Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. A cover letter is welcomed but not required.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name -- RICE -- Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The BRC Preventative Maintenance Mechanic - Electrical performs skilled maintenance and repairs on buildings, facilities, and equipment. They coordinate and prioritize daily work tasks with a supervisor and independently troubleshoot and diagnose issues to determine the best course of action.

Responsibilities include completing work order requests in basic plumbing, electrical, and carpentry, as well as collaborating with specialized technicians when needed. This position involves inspecting, making minor repairs, and adjusting electrical and mechanical systems within the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) to ensure proper operation. Additionally, the incumbent is responsible for basic carpentry, plumbing repairs, and touch-up painting within the facility.

The ideal candidate has excellent time management and organization skills, is proactive, service-oriented, and works well in a team environment. The ideal candidate has experience with basic building mechanical systems, plus experience with carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and painting. They also have experience working in a university research facility with frequent interaction with staff, faculty, students and outside contractors.

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) building, Monday through Friday, from 6:30 am to 3:30 pm. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

The work environment requires work in mechanical rooms, tunnels, labs, attics, crawl spaces, non-conditioned spaces, and dusty, dirty, and wet conditions. Requires exposure to high-pressure boilers and steam piping, high noise levels, high voltage electricity, rotating and other potentially dangerous equipment. Requires personal protective equipment such as hearing protection, safety shoes, safety glasses, and dust masks. Duties require physical activity to accomplish.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $23.60 to $25.00 an hour, contingent upon qualifications and experience. Non-exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Two years of related experience working in a commercial building performing general maintenance of electrical and mechanical systems

Skills:

• Proficient in moderate repairs and proper use of related tools and equipment
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills for electrical circuits
• Knowledge of mechanical and plumbing systems, carpentry, door hardware, and painting
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and computer-literate
• Ability to read and interpret schematics, construction drawings, and specifications for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems
• Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and take initiative
• Positive attitude and professional customer service skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and industry partners
• Exceptional record-keeping and data retrieval abilities
• Detail-oriented with a strong sense of accuracy, confidentiality, and accountability
• Capable of managing multiple priorities and meeting deadlines while maintaining a courteous demeanor
• Proven problem-solving and analytical skills under stressful or critical conditions
• Ability to work effectively with technical personnel, senior university staff, and the campus community
• Skilled in operating PCs and job-related applications
• Experienced in using basic hand tools and electrical meters

Preferences

• HS Diploma or equivalent
• AAS in some form of technology
• Four years of experience in commercial construction (i.e., General Contractor, Subcontractor, and/or Consultant Level) and/or facilities maintenance experience
• Well-developed technical skills and analytical ability to solve problems and find value opportunities/savings in project
• Knowledge of HVAC
• Experience with Oracle
• Experience with cloud applications (Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.)

Essential Functions

• Works independently to troubleshoot and diagnose assigned requests in order to determine the correct course of action
• Oversees other maintenance personnel while tasks are being performed and coordinates other assignments
• Orders and maintains adequate supplies and equipment and directs inventory and storage for use by BRC maintenance personnel
• Works with outside crafts and trade technicians to gather a better understanding of the issue and how it was repaired
• Repair or make safe equipment until the appropriate craftsman can be called out.
• Meets with appropriate vendors and contractors for overall planning and improvement projects
• Assists other maintenance personnel to complete tasks across campus
• Follows up with the BRC Construction Services Manager to make sure all work requests have been accurately completed and assists the BRC Management team as needed to keep work orders and projects on track and correctly prioritized
• Responds to all call-outs during working hours.
• Required to work after hours to make repairs as needed to maintain the academic and living environment required by the BRC.
• Performs preventative maintenance tasks on electrical and mechanical systems.
• Inspection and repair of 208/220 and 120-volt power and lighting circuits. This includes conduit, cable or wires, circuit breakers, and relays.
• Inspection and repair of plumbing and mechanical systems.
• Inspection and repair of basic carpentry and paint.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Additional Functions

• May be required to supervise contractors
• May act as the backup Recovery Manager after emergencies in the absence of the BRC construction services manager

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.