Join the team at PAFA as a Senior Maintenance Mechanic and play a vital role in keeping our historic campus running smoothly by maintaining and repairing HVAC, electrical, and building control systems. If you take pride in hands-on problem solving and reliable facilities operations, you'll help support our creative community while managing preventive maintenance, sourcing parts, and installing or repairing essential building equipment.
POSITION: Senior Maintenance Mechanic
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is looking to hire a qualified and experienced Senior Maintenance Technician. The Senior Maintenance Technician is responsible for performing and managing various skilled and semi-skilled tasks in the repair and maintenance of building fixtures, furnishings, mechanical/electrical/control systems, and equipment.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Performs or directs all preventative maintenance and necessary repairs
- Ability to be "on call" for emergencies at all times.
- Executes all maintenance work orders to ensure that work orders are carried out promptly, efficiently and courteously.
- Maintains the shop and storage areas in a clean, orderly and secure manner.
- Maintain preventive maintenance schedules and records.
- Obtain parts and material for operation of building.
- Keep spare equipment inventory current.
- Install, maintain and operate building HVAC equipment, such as chillers, cooling towers, high pressure vessels, pumps, air handlers, and water heaters.
- Maintain and operate building electrical systems and components.
- Maintain and operate building control and monitoring systems.
- Installation, repair and relocation of building fixtures, furnishings, and equipment essential to the operations and success of the institution.
- Backup for the Facilities Manager
- Occasionally work PAFA Events.
- Assist with event setup/breakdown as needed.
- Ad hoc duties as required.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
- Support and maintain museum-grade climate control systems, ensuring strict temperature and humidity ranges required for the preservation of fine art collections.
- Monitor and adjust HVAC and building automation systems to meet conservation standards for galleries, storage areas, and exhibition spaces.
- Assist in maintaining stable environmental conditions aligned with best practices used by institutions such as the PAFA, PMA, and Barnes, including protection of sensitive materials like paintings, paper, and mixed media works.
- Troubleshoot and respond to fluctuations in climate systems to prevent potential damage to artwork and archival materials.
- Collaborate with facilities and curatorial teams to support exhibition requirements, including specialized environmental settings for temporary installations and events.
QUALIFICATIONS
- High School diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum 5 years' experience in building or mechanical trades.
- HVAC universal certification required
- General knowledge of construction and building trades: electrical, boilers and chillers, plumbing, carpentry.
- Experience and proficiency in the use of all maintenance equipment and tools.
- Must demonstrate the ability to comprehend and apply technical documents such as reading blueprints, following manufacturer's installation manuals and instruction manuals.
- Ability to perform a variety of work from an elevated platform such as a ladder, scaffold or hydraulic lift.
- Position requires the ability to lift objects weighing up to sixty (60) pounds.
- Ability to provide on the job instruction and direction to subordinate staff.
Eligible for all PAFA benefits