Mechanical Plans Examiner III – City of Guelph

ABOUT THE CITY OF GUELPH

When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of 2,000 full and part-time employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment.

As a regional top employer, the City of Guelph values its employees and offers competitive salaries, excellent benefit packages, opportunities for professional development, a healthy work-life balance, and many roles with flexible work options. Our corporate values are integrity, service, inclusion, wellness, and learning.

Guelph is consistently ranked as one of the best places in Canada to live, work, and play—all good reasons to consider a career in this beautiful city.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Applications are being accepted for the position of Mechanical Plans Examiner III within Building Services. The successful candidate will report to the Program Manager, Permit Services.

Guided by the goals and objectives of the City of Guelph Corporate Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review permit application drawings and documents for compliance with the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and associated referenced standards regarding heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for all buildings.
• Review permit application drawings and documents for compliance with the OBC and associated referenced standards for plumbing, backflow prevention and on-site sewage systems.
• Review site servicing drawings for compliance with the OBC as part of the Site Plan Approval (SPA) process.
• Review permit application drawings and documents, in a backup capacity, for compliance with the energy efficiency requirements of the OBC.
• Review permit application drawings and documents, in a backup capacity, for compliance with the City’s Radon Gas Mitigation Program.
• Create new and update existing policies, procedures and key decisions related to HVAC, plumbing, on-site sewage systems and site servicing.
• Provide technical guidance and training to the Building Services team as it relates to HVAC, plumbing, on-site sewage and site servicing through job shadowing and mentoring programs.
• Involvement in relevant and progressive associations such as the Green Building Council of Canada, local ASHRAE chapter, Mechanical Services Advisory Committee, Building Code Committees, etc.
• Optimize opportunities for consistency and shared knowledge within the Building Services team by participating in regional and provincial organizations such as the OBOA, ASHRAE, OPIA, OWWA, etc.
• Develop and support relationships with industry partners such as architects, professional engineers, contractors, builders, etc.
• Prepare and issue reports and letters concerning plans examination, as necessary.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with the public, professionals and City staff.
• Assist customers by phone, email, virtually and in person.
• Undertake special projects as deemed necessary by the Building Services management staff.
• Provide support for the Inspection Services team by performing occasional on-site inspections.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience related to the duties listed above, normally acquired through the completion of post-secondary education with a focus on mechanical systems (or closely related field) such as Mechanical Engineering Technology or a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a minimum of 5 years of experience in a relevant role.
• Must have good working knowledge of the Building Code Act and the Building Code.
• Plans examination and/or building inspection experience would be considered an asset.
• Experience with residential HVAC design, including CSA F280 and CSA F326-M91.
• Working knowledge of OBC, Division B, Section 9.32, Section 9.33, and Part 6 for HVAC.
• Working knowledge of OBC, Division B, Part 7 for plumbing and Part 8 for on-site sewage systems.
• Working knowledge of OBC, Part 3 and Supplementary Standard SB-4 as related to fire protection and building services.
• Must be qualified with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in the following categories:
  • Powers and Duties of a Chief Building Official (or willing to obtain), and either
  • The following HVAC categories
    • HVAC-House
    • Detection Lighting and Power
    • Building Services, or
  • The following plumbing categories
    • Plumbing-House
    • Plumbing-All Buildings
• Qualifications in House, Small Buildings, Large Buildings, Complex Buildings, On-Site Sewage Systems and any of the missing HVAC and plumbing qualifications above are also required. Candidates who do not currently possess these qualifications would be required to obtain them within a specified timeframe.
• Knowledge of good engineering practice documents, such as ASHRAE Handbooks, Standards and Guidelines, HRAI Digest, Hydronics Institute Manuals, ISO 13790 – Energy performance of buildings – Calculation of Energy Use for space heating and cooling, and similar engineering reference documents.
• Ability to resolve complex problems related to plans examination.
• Knowledge of the energy efficiency requirements of the OBC would be an asset.
• Experience with Building Energy Modelling Software would be an asset.
• Knowledge of the Ontario Fire Code and municipal bylaws would be an asset.
• Knowledge of the Provincial Offences Act and the Occupational Health & Safety Act would be an asset.
• Accredited (or in the process) with the Ontario Building Officials Association as a Certified Building Code Official would be considered an asset.
• Intermediate computer skills with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word and Excel) and building permit-related software (preferably AMANDA).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate with all levels of staff, stakeholders and the general public courteously and professionally.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work in a team environment.
• Excellent customer service skills with the ability to handle conflict.
• A satisfactory Police Record Check would be required at the time of offer.
• Must possess a valid “G” driver’s licence with a good driving record. Successful candidates will be required to provide a current driver’s abstract before their start date to confirm their licence is held in good standing and that it has not been suspended or revoked under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) or Criminal Code of Canada in the last five (5) years. The City of Guelph will take into consideration the number of demerit points and/or nature of the infractions to determine if they meet our requirements.

RATE

$43.02 – $52.83 per hour ($78,296.40 – $96,150.60 annually – increasing to $79,861.60 – $98,017.80 on Feb. 1, 2024)

DIVERSITY AND ACCOMMODATION

The City of Guelph is an equal-opportunity employer that values diversity in the workplace. We are happy to accommodate any individual needs in keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If you require an accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact us to make your needs known in advance.

HOW TO APPLY

To express interest in this exciting opportunity, email your cover letter and resume to:
Patrick Rowan, Partner
Email: prowan@feldmandaxon.com

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine employment eligibility.