Lead Maintenance Technician

Lead Maintenance Technician

The Lead Maintenance Technician is an integral member of the Coalition Homes Facilities and Maintenance Team, responsible for providing hands-on maintenance services across the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless (MCCH) and Coalition Homes (CH) property portfolio. This position is based at the Nebel Street Emergency Shelter in Rockville, Maryland, a 24-hour emergency shelter serving up to 220 men daily.

The Lead Maintenance Technician performs preventive, routine, corrective, and emergency maintenance to ensure the safety, functionality, and appearance of the facility and surrounding grounds. Responsibilities include responding to maintenance work orders, conducting routine inspections, troubleshooting building systems, completing repairs, coordinating maintenance activities, and maintaining equipment and building assets.

The Lead Maintenance Technician works collaboratively with shelter leadership, the Coalition Homes maintenance team, the Montgomery County Department of General Services (DGS), and external vendors to identify maintenance needs, coordinate repairs requiring County support or licensed contractors, and ensure timely resolution of facility issues. The position also helps maintain compliance with applicable safety standards, organizational policies, and County requirements while promoting a safe, clean, and respectful environment for clients, staff, volunteers, and visitors.

As the lead maintenance staff member assigned to the shelter, this position is expected to exercise sound judgment, prioritize work effectively, respond appropriately to urgent maintenance issues, and serve as a resource to shelter staff regarding facility operations and maintenance needs.

Essential duties and responsibilities include prioritizing, assigning, tracking, and following up on maintenance work orders based on safety, urgency, operational impact, and available resources. The technician personally completes routine, preventive, corrective, and emergency maintenance work; maintains records of work orders, inspections, repairs, recurring concerns, preventive maintenance, vendor visits, and equipment service history; develops, implements, and monitors a preventive maintenance schedule for building systems, shelter spaces, equipment, and grounds; coordinates timely repair requests with the Montgomery County Department of General Services (DGS), takes immediate action to secure unsafe conditions, and tracks all maintenance issues to ensure timely resolution and compliance with organizational and County standards; maintains an organized inventory of tools, equipment, replacement parts, keys, and supplies; meets regularly with shelter leadership and Montgomery County to report open work orders, completed repairs, safety concerns, vendor activity, supply needs, and planned projects; identifies maintenance projects requiring licensed contractors or specialized expertise; serves as the primary maintenance point of contact for the shelter and is on call for evening, weekend, and holiday emergencies on a rotation schedule with other Coalition Homes maintenance staff; supports facility readiness for changes in shelter capacity, seasonal weather operations, special projects, inspections, and emergency response; and ensures maintenance work is completed with minimal disruption and with respect for client privacy, dignity, and the shelter's trauma-informed environment.

Maintenance responsibilities include maintaining working knowledge of electrical shutoffs, water and gas shutoffs, clean-out traps, fire extinguishers, hydrants, emergency systems, and other critical building controls; troubleshooting and completing approved repairs involving plumbing, electrical fixtures, lighting, doors, locks, walls, flooring, appliances, furniture, and basic heating and cooling concerns; ensuring sleeping areas, bathrooms, showers, laundry rooms, kitchen, offices, common areas, storage spaces, and exterior areas remain safe and operational; inspecting and maintaining exterior lighting, walkways, parking areas, and grounds; completing painting, patching, minor carpentry, assembly, preventive upkeep, and repairs to normal structural wear and damage; responding to emergency maintenance conditions, taking immediate steps to protect people and property, and notifying the appropriate leadership, Montgomery County contact, or emergency service; documenting completed work, materials used, outstanding needs, and unusual conditions; and following all applicable federal, state, County, OSHA, fire safety, licensing, permit, and organizational requirements.

Cleaning team oversight includes providing oversight of the contracted cleaning team, to ensure work meets standards based on shelter operations and immediate needs; developing and monitoring cleaning schedules for sleeping areas, bathrooms, showers, laundry rooms, kitchen, offices, hallways, common areas, entrances, exterior spaces, and other assigned areas; conducting routine inspections to ensure cleanliness, sanitation, and quality standards are consistently maintained; addressing missed assignments, recurring quality concerns, supply shortages, and urgent cleaning needs promptly with the contractor; communicating significant performance or coverage concerns to shelter leadership; ensuring appropriate inventory levels for cleaning supplies, chemicals, paper products, and equipment; ensuring supplies are stored, labeled, secured, and used safely; ensuring cleaning staff demonstrate appropriate use of equipment, chemical handling, personal protective equipment, safety procedures, and expectations for professional and respectful interactions with clients; and coordinating deep cleaning, pest control preparation, biohazard response, emergency cleanup, and other specialized cleaning services with shelter leadership and approved vendors.

Minimum qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent, vocational training, trade school, or technical certification in building maintenance, facilities management, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, or a related field; minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in building maintenance, facilities operations, property management, or a related field, including experience coordinating work or providing team leadership; demonstrated knowledge of preventive maintenance, general building repairs, building systems, and safe work practices; experience performing or coordinating basic plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, drywall, and mechanical repairs; experience overseeing custodial or cleaning services, including conducting quality inspections and ensuring compliance with cleanliness and sanitation standards; ability to assess maintenance priorities, respond effectively to emergencies, and manage multiple work assignments simultaneously; ability to maintain accurate maintenance records, inventory, preventive maintenance schedules, and work orders using basic computer applications and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) or similar work-order software; ability to identify maintenance work requiring specialized expertise or licensed contractors and coordinate repairs with the Montgomery County Department of General Services (DGS) and external vendors; strong interpersonal, customer service, and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with clients, staff, County representatives, contractors, and community partners; ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain professionalism in a fast-paced, 24-hour emergency shelter environment; ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, climb stairs and ladders, reach overhead, and work in confined or elevated spaces; ability to lift and carry up to 65 pounds independently and heavier items with assistance or appropriate equipment; ability to work indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions; availability to work occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, and respond to maintenance emergencies as needed; and valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record, if required for travel between facilities.

Preferred certifications include OSHA 10-Hour or OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Certification, EPA Section 608 Refrigerant Handling Certification (if applicable), Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT), Building Operator Certification (BOC), Certified Facility Manager (CFM) or Facilities Management Professional (FMP) (preferred but not required), CPR/AED and First Aid Certification, or the ability to obtain certification within six months of hire.

Other requirements include commitment to MCCH's mission and values, including treating all individuals with dignity, respect, and compassion; and ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in working with vulnerable populations.