Building Operator 4 (Halifax)

Competition # : 50052  

Department: Public Works

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG  

Closing Date: ​13-Oct-26 ​ (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

Building and maintaining our provincial infrastructure is no small job.

The Building Services Division of the Department of Public Works is responsible for the operation and maintenance of 2,200 provincial buildings and structures across Nova Scotia. We maintain various buildings including museums, political core buildings, office buildings, fishery centres, correctional centres, and justice centres. Daily, we are responsible for ensuring these buildings are best served; including all matters related to building operations, building systems maintenance, renovations, and new construction.

About Our Opportunity

As the Building Operator 4, you are pivotal in supporting the overall safety and efficiency of our provincial building infrastructure. You will be responsible for supervising Building Operators in the performance of operation, repair, maintenance and installation duties; ensuring work requirements are achieved in safe and timely manners, within budgets. You will prepare work schedules, evaluate work performance, and provide technical guidance to your supervised staff.

You are critical in ensuring that the daily operation and maintenance of building infrastructure in various government buildings are safe, efficient, and that there are no interruptions to services provided by our government as a result of building equipment issues or failures.

As the ideal candidate you build relationships and demonstrate leadership qualities which promote teamwork; communicating vision and fostering a safe work culture that encourages new ideas and innovative solutions. You have proven and professional communication skills, both oral and written, for collaborating with your staff and clients. You have well developed planning and organizational skills, coupled with the ability to multi-task and adapt in this fast-paced environment with competing priorities. Consistently, you maintain a courteous disposition and hold a high standard for client and customer service.

This position provides the opportunity to collaborate with various government Departments and staff, vendors, contractors and consultants to ensure all construction projects, equipment installations and system upgrades minimize building disruptions.

 

Primary Accountabilities

Using your various skills and expertise, you will complete minor carpentry, mechanical, and electrical repairs and develop solutions to inefficiencies. You will also assist with enhancing and administering a scheduled preventative maintenance program, all the while prioritizing work efficiently to minimize disruption to building tenants. Daily, you ensure all equipment performs and operates properly and provides a safe, secure, effective and efficient work environment.

You’ll have the opportunity to work on:

• Special projects as assigned;
• Plumbing infrastructure;
• Mechanical equipment (such as boilers, chillers, pneumatic and electronic controls, diesel/electric generators, cooling towers, sprinkler pumps and air compressors);
• Electrical systems (such as electronic monitoring systems, security systems and computerized fire alarm systems); and
• Automated control systems.

Qualifications and Experience

High school completion plus a Power Engineer 3rd Class certificate and five (5) years of related experience in the operation and maintenance of commercial or institutional buildings is required. An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered.

Previous experience supervising a team, along with demonstrated leadership qualities, is required. You must demonstrate the ability to effectively organize and plan, schedule, prioritize and assign work to ensure effective use of resources and to minimize building disruptions.

You demonstrate a sound knowledge of all aspects of building construction and operation, including:

• Architectural, plumbing, electrical, fire suppression and HVAC systems;
• Reading and interpreting various specifications and drawings;
• Working knowledge of the National Building Code and the National Fire Code;
• Familiarity with the Occupational Safety General Regulations and the Occupational Health and Safety Act; and
• Familiarity in a computerized environment including spreadsheets, word processing and email applications.

Experience with the following are considered assets:

• Collective agreements and unionized work environments;
• Computerized building maintenance management systems; and
• Government procurement policy and tendering procedures.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

 

Equivalency

An equivalent combination of training, education and experience will be considered. Related equivalencies may include, but are not limited to:

• Power Engineer 3rd Class certificate and six (6) years of related experience

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.  For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

This is a labour-intensive opportunity requiring physical strength and dexterity. At times, you are subject to various environmental and temperature extremes. Overtime is often necessary when installations and maintenance requires disruption or shutting down of power supply and other services that would disrupt building activities.

The successful incumbent must be available to respond to emergency calls, at any time, when building systems fail or building security is compromised.

Additional Information

As travel is a component of this position, you must have a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable motor vehicle.

 

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
• Engaging workplace. Our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in. We have forward-thinking policies and strategies.
• Countless career paths.

Pay Grade:MOS 18  

Salary Range:  $2,499.71 - $2,579.44 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians, Persons of African Descent, Racialized Persons, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ Persons and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us at Show email.

This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:

Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued. 

External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information. 

If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Show email.