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Job Category:
Academic Staff
Employment Type:
Regular
Job Profile:
Heat/Cool Plant Superintendent
Job Summary:
About the Position:
The Water Treatment Superintendent is part of the UW-Madison Division of Facilities Planning and Management’s Physical Plant, in the operational area of the Heating and Cooling Power Plant. This position protects high-value infrastructure, ensures regulatory compliance, and mitigates operational risk through managing the UW Heating Plant’s Water Treatment program for the 24/7/365 production of critical utilities for the UW campus community. This position ensures optimized water quality maintains plant efficiency, including reduced energy and maintenance costs.
The Water Treatment Superintendent works with vendors, faculty, staff, and the Wisconsin DNR. They will maintain DNR permits and reporting to ensure compliance for the UW Heating Plants. They will serve as the Subject Matter Expert within the UW Heating Plants and provide guidance and training for safe handling of chemicals, sampling, and testing procedures. The Water Treatment Superintendent oversees the Water Treatment Department, within the Heating and Cooling Power Plant; this includes any water treatment operators as well as providing training and oversight to shift operators to ensure water quality is maintained.
The expected schedule for this position is 6:00AM to 2:30PM from Monday to Friday with occasional nights and weekends.
Ongoing/Renewable
Full-Time: 100% FTE
Key Job Responsibilities:
- Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
- Leads, mentors, and coaches plant staff to ensure safe, reliable, and uninterrupted utility production of critical services
- Makes technical decisions, coordinates with other plants' production activities, performs hands-on mechanical maintenance, repairs, and adjustments, and inspects the work of staff and ensures optimum performance of critical equipment
- Plans, coordinates, and reviews plans for major plant repairs
- Monitors contractors and project status
- Supervises and directs plant operation
- Develops and maintains plant operational standards and procedures
- Trains operating personnel in use of the procedures
- Monitors control systems and operations, watches for changes, and makes adjustments and repairs as necessary
- Be available or assign others for consultation of plant operations, as needed, for a plant in operation 24/7 year-round
- Assesses problems and takes corrective actions as appropriate to maintain critical plant operations
Department:
Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M), Physical Plant Department; Heating and Cooling Power Plant
About the Physical Plant Department and the Heating & Cooling Plant:
The Charter Street Heating & Cooling Plant and the Walnut Street Heating & Cooling Plant supply steam, chilled water, compressed air, and electricity to the UW campus, as well as to UW Hospital & Clinics, the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratories, and the Division of Veterans Affairs VA Hospital, and some other non-campus customers.
Our plant operators also coordinate with the West Campus Cogeneration facility (which produces electricity for Madison Gas and Electric customers) on steam and chilled water needs for heating and air-conditioning on campus.
About the Division of Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M):
The Division of Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M) is a full-spectrum service organization that builds, maintains, and operates the physical environment of UW-Madison in the university's education, research, and outreach activities. We are responsible for everything from the building projects that change the face of campus to the flowers that beautify the grounds.
Find out more about our Division: https://inside.fpm.wisc.edu/about-fpm/
Compensation:
$90,000 annual minimum
The minimum rate for this position is $90,000, but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.
For a summary of benefits, please see below for more information: Academic Staff 2025 Benefits Summary
Required Qualifications:
- Three (3) years’ experience in Water Treatment or related industry or an Associate’s degree in chemistry, Engineering, or a related field
- Ability to mentor and coach team members to enhance skills and performance
- Experience in supervising staff, managing performance, and fostering professional growth
Preferred Qualifications:
- 5 years’ experience in Water Treatment or in related industry
- WI DNR Waterworks Operator license
- ISO 9001 experience
- Certified Calibration Technician (CCT)
- Environmental Permit Reporting experience
- Experience with American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineer (ASHRAE) standards
- Digital Controls experience
- Experience with Data Analytics
Education:
Associate’s Degree (Required) Chemistry, Engineering or related
Bachelor’s Degree (Required, if experience requirement not met) in Chemistry, Engineering or related field
How to Apply:
To begin the application process, click the "Apply" button.
Please submit a resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, detail your experience relating to Water Treatment, Chemistry, Lab Testing, Quality System Management and Quality Control experience.
The search committee will review all application materials after the posted deadline.
We will notify selected applicants to participate further in the selection process directly. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified after the search is complete and a candidate has been selected.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
Contact Information:
Passion Malotky, passion.malotky@wisc.edu, 608-890-1852
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.
To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.
Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.