what is a maintenance supervisor?
As a maintenance supervisor, you oversee the maintenance team's work to ensure they follow the company's procedures and regulations. The job also involves maintaining safety standards. To meet your goals, you're responsible for equipment operations, including the continued functioning of critical tools and machines.
Maintenance supervisors link the maintenance manager and team to the preventative maintenance schedule and planner. Your duties vary depending on the specific nature of the business. As part of your job description, you oversee all maintenance or repair work to ensure timely and safe completion.
You occupy a middle-management position in companies, leading and motivating your assigned team of workers. Successful maintenance supervisors know how to supervise others effectively to get the expected results. You also ensure that all applicable government regulations and agency standards, such as those set by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), are followed to the letter.
Would working as a maintenance supervisor suit your supervisory and leadership skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a maintenance supervisor role.
view jobsaverage maintenance supervisor salary
According to Job Bank, the median salary of a maintenance supervisor in Canada is $77,500 per year. Your earnings fluctuate based on various factors, such as experience and educational qualifications. When working as a junior maintenance supervisor, you start with a salary of $54,000 per year. As you improve your experience, you take on increasingly complex tasks, and your salary increases gradually. Senior maintenance supervisors take home over $99,000 per year.
how to increase your salary as a maintenance supervisor
The main factors determining your salary include the size of the team and the industry you work in. When you are in charge of a small team, you are likely to earn a lower salary than maintenance supervisors with large teams. Working with a large team increases your responsibilities, boosting your earning potential.
The industry you work in determines your earnings since it defines the complexity of your duties. For instance, a facilities maintenance supervisor has less complex duties than someone in the manufacturing or aerospace industries. Working in technical industries increases your earning potential, as it requires extensive experience and qualifications. When you work in a large company, you are likely to earn more due to the vast number of resources.
types of maintenance supervisors
Some types of maintenance supervisors include:
- facilities maintenance supervisors: you direct technicians in minor engineering and maintenance projects in a facility, which includes everything from electrical to mechanical and plumbing tasks. You also assign your team cleaning and small carpentry tasks as required.
- public works maintenance supervisors: you lead a city's crew of road maintenance workers and are responsible for sweeping streets, as well as maintaining street surfaces, storm drains, and parking areas. You're also involved in traffic control maintenance and guiding new construction in the city.
- building maintenance supervisors: your work involves directing a group of maintenance technicians and overseeing the installations, repairs and other actions needed to maintain a commercial building. Be prepared to supervise the crew's day-to-day activities in and around the building under maintenance. You also communicate with building users to discuss essential points, such as upcoming maintenance work.
- residential maintenance supervisors: you supervise and oversee the technicians of residential properties. It is important to carefully plan and schedule the work to avoid causing disturbance to occupants.
- plant maintenance supervisors: you operate in a fully industrialized setting and require technical skills to maintain the assets used at the plant. Your main job is to supervise a team of technicians and ensure the proper maintenance of complex equipment, tools and plant systems.
working as a maintenance supervisor
Working as a maintenance supervisor involves troubleshooting problems and preventive maintenance in building systems. If you are interested in the role, take a look at the daily tasks, work environments, and career opportunities.
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what does a maintenance supervisor do?
The specific tasks of a maintenance supervisor depend on the employer. Some of the duties include:
- planning and organizing technician tasks: as a maintenance supervisor, you direct and organize all activities around equipment operations, so your main responsibility is to plan the activities of maintenance technicians. You prepare schedules for preventative maintenance and assign duties to technicians.
- developing maintenance schedules: as a maintenance supervisor, you ensure all repairs and tasks are completed on time by creating a timeline for preventive maintenance. You also participate in developing maintenance standards and policies for an organization.
- inspecting various elements of a building system: you are in charge of the entire building system, so you conduct regular inspections to identify areas that require repairs or maintenance work. Other duties include checking the lifts, security systems, fire alarms and plumbing systems. Regular inspections help you plan repair schedules.
- coordinating training sessions on facility maintenance: your job is to ensure safety in a building, so you train workers or residents to stay safe in a fire outbreak or other emergencies. You also train maintenance technicians in handling emergencies and maintaining safety standards during repairs.
- supervising maintenance employees: as a maintenance supervisor, you supervise technicians and maintenance workers. You review the teams' performance and ensure they achieve the set goals and targets.
- enforcing company and industry regulations: as a maintenance supervisor, you ensure the work environment is safe for employees. You enforce health and safety standards and train employees on company policies. It is also important to ensure that maintenance teams comply with industry regulations to prepare for maintenance schedules.
