8831 Utilities Production and Distribution Foreman

CLASSIFICATION Nonexempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Maintenance Supervisor

MAJOR ADMINISTRATOR Assistant Director of Facilities Management, Maintenance

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman supervises operations of the University's power house, chilled water loop system, and utility distribution tunnel system, including 4,160 and 13,200 volt electrical power, domestic water, well water, and natural gas. These systems provide required utilities for heating and cooling University facilities on a continuous around-the-clock basis, requiring oversight and utilization of the Building Management System (Metasys) and the Boiler Burner Management system (SCADA).  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman is responsible for scheduling and assigning daily and weekly work activities for Boiler Firemen and the Energy Management Technicians to ensure continuous Power House and utility distribution operations.  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman supervises boiler firemen during various shifts to assure compliance with operational and maintenance standards.  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman also provides training for the boiler firemen including, but not limited to, the proper operation and maintenance of pumps, burners, boilers, tanks, valves, metering systems, water softeners, and control systems (pneumatic and electronic).  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman is responsible for maintaining the chemical treatment program for steam systems and the chilled water loop, charting consumption, and inspecting and adjusting the equipment to regulate and maintain an efficient and constant steam flow.   The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman is responsible for general building maintenance of the power house and the utility tunnel distribution system.  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman enforces federal regulations governing environmental protection, safety, hazardous waste disposal and the use of chemical substances and materials.  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman assists the Energy Manager in evaluating the most efficient use of energy from production to point of use in the facility.  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman operates the power house for training purposes, emergencies, and in the event that a shift is not covered by the Boiler Firemen.  The Utilities Production & Distribution Foreman serves as the Maintenance Supervisor in his/her absence.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A high school diploma or the equivalent and post-secondary education to include three (3) hours of college-level science are required; completion of a formal apprenticeship program in stationary or power engineering is required.

Experience: At least six years of successful experience as an operator in a power production facility using electronic controls, such as Computerized Management Systems, is required.  Six years of supervisory experience are required.

Skills:  A comprehensive understanding of applied science related to the production and distribution of steam, chill water cooling, electrical, water, and other universal power systems is required (applied fluid mechanics, applied thermodynamics and plant cycles, applied engineering technologies, power plant operations, etc.).  Knowledge of the principles and methods involved in high pressure heating/cooling systems, water chemistry, air conditioning, and high voltage electrical distribution systems is required. The ability to troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, and steam power systems is required.  Supervisory skills and the ability to organize and assign work are required. Must be able to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and wiring diagrams.  Mathematical ability is required in order to make proper calculations.  Skills in the proper use of test equipment, hand, and power tools and in diagnosing and trouble-shooting equipment malfunctions and systems failures are required.  Training skills and administrative ability are required.  Computer literacy is required.

Effort: Must be able to lift and transport materials and equipment weighing up to fifty (50) pounds on a frequent basis and up to one-hundred (100) pounds on an occasional basis. The job requires prolonged standing and frequent bending, stooping, and reaching on a daily basis and working in confined spaces. The job requires a full range of physical motion in order to operate manual and electrically-powered tools and boiler room equipment.  The job requires that one must be able to move throughout the Power House and the utility tunnels, including climbing stairs and ladders, entering fire boxes and all tanks and voids in order to perform inspections and maintenance work. Work is performed primarily indoors, in environments that are noisy and which could have work hazards.

License: A license as First Class Power Engineer is required.  A Chief Power Engineer license is preferred.

Other: A valid Missouri driver’s license is required.  The scope of the position requires exposure to and use of chemicals, solvents, and cleaners common to boiler room work that may be hazardous and/or cause injury if specific instructions regarding their mixture, use, and disposal/storage are not properly followed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensures that utilities (the required flow of steam, chilled water, domestic water, electricity, natural gas) are constant and operational twenty-four (24) hours daily to meet the demands of University facilities by scheduling and assigning boiler firemen for continuous power house operations, observing boiler firemen during various shifts to assure compliance with operations and maintenance standards,
scheduling and assigning work to the Energy Management Technicians, firing boilers and operating boiler feed pumps and auxiliary equipment to control the generation of a continuous supply of steam, conducting periodic inspections of the boiler room and equipment, and monitoring the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System and the Energy Management Systems (EMS).

