineering, plus progressively responsible practical experience in engineering methods and administration, contract law, budget preparation and monitoring in a project management environment, mechanical and electrical systems, safety engineering, risk analysis, and health and safety hazard assessment.
• Must be licensed and in good standing as a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, or be a member in good standing holding a Limited License in the area of practice(s), issued by the PEO. For those trained outside of Canada, equivalency will be determined by the PEO. Participates in activities to maintain professional license.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, regulations, collective agreements, and legislation (e.g., environmental protection, construction lien, health and safety, Ministry guidelines, contact law, Ontario Regulation 278/05, Designated Substance - Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Buildings and Repair Operations; R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 347, as amended made under the Environmental Protection Act; transportation of dangerous goods), and codes (e.g., TSSA, national building; Ontario Fire Marshal’s Regulations) and CSA Standards.
• Analytical, problem solving, and continuous improvement skills to investigate/ evaluate building designated substances issues, and plan and implement appropriate solutions; organise time effectively and manage simultaneous projects; identify potential difficulties and their causes and generate workable solutions; and research and prepare technical reports and project specifications.
• Leadership, human relations, negotiation, and presentation skills to provide direction, guidance, and review the work of divisional staff and consultants/contractors; develop and maintain effective working relationships; communicate complex technical issues to staff and the public; negotiate contracts and project requirements; and participate as an effective team member.
• Computer skills using software such as MS Office, GIS, relational databases, and designated substances databases.
• Ability to prepare and conduct presentations to the public, the media, politicians and senior staff.
• Ability to write technical reports and recommendations to Council and Committees, contracts, specifications, and correspondence.
• Ability to read and interpret technical reports, correspondence, manuals, journals, design specifications, contracts, and legal documents. Ability to interpret and critically analyse consultant technical/engineering reports and findings to identify errors and question/challenge same.
• Ability to participate in an official standby/on-call rotation to respond to legislated or time sensitive demands beyond regularly scheduled work hours.

• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region.Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.

• The Region of Waterloo is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process. At the Region, we respect, encourage and celebrate our diversity. The Region of Waterloo is committed to providing accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require an accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs.
  Alternate formats of this document are available upon request. Please contact the Service First Contact Centre at phone number (519) 575-4400, TTY number (519-575-4608) to request an alternate format.
  Please note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, only those candidates selected for an interview with be contacted through email. Please check your spam or junk folder occasionally as some candidates have noticed our emails in those folders (Gmail and Hotmail in particular).

Duties/Responsibilities

• Orients and reviews work quality of consultants and other professional and technical contractors, with responsibility for selection and termination. Enforces contract terms and budgets. Participates to ensure operations and project teams, contractors, and consultants on regional sites comply with health and safety and other related legislation. Directs the work of students.
• Prepares detailed project budget estimates; establishes budget requirements for in-house services; and manages budgets. Negotiates/authorises claims, disputes, payments, extra work, requirements, and contract/design changes. Arranges purchase orders; prepares, reviews, approves/recommends payments to consultants and contractors. Has signing authority. Ensures retention of holdbacks per Construction Lien Act; in the event of default/other claims/disputes, negotiates with bonding companies.
• Works with corporate health and safety staff regarding issues for the Division, including clarifying, investigating, documenting, and reporting as required.
• Leads the development and implementation of a facilities safety management program.
• Acts as a technical expert/resource to divisional staff, staff in other departments, project teams, consultants, and other parties, as it relates to regional buildings, and in coordination with corporate health and safety staff as appropriate. Exchanges information, collaborates, provides technical expertise/ advice, and participates on interdepartmental project teams. Represents the Region as a technical expert in building-related designated substance management issues, electrical safety, hazardous energy, and other safety-related issues.
• Coordinates designated substance surveys, including asbestos assessments per corporate asbestos management plan, and in concurrence/alignment with water and wastewater process equipment reporting.
• Coordinates, procures, interprets, and critically analyses consultant technical and engineering reports and findings to identify errors, questions, and determine extent of asbestos/designated substances in regional properties. Plans and implements asbestos investigations and testing programs, studies, and remediation and abatement for capital projects.
• Coordinates annual asbestos reassessments and Waterloo Region Housing in-unit/common area inspections; reviews/interprets reports, and ensures reporting requirements are met. Updates centralised reporting system and maintains documentation for vendors and contractors.
• Coordinates, procures, interprets, and critically analyses consultant technical and engineering reports and findings to identify errors and questions, and determine situations of hazardous energy in building operating equipment.
• Develops, implements, and assists in maintaining a data management system for designated substances, electrical safety, hazardous energy, fall protection, and confined spaces, including links to other hazard inventory databases.
• Investigates and reports on building-related incidents (e.g., indoor air quality, lighting levels, mould situations), coordinating with corporate health and safety staff as appropriate.
• Interprets TSSA codes, legislation, and regulations for equipment operation and safety practices for divisional staff.
• Manages consultant investigations for design solutions for fall restraint situations for inclusion in scope of work for capital projects

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Advises the Division when safety practice due diligence is required per procedures, including for designated substances. Liaises with corporate health and safety for compliance requirements tracked in the safety management system.
• Establishes pre-qualified vendor list for safety-related work (e.g., designated substance surveying, abatement, arc flash studies). Leads consultant selection processes, including all phases of the tender process. Reviews and negotiates work plans/budgets. Presents recommendations to Committees and Council. Ensures signing, sealing, and provision of insurance certificates and bonding.
• Oversees phases of abatement and remediation projects. Interprets construction documents.
• Arranges material/equipment testing inspections. Establishes deficiency lists, conducts final inspections, and issues completion certificates as requirements are met.
• Arranges equipment arc flash and hazardous energy assessments. Interprets results of assessments, provides recommendations, and coordinates mitigation of hazardous conditions through equipment adjustment, modification, or replacement. Conducts final inspections; develops equipment safety placards, verifies accuracy, and publishes documents to asset management system; establishes deficiencies; and corrects standard operating procedures.
• Plans and implements strategy to identify regulatory compliance requirements, with corporate health and safety staff. Coordinates with divisional staff to develop a compliance requirement database and verify compliance. Coordinates/ assists in resolving non-compliance issues.
• Identifies opportunities and assists Legal with negotiations to recover costs associated with land contamination management programs or remediation projects.
• Interprets Pre-Start Health & Safety Reviews (PSHSR) to determine safeguarding measures to protect staff, contracted resources, and equipment.
• Administers the online safety standards repository for the Department, including document access, subscription fees, and user issues/ troubleshooting.
• Performs related duties as required