Senior Mechanical Engineer, Technical Review Team

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Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

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Posting End Date

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

*Please note this is for a 14 month term. Thank you

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Description Summary

The Senior Mechanical Engineer (SME) is a senior engineering role within UBC Facilities, Technical Review Team. The SME oversees the conceptualization, design and implementation of mechanical systems (HVAC, Plumbing, Fire Protection) for all projects at UBC as implemented by UBC Properties Trust, UBC Project Service and the Construction Office. The SME is the mechanical system owner’s rep for these projects and is responsible for providing review and consultation on all major mechanical design and construction decisions. The SME leads the working group which is tasked with maintaining the mechanical sections of the UBC Technical Guidelines; the SME solicits inputs from other parties and is the key player who identifies, develops and implements changes to the mechanical technical guidelines.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer is UBC’s in-house technical expert as it pertains to design and construction of building mechanical systems and is required to be familiar with modern design practices and pertinent codes and standards. This includes standards related to regulated equipment such as cross connection standards and boiler, refrigeration and pressure vessel standards. This position must maintain a high degree of knowledge of existing, new and emergent technologies relating to building mechanical and control systems to ensure the department is technically supported to provide the high degree of mechanical reliability that the university expects. The incumbent is expected to stay abreast of updates and changes to all applicable Acts, Regulations, and Codes and to maintain regulatory compliance and to support UBC in interpreting these items as needed including reviewing their applicability and interpretation with relevant regulatory bodies as needed.

The unique and cutting-edge environment at UBC means that the Senior Mechanical Engineer’s expertise extends beyond traditional HVAC systems of the commercial sector. The SME also provides expertise to researchers and other UBC stakeholders as it relates to meeting their needs for items such as precise environmental control, process cooling, clean rooms, fumehood exhaust systems or ultra pure water systems. The SME also actively contributes mechanical expertise to the Campus as a Living Lab strategy and UBC’s Climate Action Plan for campus decarbonization.

Organizational Status

Reports to the Director, Asset Replacement & Improvements, Facilities.

Work Performed

This role provides strategic direction to UBC’s project delivery groups (Project Services, UBC Properties Trust, Construction Office) with professional engineering services aimed at reducing risk, increasing compliance with applicable codes and regulations (including the UBC Technical Guidelines), increasing reliability and minimizing maintenance costs/effort. This is achieved by:

• Acting as the translator between technical design teams and non-technical project managers. Works to demystify and simplify mechanical design.

• Identify preferred mechanical systems provide direction on approach during pre-design phases of projects

• Completing design reviews on work done by outside consultants to identify design deficiencies. Prepares design review reports with comment for return to the consultants. Further liaises with consultants to review the intent of the comments and todevelop and implement solutions that provide the best value to UBC. These design reviews cover all aspects of mechanical design and may include equipment access, equipment selections, equipment sizing, hydronic design, maintenance access, and the like.

• Enable outside consultants to have success in their site reviews and existing building investigations by highlighting parts of the existing systems which may be pertinent to their design and participating in walkthroughs as needed to ensure a high standard of quality. Reviews projects with UBC Trades, technical experts and clients to solicit feedback that would not otherwise be available to the outside consultant and relays this information to the consultants/Project Manager.

• Reviewing value engineering proposals from a perspective of total overall value to UBC and identify new value engineering opportunities as available

• Represent UBC Facilties at working group design meetings

• Attending commissioning meetings in the role of UBC’s Mechanical System Owner’s Rep. Stay apprised of issues as they arise and review solutions. Highlight concerns throughout the commissioning process that may affect UBC Facilities’ ability to successfully operate the building..

• Coordinating handover demonstrations including educating the projects on what UBC’s requirements and expectations are. Once scheduled by the projects, ensures that all applicable parties within UBC facilities are invited and that work orders are submitted in UBC’s enterprise maintenance management system (Planon)

• Provide expertise for trouble shooting mechanical issues that may occur throughout the commissioning process

The role ensures that new projects are transitioned to UBC Operations, including:

• Coordination of demonstrations for relevant operational trades

• Development of demarcation documents which highlight different components of the mechanical system and who is responsible for their maintenance.

• Ensuring that all new assets are uploaded into UBC’s enterprise maintenance management system (Planon)

• Support to Building Operations in the period following handover to understand technical aspects of projects and support them by ensuring that any deficiencies are relayed to the Project Manager. Works collaboratively towards resolution of any issues or deficiencies.

Chairs the Technical Guideline Mechanical Working Group meetings and is responsible for ensuring that the mechanical technical guidelines are updated and relevant. Schedules semi-monthly mechanical meetings with mechanical stakeholders across the facilities portfolio at UBCV and UBCO. Identifies and develops proposed changes to the Technical Guidelines and solicits proposed changes from the working group. Maintains a shared list of proposed changes, and leads discussion with all stakeholders to achieve consensus on proposed revisions. Presents the proposed changes to the Technical Guidelines Steering Committee, and provides direction to administrative support to ensure inclusion of endorsed changes in the latest version of the Technical Guidelines.

May be asked to support technical managers in other departments within Facilities to help them troubleshoot and diagnose mechanical system issues, help develop scope for deferred maintenance projects, and provide mechanical engineering advice for special projects.

Performs other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Deals with extensive data and provides professional mechanical engineering services to every department within Facilities.

Close attention is required to prevent failures and to identify and correct problems that could result in both a serious financial and/or service loss to the University.

The Senior Mechanical Engineer is expected to keep current with respect to building systems and related equipment design, scheduling concepts, project management techniques, engineering principles and government regulations and codes pertaining to facilities and infrastructure engineering and operations management. Errors of judgement could cause serious physical risks to people on campus and/or result in substantial financial risk to the university.

Supervision Received

Works within general policy guidelines to achieve overall objectives. Work is reviewed in terms of overall results on projects and objectives.

References other managers in problem situations that cannot be resolved within established procedures

Supervision Given

May supervise professional staff including architects, engineers (including EITs), Co-op students, and administrators.

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Eligibility for membership in a professional Institute or Association. Member in good standing as a Professional Mechanical Engineer with APEGBC. A minimum of 8 years of experience including experience with major construction or renovation projects or the equivalent combination of education and experience

Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Progressive professional engineering experience and responsibility, preferably in an educational institutional environment, with experience in analyzing quantitative data.

Superior organizational skills with ability to analyze, develop and interpret data. Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills to effectively relate information to a diverse group of staff, workers and colleagues.

Ability to utilize personal and remote computers, including knowledge of enterprise maintenance management systems as a management tool. Literacy with AutoCAD systems for engineering and data base management tools, as well as computer simulation techniques is an asset. Experience working within a unionized environment is preferred.