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work environment of a maintenance supervisor
As a maintenance supervisor, you work in different indoor and outdoor environments. Expect to work under sinks and with external air conditioning (HVAC) units. Regardless of the setting or industry, it's essential to be observant and diligent, with an eye for detail and technical skills. All your working environments are technical, which requires the need for specialized skills.
Most jobs are limited to a specific location, and you are likely to work at your company's offices most of the time. However, if you work on a contract basis, expect to travel between jobs. For instance, you could supervise maintenance work on a flat in one area today, but tomorrow, you may work in a different location to manage repairs in a factory.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on the company you work for, you are likely to collaborate with maintenance workers, maintenance managers and maintenance technicians. Sometimes, you work alongside plumbers, mechanical engineers and facilities managers. In manufacturing settings, you are likely to work with industrial engineers, production workers and factory workers.
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maintenance supervisor work schedule
As a maintenance supervisor, expect busy work schedules. You typically work a 40-hour week, but if your factory or building is a 24-hour facility, you work different shifts to oversee your technician team. You create a schedule and review it daily to coordinate your team. After reviewing the schedule, you plan tasks to be undertaken by each team member and set the time for completion.
The nature of the work determines your work days. As long as work is ongoing, you should be on-site to ensure a smooth, seamless workflow. The days you work each week vary, depending on the nature of the project. Some maintenance projects take several days to complete or involve working on weekends. Your schedule includes supervising the team's work, communicating with owners or residents, and reporting to the maintenance manager.
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career opportunities as a maintenance supervisor
According to Job Bank, career opportunities for maintenance supervisors are expected to increase between 2022 and 2031. The demand for maintenance supervisors and contractors is expected to increase to 35,600, with only 31,800 job seekers to fill the positions. Maintenance supervisors have opportunities for career advancement in the same area or different fields. With training and development, you can become a maintenance manager, facilities manager or maintenance engineer.
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advantages of finding a job as a maintenance supervisor through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
maintenance supervisor skills and education
Some of the educational requirements of a maintenance supervisor include:
- college or university program: pursue a college or university degree in business administration. You can also start with a maintenance or facility operations course to gain the relevant technical skills. For instance, pursue a university program in mechanical engineering to work in technical industries.
- work experience: join entry-level maintenance roles or internships to gain experience and build your technical knowledge. Obtain a supervisory role when you have previous experience as a maintenance technician. Some provinces may also require trade certification. For instance, in Ontario, you require certification from the Ontario College of Trades to work as a maintenance supervisor.
competencies and characteristics of maintenance supervisors
Employers look for maintenance supervisors with the following skills:
- technical knowledge: as a maintenance supervisor, you need extensive knowledge of various tools and building systems. For instance, it is essential to understand how buildings' electrical and plumbing systems work and their required maintenance.
- listening skills: the key to running an efficient maintenance team is good listening skills. Listening to your maintenance technicians helps you stay on top of maintenance operations. When you communicate well with your team members, they will be forthcoming with suggested solutions.
- organizational skills: as a maintenance supervisor, you organize maintenance schedules and assign duties. It helps to have organizational skills to prioritize your workload, handle tasks and conduct maintenance on time.
FAQs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a maintenance supervisor.
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what are the duties of a maintenance supervisor?
As a maintenance supervisor, you hire, train and supervise maintenance workers and technicians for the company. You respond to maintenance requests and assign duties to technicians.
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what is the salary of a maintenance supervisor in Canada?
Maintenance supervisors take home an average salary of $77,500 per year. However, the earnings fluctuate based on experience and educational qualifications. In an entry-level role, you earn $54,000 per year. With experience, your earnings increase to over $99,000 per year.
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what skills do you need to be a maintenance supervisor?
You require technical skills to supervise maintenance tasks effectively. Your knowledge of machines is useful for carrying out inspections and preparing maintenance schedules.
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are maintenance supervisors and maintenance managers the same?
As a maintenance supervisor, you are only in charge of a team of technicians and maintenance workers. On the other hand, a maintenance manager is in charge of the entire maintenance department, including the equipment, employees, and all allocated resources.
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is maintenance supervisor a good job?
Yes, working as a maintenance supervisor allows you to build your leadership skills and technical experience. The role also has promising career opportunities in senior positions.
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how do I find a job as a maintenance supervisor?
Finding a job near you as a maintenance supervisor is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
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