Supervisor, Preventive Maintenance

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Preventive Maintenance Supervisor plans, directs, and oversees all preventive and predictive maintenance activities to ensure the reliability, performance, and longevity of facility systems and equipment. This role leads the development and continuous improvement of a comprehensive maintenance program designed to maximize asset life cycles, minimize unplanned downtime, and reduce overall maintenance costs, while establishing priorities based on asset criticality and operational needs. The Supervisor provides leadership and daily management of the F&CP Preventive Maintenance Shop, including staff supervision, scheduling, and resource allocation, and ensures compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory standards. Additionally, the position analyzes equipment performance, implements proactive solutions to prevent failures, collaborates with operations and engineering, and oversees staff development, budgeting, and inventory to support efficient and reliable facility operations.

An ideal candidate is a proactive and detail-oriented maintenance leader with strong experience in preventive and predictive maintenance programs. They demonstrate the ability to optimize asset performance, reduce downtime, and extend equipment life through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement. This individual is an effective supervisor who can lead, develop, and manage technical teams while prioritizing work based on operational needs and asset criticality. They possess strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills and are committed to safety, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure efficient and reliable facility operations.

Workplace Requirements

This is an essential on-campus position, requiring all duties to be performed in person on campus. Standard hours are Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM, though schedules may change based on operational needs. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change. As an essential role, the employee must be on-site during emergencies or crises to ensure continuity of critical operations and remain accessible to leadership to support institutional functions. After-hours work or work outside the regular schedule may be required, and the employee must be available for “on-call” scheduling to respond to issues affecting campus operations.

Working Conditions

Physical Demands

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.

• Climbing stairs, ladders, scaffolding, and navigating confined areas with piping or wiring obstructions as needed to access equipment

• Moderate to heavy physical activity, including bending, stooping, climbing, balancing, standing, and walking for up to 8 hours per day

• Occasional entry into utility tunnels and other confined spaces

Work Environment and Safety

• Exposure to high-pressure boilers and steam piping, high-voltage electricity, high noise levels, rotating machinery, and other potentially hazardous equipment

• Work in mechanical rooms, tunnels, labs, attics, crawl spaces, non-conditioned spaces, and dusty, dirty, or wet conditions

• Personal protective equipment (hearing protection, safety shoes, safety glasses) is required

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the hourly rate is $33.00 - $38.00, commensu