2. Provides leadership for the power house staff by establishing operating guidelines, requirements, and standard operating procedures for the boiler room within guidelines provided by the Maintenance Supervisor, planning maintenance and operations activities, keeping the Maintenance Supervisor advised about current maintenance and operating situations as well as work schedules, maintaining operational logs and utility usage record keeping systems, and coordinating with the Maintenance Supervisor in scheduling employee vacations, evaluating and selecting personnel, and maintaining a safe, positive, and productive work environment.

3. Provides training for the boiler firemen including, but not limited to, proper operation and maintenance of pumps, burners, boilers, tanks, valves, metering systems, water softeners, and control systems (pneumatic and electronic), testing of boiler and chill water to determine degree of hardness, mixing boiler compound and treating the water to assure the appropriate degree of softness, maintaining a chemical treatment program for effluent systems, charting consumption and regulating steam and chilled water flow, and inspecting and adjusting the equipment to maintain the most efficient use of utilities.

4. Assists the Energy Manager in reducing energy costs for the University by directly supervising the operation of the Energy Management System (EMS) which controls the environment (heating and cooling) in University buildings and utilizing the SCADA system to control the central steam plant and its auxiliary equipment to operate efficiently, identify areas that require maintenance, and assist in meeting federal and environmental regulations.

5. Provides training for the Energy Management Technicians, Instrument Control II Technician, and assigned Maintenance Electricians (outside lighting) in maintenance of the Metasys system.

6. Practices preventive maintenance of boiler room equipment by regularly inspecting power house, utility tunnels, and equipment at auxiliary locations to determine their working condition, scheduling and directing or performing periodic washing and cleaning of boilers, tubes, pumps, screens, pipes, burners and strainers, keeping accurate records on each piece of equipment indicating all repairs/breakdowns, required and performed maintenance, and assisting in the development and monitoring of preventive maintenance programs.

7. Organizes and implements the annual steam outage.

8. Assures that boiler firemen have the equipment, tools, and supplies necessary to perform their work by monitoring the use of supplies and materials, estimating future material usage, requisitioning those supplies and equipment, distributing supplies, materials and equipment as required, and advising the Maintenance Supervisor regarding potential shortages, recommended replacement items, or related equipment needs.

9. Assists with the development of competent and efficient boiler firemen, energy management technicians, and assigned maintenance electricians (outside lighting)  by recommending the employment of qualified applicants, training assigned personnel in proper operations, work methods, use of materials and equipment, and safety precautions, making work assignments based upon an evaluation of job requirements and individual expertise, providing oral and/or written instructions, supervising, monitoring and evaluating work performance to ensure standards of workmanship and safety, and directing corrective measures to be taken when necessary.

10. Ensures compliance with state and federal policies, laws, and regulations governing environmental protection, safety, hazardous waste disposal and the use of chemical substances and materials.

11. Provides technical assistance in the purchase of new or replacement boiler room tools and equipment by being knowledgeable of the capabilities of various types of tools and equipment in the trade and recommending the purchase of tools and equipment that are compatible with existing systems or equipment and that meet the needs of the department.

12. Assists the Maintenance Supervisor with ensuring that contract maintenance services meet specified results and/or work orders thus minimizing future operational problems by observing (spot checking) the work performed and advising the Maintenance Supervisor when contracted services fail to meet specifications or endanger University property or lives.

13. Contributes to an accident-free work environment by ensuring the proper use of power tools and equipment, directing personnel to wear appropriate personal protective equipment and clothing such as goggles, hearing protectors, back supports, and work gloves, making on-the-spot corrections of unsafe work activities, investigating on-the-job accidents or injuries and reporting the incidents to supervisors, and following standard safety precautions during work.

