Power Plant Maintenance Leader (South Energy Center)

GRU•Gainesville, FL

About The Position

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) is seeking a safety-focused Maintenance Leader for the South Energy Center, a critical energy facility supporting local hospital operations. This hands-on leadership role manages maintenance activities for electricity-generating stations, Central Utility Plants (CUP), Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facilities, water treatment systems, and associated electrical, mechanical, auxiliary, and facility equipment. The position is accountable for maintenance of generating and related equipment and provides leadership in determining scope, planning, scheduling, and executing maintenance at generation and water process facilities. The role may be assigned to one or more sites or across Energy Supply for major maintenance and outage planning. The position directly supervises planners and maintenance supervisors and may directly or indirectly supervise bargaining-unit employees, contractors, consultants, technical advisors, and others. Work is performed under general supervision and is distinguished by advanced leadership responsibility for generation assets. The Maintenance Leader develops maintenance strategies, coordinates people and resources, improves preventive maintenance and reliability programs, and oversees equipment repairs, overhauls, and outages. The position reports to a site Production Manager or the Manager of Outage Planning and Major Maintenance. The role is responsible for safe, efficient, and effective maintenance execution, improving equipment reliability and minimizing downtime. It provides leadership for safety, environmental compliance, cost, schedule, quality, and regulatory objectives, and coordinates with engineering, operations, purchasing, warehouse, finance, contractors, vendors, and other departments. The position may also support capital projects, investigations, equipment improvements, forced outages, and emergency response.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, engineering technology, business, management, maintenance, or a related technical field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered if it meets department and utility needs.
Seven years of progressively responsible experience in maintenance of electric generating plants, Central Utility Plants, Combined Heat and Power facilities, or other complex utility or industrial facilities.
At least three years of supervisory, managerial, or maintenance leadership experience.
Valid Florida Class E Driver's License.
Comprehensive knowledge of power plant systems, equipment, maintenance methods, and reliability practices, including RCM, PM, PdM, condition monitoring, and asset management.
Strong understanding of work management practices, including maintenance planning, scheduling, prioritization, work identification, execution, documentation, and outage planning.
Knowledge of safety, environmental, regulatory, and occupational requirements related to electric generating and central utility facilities.
Ability to assess equipment condition, evaluate operational risk, troubleshoot failures, and make sound technical decisions, including during abnormal or emergency conditions.
Skill in leading and supervising maintenance personnel and multidisciplinary teams, including contractors, engineers, vendors, and technical specialists.
Ability to manage large maintenance projects and outages while balancing safety, cost, schedule, quality, reliability, and regulatory demands.
Proficiency with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and maintenance data analysis to monitor performance, identify trends, and drive reliability improvements.
Strong budgeting and resource-management skills, including preparation and oversight of operating, maintenance, outage, and capital budgets.
Effective communication and coordination skills, including the ability to prepare technical procedures, reports, records, and documentation.
Ability to support organizational goals through leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement across engineering, operations, contractors, vendors, and regulatory agencies.
Ability to work and attend meetings outside regular business hours when required, work during emergency conditions, and perform tasks outdoors under varying climatic conditions.

Nice To Haves

Experience in power generation maintenance.
Experience in maintenance management and reliability programs.
Experience in outage management and maintenance planning and scheduling.
Experience with CMMS/work management.
Experience with major equipment maintenance and capital projects.
Experience managing contractors.
Experience in 24-hour utility operations.

Responsibilities

Direct and manage maintenance activities for generating plants, CUP/CHP facilities, water treatment systems, and associated electrical, mechanical, auxiliary, and facility equipment.
Plan, prioritize, schedule, coordinate, and oversee maintenance work from identification through execution, documentation, and closeout, including CMMS and work-order administration.
Develop, implement, and manage reliability-based maintenance programs, including preventive maintenance (PM), predictive maintenance (PdM), reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and condition monitoring.
Manage daily plant maintenance or major outage activities, including scope development, job planning, staffing, estimating, execution, risk management, and closeout.
Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop maintenance employees, supervisors, planners, and contractors; establish expectations and ensure performance.
Provide leadership for safety, environmental compliance, cost, schedule, quality, and regulatory objectives, including hazard analysis and pre-job planning.
Develop and manage operating and maintenance (O&M) and capital budgets; monitor cost, schedule, scope changes, and associated risks.
Coordinate with engineering, operations, purchasing, warehouse, finance, contractors, vendors, and other departments to support maintenance execution and reliability.
Perform or support additional repairs, capital projects, investigations, equipment improvements, and response to forced outages or emergency conditions as needed.
Administer applicable labor agreement terms and conditions for bargaining-unit personnel in the assigned area and recommend modifications for future negotiations.
Act in the supervisor's absence when assigned.
Support enforcement of the Drug-Free Workplace Program based on organizational assignment and physical location.
Respond to emergency conditions at GRU Energy Supply facilities when assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned.