Manager, Plumbing & Fitting Services

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade 17

The base salary will be $95,000 - $120,000 per annum*. Starting salary will be aligned with the successful candidate’s experience, skills, and demonstrated qualifications.

*Compensation range for this role includes consideration for shared on-call responsibilities outside regular business hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

About Western

Considered Canada's most beautiful University, Western's main campus spans 400 acres of Gothic-style buildings mixed with modern LEED-certified capital structures providing an idyllic environment for our community of scholars. The university is located in London, Canada, a safe, vibrant and welcoming community of more than 350,000 people serving as a regional medical and industrial hub for southwestern Ontario.

About Us

Facilities Management is responsible for the planning, development, engineering, construction, operation, maintenance, and stewardship of all the buildings, infrastructure, sites, and services within Western's campus community. Our integrated team provides excellence in creating and maintaining Western’s facilities and in serving the community. Our vision is to be recognized as the leader in facilities management among research-intensive universities worldwide.

Responsibilities

The Manager, Plumbing & Fitting Services provides leadership to ensure proper operation, installation, inspection, repairs, and preventative/predictive maintenance programs to plumbing systems, vacuum systems, compressed air systems, hydronic heating systems, and chilled water systems completed by the plumbing and steamfitting staff. The Manager will provide effective leadership and supervision to the team and ensures that there is efficient, safe, and reliable delivery of these services to University of Western Ontario’s staff, faculty, students, and visitors. The Manager will provide technical advice regarding all aspects of the University’s plumbing and fitting systems and will collaborate in the development, management, and control of the operating budget and capital budgets, as well as ensure all legislative requirements, codes, and standards applicable to plumbing and fitting services are met and ensures that staff are trained and supported. The Manager will support and foster continuous improvement while collaborating with Facilities Development & Engineering on project design and construction, service interruptions, and maintenance requirements.

Qualifications

Education:

• Certified and registered as a plumber or steamfitter, as recognized by Skilled Trades Ontario or provincial/territorial equivalent with Red Seal Endorsement (RSE)
• OR post-secondary program completion in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree or Mechanical or Electrical Engineering Technology diploma, or similar
• Valid Ontario Driver’s Licence
• Current First Aid Certificate, including CPR
• Preferred:
  • Post-secondary education in a related program (such as Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology)
  • Completion of, or working towards, a Certificate in Management (CIM), or equivalent
  • Current Ontario Water Works Association Certificate
  • TSSA Gas Technician Certificate

Experience:

• 5 years experience in facilities maintenance and operations
• 3 years experience in continuous improvement environment within a technical setting
• 3 years experience supervising staff in a unionized environment
• Experience in operations and maintenance management in an academic or large institutional setting is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of the National Plumbing Code, National Gas and Propane Installation Code, Boilers & Pressure Vessels Code, Ontario Building Code, CSA Standards, Ontario Water Cross-Connection Code, Ontario Fire Fode, and Occupational Health and Safety Act
• Knowledge of TSSA regarding Ontario Gas Utilization Code
• Knowledge of preventative maintenance management administration, report development, and change management methodology
• Experience in technical trades management
• Ability to evaluate issues, recognize potential problems, and take action to proactively resolve issues
• Ability to ensure expenditures and resources are within allotments, and to make appropriate modifications when required
• Communication skills with the ability to converse with, write reports for, and deliver presentations to all levels of the organization
• Verbal communication skills to clearly express ideas in an objective manner and adapt communication style to suit the situation and audience
• Project management skills to align projects with strategic goals and operational objectives, ensuring team roles are clear, milestones are communicated, and deadlines are met
• Ability to provide solutions and ideas for improvement by using imaginative approaches where constructive thinking and innovation are required
• A well-defined sense of diplomacy, including solid negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to efficiently handle a variety of tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines by setting effective priorities
• Organizational skills to manage activities that are accurate and thorough, sometimes of complex nature or involving competing priorities
• Experience in contract management/negotiation of technical and service contracts
• High degree of professionalism, tact, diplomacy, and discretion with outstanding ability to work effectively and efficiently with colleagues, and internal and external clients at all levels of management
• Demonstrated understanding of customer needs to ensure good communication with both internal and external customers.
• Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of the team to achieve department goals
• Demonstrated experience in a continuous improvement approach to developing and deploying best practices, policies, and procedures
• Demonstrated coaching, mentoring and communication skills to enable team members to achieve high-quality outcomes
• Solid understanding of key financial principles, coupled with experience managing a cost-recovery department
• Ability to work in a fluid and challenging work environment with changing deadlines
• Ability to read Computer-Aided Design (AutoCAD) drawings
• Intermediate knowledge of PeopleSoft (HR and Finance) and the Microsoft Office Suite, thorough knowledge of maintenance management systems preferred

Background Checks

Please note, successful applicants may be required to produce a current police information record check from a police service, as well as a current, clean driving abstract prior to commencing employment.

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

Interested applicants are asked to visit: https://recruit.uwo.ca for further information and to apply online referencing job #41846 by 11:59PM on March 4, 2026.

This position is an existing vacancy. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.