Technical Manager – College of Arts and Sciences Technical Services

Regular, Full-Time, Market Range 12, Exempt

The College of Arts and Sciences Technical Services (CASTech) provides electronic and mechanical expertise in the areas of design, construction, installation, and maintenance of scientific instrumentation, along with desktop computer services for use in the teaching and research programs within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), as well as many other departments and programs across the UTK campus and Institute of Agriculture. CASTech also provides facilities development and management, and serves as the interface between the departments in the College and the University's facility services and outside vendors.

The primary purpose of the technical manager is to oversee the day to day operations performed by the CASTech. The manager works closely with the Technical Director, Shop Supervisors, and Technicians to meet CAS teaching and research needs. The manager serves as assistant building representative for multiple buildings on and off campus, including all buildings and space occupied by CAS Faculty and staff.

Job Functions:

Workflow and Repairs

· Oversee all technical work and repairs of the various CASTech shops and make final decisions based on technician feedback and cost efficiency.

· Review work to ensure departmental standards are being met to maintain excellent customer service and client relations.

· Make purchasing decisions based on current and forecasted inventory.

· Coordinate development of new tools and equipment to meet specific needs of faculty, students, and staff.

· Assist in introducing new faculty members and departments to the services and capabilities of CASTech.

· Maintain a safe working environment with an emphasis on risk management and compliance with external agencies such as the EPA or OSHA.

Staff Supervision and Training

• Manage day-to-day activities of CASTech shops and technicians, deciding on work schedules, monitoring overtime, approving time-off, etc.

• Assign work distribution and determine best, most effective workflow processes to implement daily and maintain efficient and timely services for clients.

• Monitor staff performance, providing expert guidance and training and dealing with performance concerns as needed.

• Develop and implement standardized training process and lead routine staff meetings to ensure compliance of department policies and procedures.

Maintenance and upkeep of departmental Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS):

· Build and analyze reports to use for budgeting purposes.

· Grant access too and monitor personnel usage based on university and college policies.

· Train employees to use work orders, time recording, preventative maintenance

· Analyze monthly billing and expenses.

· Report on recovery of funds, equipment purchases, and departmental investments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

· Knowledge of technical operations and applicable standards within academic research and lab environments.

· Knowledge of safe work practices while using tools and equipment found in standard technical repair and fabrication shops.

· Effective verbal and written communication skills.

· Ability to analyze complex situations, define and prioritize work objectives, develop successful teams, delegate routine tasks, and implement successful solutions.

· Demonstrated skills in planning, organizing, and guiding the daily operations of a technical service facility.

Facility and Equipment Management:

Assist with Building Representative duties for multiple buildings on and off campus. This includes:

• Coordinate utility outages with Facility Services and serve as an additional point of contact for faculty and departments regarding communication and planning for these outages.

• Serve as the college’s point of contact for various interdepartmental communications and services e.g. Facilities, UT Police, Key Shop.

• Provide technical assistance during office and lab build outs and renovations to meet faculty needs.

• Assist faculty, or appoint staff to assist faculty, in order to provide advice and specifications for new equipment and computational resources.

Financial Oversight:

• Provide final decision regarding invoicing issues, resolving any disputes or discrepancies to ensure accuracy and customer satisfaction.

• Build reports and analyze graphs in a CMMS system to assess revenue and cost trends and maintain budget.

• Review, identify, and correct account numbers and billing details on work orders.

• Analyze monthly billing and expenses to ensure the facility’s financial wellbeing.

• Report on recovery of funds, equipment purchases, and departmental investments.

• Submit budget proposal and adhere to approved annual budget.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of technical operations and applicable standards within academic research and lab environments.

• Knowledge of safe work practices while using tools and equipment found standard in technical repair and fabrication shops.

• Effective verbal and written communication.

• Ability to analyze complex situations, define and prioritize work objectives, develop successful teams, delegate routine tasks and implement successful solutions.

• Demonstrated skills in planning, organizing and guiding the daily operations of a technical service facility.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to manage an SQL database and build reports.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

· An Associate's degree in a relevant field plus six years of experience working in research equipment repair, and maintenance.

· OR

· Bachelor's degree plus four years of relevant work experience.

· Minimum of one year experience in a managerial position with either Associate's or Bachelor's degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

· A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

· Five years of progressively responsible experience in research equipment repair and maintenance with two plus years in a managerial role.

· Experience working in a natural science related field is preferred.

For full consideration, applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and complete contact information for three professional references as attachments in the online application portal.