Mechanical Technician

Job Title: Mechanical Technician x2

Location: Coventry (Estates Department)

Salary: £35,882 + 17% shift allowance

• 30 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Excellent Working Environment
• Access to Outstanding Sport & Leisure Facilities

As part of the Late/Weekend Shift team, you'll receive a generous shift allowance (17% of your basic hourly rate) for working late shifts and weekends. The typical shift pattern consists of 8 shifts of up to 10 hours each over a 14-day period, with a 36.5-hour workweek. Working hours typically range from 13:00 to 23:00 on weekdays and from 07:30 to 18:00 on weekends.

Example shift pattern:

Week 1

Mon 9 hrs, Tues 9hrs, Wed 9hrs, Thurs 0, Fri 0, Sat 9.5 hrs, Sun 9.5 hrs

Week 2

Mon 0, Tues 0, Wed 9 hrs, Thurs 9hrs, Fri 9hrs, Sat 0, Sun 0

Role Overview:

We have a great opportunity for a Mechanical Technician to join one of the UK’s leading universities. The Mechanical Technician provides an efficient, business critical response service and routine maintenance for all plumbing and mechanical building services and associated equipment installed throughout the University including heating/ventilation systems. The role ensures all statutory, planned and breakdown works are completed safely, cost effectively and to the agreed KPI’s and Service Level Agreement.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical

• Respond to individual job requests via the job notification system, ensuring each job is resolved safely, efficiently and to the required standard within target SLAs.
• Provide an effective and efficient business critical responsive service for all mechanical building services installed throughout the University including heating/ventilation, air conditioning, and gas fired plant, BMS controls, power supplies, lighting systems and motors.
• Provide a planned maintenance and reactive remedial work service, directing other trades where necessary to keep essential facilities open and usable, including ensuring the efficient and reliable operation of LPHW boiler plant, heating systems, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and other mechanical and equipment as generated from the computerised docket system on a planned basis.
• Arranging downtime for plant and equipment, in / out of normal hours.
• Action work and restore equipment to normal running condition.
• Monitor / review any work carried out to ensure no faults have been introduced into the system and provide recommendations for altering frequency of maintenance routines. Analyse, fault find and make decisions about the feasibility and logistics of the jobs to be undertaken, considering how long it will take, the equipment needed and the potential cost liaising with the Supervisor if necessary.
• Investigate unidentified problems, including diagnosing problems and suggesting courses of action and/or identifying whether the problem can be dealt with or if specialist assistance is required.
• Deal appropriately with emergencies.
• Provide advice or suggestions in relation to the installation of new products and equipment and participate in the preparation, fabrication and installation of refurbishment, new projects and new work where required.
• Ensure the correct permits are in place prior to commencing work.

Health and Safety and compliance

• Identify and assess potential risk to individual tasks and formulate and/or comply with risk assessments and method statements in conjunction with manager. Complete jobs in a variety of different settings and environments.
• The role will actively participate in department hazard identification and risk assessment exercises.
• Part of a team responsible for delivering statutory compliance tasks, ensuring these are correctly delivered and recorded appropriately.
• Understand and utilise record drawings including asbestos and fire drawings.

Organisation

• Prioritise own workload and tasks, taking into account where the problem is, the nature of the problem, the number of people affected and the usage of the building. Take into account access times to spaces and arrange access with security when required.
• Record resolutions and feedback to problems to work instructions, complete electronic timesheets, service records and other work-related paperwork in priority order.
• Maintain the tools and equipment for which their team are responsible.
• Calculate and order the correct amount of materials needed for each job using the ordering system.

Financial

• Provide estimated cost for contracted services and minor works.
• Arrange small works projects in line with the Estates department guidelines using approved contractors and the Estates’ quote and tender limits policy. Ensure work is completed to program, within budget, conforms to legislative requirements and to the University’s accepted standards.
• Advise the budget holder on product specifications and budget costs for specialist plant, tools, equipment and consumables required by the Estates Office/section.

Communication and Customer Service

• Proactively liaise with Mechanical Supervisors, trades colleagues, contractors, Estates and other departmental staff throughout the University to advise and make recommendations on planned and reactive maintenance, causing minimum disruption to customers.
• Provide technical expert advice that ensures the provision of a compliant high quality, safe, efficient and effective service.
• Communicate professionally and effectively with a diverse customer base.

General

• Drive University vehicles to transport staff, materials and tools around the University estate.
• Ensure all works are completed to a high standard and work areas are left clean and tidy on completion.
• Undertake any other duties as from time to time may be required commensurate with the grade of the post.

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

• A recognised apprentice background or equivalent training or significant years’ practical working experience is required within the mechanical services industry, including in commercial settings.
• City and Guilds/NVQ level 3 or equivalent in Plumbing, Plumbing and Heating, HVAC/ventilation or Refrigeration.
• Proven ability to carry out a range of plumbing and mechanical fitting activities.
• To have an excellent understanding of statutory compliance within the mechanical services field.
• The ability to organise, plan and prioritise own workload to meet SLAs and work with minimal supervision.
• Experience of dealing with high volume of reactive calls and dealing with them in an efficient and effective manner.
• Proven problem-solving ability to assess and resolve problems and use own initiative to investigate and diagnose problems and to escalate to the appropriate level if required.
• Effective oral communication and customer service skills, and ability to work as part of a team.
• Written and basic IT skills to maintain appropriate records.
• Experience of planned preventative maintenance systems.
• Full, clean UK or EU equivalent driving licence.

Desirable:

• City and Guilds/NVQ level 3 Water Regulations & Unvented Hot Water Systems (3345).
• Safe Entry into Confined spaces using emergency escape breathing apparatus.
• Awareness of asbestos materials and non-licensed removal works.
• Gas Safe certification.