14. Helps to reduce the likelihood of a significant disruption of mechanical services (i.e., heating, cooling, electricity) provided to the University campus by assisting the Maintenance Supervisor with planning related to large-scale mechanical maintenance efforts and emergency situations and recovery, assuring around-the-clock responsiveness to mechanical failures or emergency situations that may arise, assisting with restoration of utilities to normalcy,  and assisting in the coordination of contracted services beyond the capabilities of Facilities Maintenance.

15. Contributes to the overall success of Facilties Maintenance by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Utilities Production and Distribution Foreman is supervised by the Maintenance Supervisor and supervises boiler firemen and assigned energy management technicians and maintenance electricians.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED JANUARY 2010

Factor 1: Educational Requirements of the Job

Level 3 - 160 Points: The job requires a high school diploma or equivalent and up to one year (30 credit hours) of technical training, certification, and/or vocational classes or course work in a specialized area.

Factor 2: Skill Requirements - Craft and Trade Skills

Level 6 - 1500 Points: This level represents the most complicated craft skills involving advanced electronics and mechanical theory. Craft skills at this level involve journeyman-level knowledge of principles, concepts, specialized complicated techniques and methods of a profession, and the skill in applying that knowledge that is typically acquired with experience and advanced training beyond that of journeyman-level.

Factor 3: Managerial Responsibility

Level 5 - 500 Points: Supervision of a work group or department including hiring, training, disciplining, and directing the work of others. At this level the required supervision will likely include general rather than close supervision of others. Typically, the nature of the work may involve the supervision of other supervisors or work group leaders, or the responsibility for a rather large group of operative employees in non-technical or non-highly skilled areas. At this level, supervisory responsibilities consume significant amounts of work time and include substantial responsibility for budget development as well as financial control, purchasing, and work planning responsibilities.

Factor 4: Guidelines

Level 3 - 90 Points: Procedures and standards exist, but considerable latitude in applying procedures and selecting a sequence of activities must be exercised. The employee uses judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines such as agency policies, regulations, precedents, and work directions for application to specific cases or problems. The employee analyzes results and recommends changes.

Factor 5: Contacts

Level 4 - 175 Points: The purpose is to coordinate activities involving employees, students, and/or the general public. At this level, contacts involve considerable interpersonal skill involving cooperation and coordination and may involve the organization of activities of programs requiring working relationships among several parties. While contacts may require some level of persuasion, potential for conflicts and disputes are relatively minor.

Factor 6: Work Environment

Level 3 - 70 Points: The work area involves moderate discomfort and/or risk such as operating heavy machinery or dangerous equipment, or frequent exposure to hazardous materials. Alternatively, the work area may be subject to environmental discomfort such as poor ventilation. Loud noises, and/or extremes of heat or cold. The work often requires wearing protective gear that may be uncomfortable. The nature of the work environment may produce moderate levels of stress.

Factor 7: Physical Demands

Level 4 - 150 Points: Work requires considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as climbing ladders, frequent lifting of objects over 50 pounds, crawling or crouching in restricted areas. Occasional lifting of heavy objects weighing 75 pounds or more is required.

Factor 8: Responsibility for Facilities and Resources

Level 4 - 100 Points: At this level would be jobs in which the incumbent has the primary responsibility for the security of one or more facilities and the safety of the public within the facility. Jobs at this level might also involve total responsibility for the security and operation of expensive equipment used by others. Consequences of error would likely result in high risk of injury or death to self, other employees, or the public, and/or major damage to University assets.

Factor 9: Complexity

Level 5 - 1000 Points: The work involves varied duties requiring many different and unrelated processes and methods applied to a broad range of activities or substantial depth of analysis, typically for an administrative and professional field. Decisions regarding what need to be done include areas of uncertainty in approach, methodology, or interpretation and evaluation processes resulting from such elements as continuing changes in programs, technological developments, unknown phenomena, or conflicting requirements. The work requires originating new techniques, establishing criteria, or developing new information.