Utility Crew Leader, McDonald Observatory

Job Posting Title:

Utility Crew Leader, McDonald Observatory

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Hiring Department:

McDonald Observatory

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY

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Job Details:

General Notes

The McDonald Observatory is an astronomical observatory located at McDonald Observatory, 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles away from UT Austin campus). Residence in the Observatory's residential community is available. Position is considered an essential employee for emergency or critical response.

McDonald Observatory is an owner-operator of a small water system and handful of wastewater systems. Both systems have roughly 180 connections. The water systems includes domestic and firewater, and is capable of pumping up to 1000 gallons per minute (through typical flow rates are considerable lower than this). The wastewater system is served by one gas chlorinator facilities. The wastewater system includes a small scale package activated sludge plant disinfected via calcium hypochlorite solution generator typically treating under 0.01 MGD, a small jet plant, and a septic plant.

The University of Texas at Austin provides an outstanding benefits package to staff, including:

• Competitive health benefits (Employee premiums covered at 100%; family premiums at 50%)
• Vision, dental, life, and disability insurance options
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Teachers Retirement System of Texas (a defined benefit retirement plan)
• Additional voluntary retirement programs: tax sheltered annuity 403(b) and a deferred compensation program 457(b)
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses

For more details, please see:

and

Purpose

Supervise and lead a small team responsible for operating the public water and wastewater systems, as well as assisting with infrastructure maintenance and repairs at McDonald Observatory. This includes fleet vehicles, heavy equipment, commercial and residential structures, and telescope dome systems. The position reports to the Assistant Physical Plant Manager and collaborates closely with other crew leaders and the Physical Plant Manager.

Responsibilities

• Utility Operations and Performance. Perform work in public water and wastewater systems, and other trades as needed. Provide training and supervision in proper maintenance procedures, including plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and other craft work. Inspects, maintains, and recommends purchases of equipment and tools.
• Supervision. Provide daily leadership and oversee staff responsible for public water and wastewater systems, as well as other trade areas as needed.
• Administration and Compliance. Prepare, review, and manage shop paperwork, including Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulated documents, letters, reports, timesheets, labor reports, and material and equipment requisitions. Organize and maintain preventive maintenance plans and their status.
• Maintenance and Repair. Receive general specifications from upper management and report progress on assigned projects. Plan, assign, and inspect maintenance, repair, construction, renovation, and/or operations work. Work effectively with crew leaders to address special needs or concerns that require the participation of other team members; collaborate with other departments as needed to achieve common goals related to facility development or repairs.
• Employee Performance and Training. Motivate workers to meet production and quality standards. Assist workers in solving work-related problems at the job site. Conduct employee training, counseling, disciplinary actions, and complete performance evaluations. In consultation with Physical Plant management, interviews and hires new personnel.
• Essential Employee. Act as a member of the McDonald Observatory's Emergency Response Team, responding to fire, medical, hazardous material, or other emergencies that threaten or disrupt normal facility operations. Requires operating a UT vehicle. Perform additional duties as assigned to meet business needs.

Required Qualifications

• Diploma (High School) or GED.
• Texas Class C, Driver's License.
• One of the following related certifications or both: Texas Class D (or higher) Ground Water Operator license, or Texas Class D (or higher) Wastewater Operator license.
• Understanding of the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules and regulations or equivalent such as the Environmental Public Agency (EPA) rules and regulations.
• Three years of experience operating public water and wastewater systems and/or equivalent regulated industrial facility, including related trades and the use of tools and equipment typical for the trade.
• Three years of experience in leadership roles in the facility maintenance trade or a related field, consistently performing the typical work of other employees in the work group.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex mechanical systems and understand process control systems.
• Must have strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrate professionalism in all work and public interactions, support other workers, and manage time efficiently.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to adapt, work independently, and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Excellent computer literacy skills.
• The required competencies include accuracy, attention to detail, decision making, critical thinking, initiative, strong interpersonal skills, listening, problem-solving, and a commitment to service excellence.
• Complies with all safety policies, practices, and procedures; reports unsafe activities or structural issues to supervisors.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• One or more of the following related certifications or both: 1) Texas Class C (or better) Ground Water Operator license, or Texas Class C (or better) Wastewater Operator license.
• Experience with two of the four processes: activated sludge process, SCADA, gas chlorination, and calcium hypochlorite solution disinfection.
• Five years of supervisory experience in the commercial, institutional, construction, or facility maintenance field.
• Five years of experience in managing the public water and wastewater systems, including trades related to this position.
• Up to five years of journeyman experience in construction/facility multi-crafted maintenance trades, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, appliance repair, refrigeration, controls, as related to the job functions listed.

Driving Required

This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license to perform job responsibilities. The applicant selected must provide a current three-year driving record from the current state of residence. If you are not currently a Texas resident, you must obtain a Texas driver's license within 30 days of becoming a resident.

Salary Range

$55,000 + depending on qualifications and experience

Work Shift

• Monday - Friday, generally, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
• Requires rotational weekend work
• Occasional after-hours and holiday work
• Occasional travel required
• Required to respond to emergency or non-emergency situations

Working Conditions

• Position is located at the McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis, Texas. If you do not live in the surrounding areas, you will need to relocate.
• Work in all weather conditions and extreme temperatures. The McDonald Observatory is located at approximately 6900 ft. above sea level. Environmental conditions can be unpredictable, with temperatures ranging from -10˚F to +95˚F. Inclement winter weather can be expected, which requires comfortable driving in wintry conditions on mountain grades.
• Exposure to shop and construction site hazards associated with the trades. May include exposure to extreme temperatures, mechanical and electrical hazards, high-pressure and high-speed equipment, confined spaces, noise, fumes, heights, dust, and other weather conditions.
• Uniforms and/or personal protection equipment (furnished)
• Work around chemical fumes, bio-hazards, and chemicals
• Work around electrical and mechanical hazards
• Work around standard office conditions. Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity
• Climbing of stairs and ladders
• Lifts, pushes, and pulls up to 50 pounds.
• Principal working environment is outdoors.

Required Materials

• Letter of Interest
• Resume/CV
• Three work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you can multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu, and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page, and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an

equal opportunity/affirmative action employer

, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original

documents

to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish)

[PDF]
- Right to Work Poster (English)

[PDF]
- Right to Work Poster (Spanish)

[PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in

HOP-3031

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The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may

access the most recent report here

or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.