Plumbing Supervisor at InsideHigherEd

Position OverviewThe Assistant Skilled Trades Supervisor, Plumbing Supervisor position within the Facilities Services department supervises the resources and staff who provide on-site repair and maintenance services for assigned residential and academic buildings. The assistant supervisor helps plan, direct and oversee all work activities for lead workers, and/or maintenance technicians, which follow a daily and seasonal plan for maintenance services. The assistant supervisor is also responsible for providing staff training and on-site assistance as needed. This position requires the operation of a work­ issued vehicle and requires the use of digital information systems for communication and resource tracking and planning.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Facilities Services within KU Operations plays a vital role in maintaining an inviting and safe campus environment that supports teaching, learning and research. KU Operations supports KU’s mission of learning, scholarship, and creative endeavor by providing the visible and behind-the-scenes services that make possible the university’s academic and research missions.

KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation per year, 96 hours of sick leave earned per year, nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a retirement program, medical & dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options, and State of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers employees educational and professional development opportunities.

Tuition assistance offers up to 12 credit hours per year for employees and Employee Dependent Tuition Assistance Scholarship (EDTAS) award opportunities! Details available at: https://humanresources.ku.edu/tuition-assistance

KU’s excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. At KU, we invest in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other’s success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard, and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.

The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.
Job Description50% - Assists the plumbing trade manager with the management of building plumbing systems and associated resources in all residential and academic buildings.

• Effectively manage available resources towards campus priorities ensuring system reliability across all plumbing systems on the Lawrence campus.
• Manage associated Preventive Maintenance operations to reduce reactive maintenance and further ensure plumbing system reliability by developing and implementing a plan for the ongoing maintenance, repair and replacement equipment and associated distribution systems in compliance with university standards in furtherance of the university's mission.
• Directly supervises plumbing senior technicians and technicians.
• Ensures compliance with industry best practices for maintenance and installation of plumbing equipment and associated distribution systems.

20% - Perform and/or oversee necessary cost accounting, time reporting, work order management and purchasing activities to ensure necessary data is available to make effective data-driven decisions for our organization.

10% - Project/Modification work

• Oversee, review and/or comment on new project proposals and documents from the KU and/or commercial engineering design team to ensure industry best practices for efficiency, reliability and maintainability.
• Review, coordinate and oversee new plumbing system modification projects including but not limited to, replacements, refurbishments, and new installations.

10% - Communicate, coordinate and collaborate with customers, staff, peer leadership and university leadership as activities relate to campus electrical systems. Ensure affected customers are appropriately informed of activities that impact their operations

10% - Oversee and/or perform all new hire, performance review and/or terminations activities for the assigned unit. Performs other related duties as assigned.Position Requirements

• Lift and carry up to 20 pounds constantly and up to 50 pounds occasionally, with or without accommodation.
• Reach, grasp, lift, carry, and place moderately heavy loads frequently, and heavy loads occasionally with or without accommodation.
• Work under a variety of temperature and weather extremes, both inside and outdoors.
• Report to work during declared periods of inclement weather.
• Respond to after-hours emergencies as needed.
• Work overtime as needed.
• Must have a valid driver’s license at the time of hire and throughout the term of employment.
• Must enter work order information digitally.
• Subject to call back and take calls after hours.

Required Qualifications

1. High School diploma or completion of a GED equivalency.
2. Five (5) years of experience in plumbing trade maintenance work. Associate's degree or vocational school certification may be substituted for one year of the required maintenance experience.
3. Three (3) years of experience as a plumbing trade supervisor or lead worker.
4. Proven experience managing, troubleshooting and repairing plumbing distribution systems and related equipment in a facilities management organization as evidenced by application materials.
5. Experience using MS Office, including Outlook and Excel as evidenced by application materials.
6. Must have a valid driver’s license at the time of hire and throughout the term of employment.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) experience - preferably IBM Maximo as evidenced by application materials.
2. Extensive knowledge of safety measures and occupational hazards of the trade as evidenced by application materials.
3. Experience with HVAC chemical systems as evidenced by application materials.
4. Experience working in a large university/college maintenance operation or multi-building operation as evidenced by application materials.
5. Experience working closely with or in HVAC, electrical and general remodel trades as evidenced by application materials.

Additional Candidate InstructionsA complete application will include your current contact information including email and phone number and your previous work experience including dates of employment. Please include the name and contact information to three references with your application.

Application review begins Monday, November 3rd and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.Contact Information to ApplicantsCHARLES HELMER
[email protected]
785-864-1298Advertised Salary RangeStarting at $47,493.40Application Review BeginsMonday November 3, 2025Anticipated Start DateMonday December 1, 2025Apply to Job