Maintenance Supervisor

Job Description

Position Title: Maintenance Supervisor

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Reports to: Facilities / Project Manager

Supervisory Responsibility Over: Maintenance Techs, Welders

Full Time/Part Time: Full Time

Revision Date: December 16, 2025

Organizational Overview

Save the Chimps operates the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuary in the world. Located on nearly 150 acres in Fort Pierce, on the Treasure Coast of Florida, the Sanctuary provides high quality lifetime medical and behavioral care and enrichment for chimpanzees rescued from research laboratories, entertainment, and the pet trade.

Save the Chimps was established in 1997 and is home to over 225 chimpanzees. The work of the organization is accomplished by a nonprofit board of directors, approximately 80 full-time staff, and a number of community volunteers.

Job Responsibilities

Summary:

The Maintenance Supervisor position is a working supervisory position, responsible for performing highly skilled physical and mentally intensive tasks in the care of our facilities. He/she oversees the daily operations of the maintenance department to ensure that all sanctuary buildings, structures, equipment and land is property maintained, meeting all internal and external regulatory standards, with a focus on safety and efficiency.

The following is a list of the essential functions of this position. This list is intended to be representative of the tasks performed within the position description but is not limited to:

Staff:

• Direct or conduct recruitment, hiring, and training of maintenance staff.
• Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of maintenance staff.
• Address performance concerns in a timely basis in collaboration with Facilities and Project Manager and HR.
• Maintain payroll for maintenance staff including scheduling all vacations and time off requests
• Establish assignments for staff, according to workload, space, and equipment availability.
• Regularly conduct staff meetings to ensure that communication flows freely regarding organizational and departmental developments, needs and concerns.
• Encourage and support staff engagement and a strong team environment within and across departments.

Facility Maintenance:

• Establish objectives and evaluative or operational criteria for assigned section in collaboration with the Facility and Project Manager.
• Assign, monitor and update the preventative maintenance program
• Maintain chimpanzee buildings, septic systems and water treatment plant
• Maintain, repair or replace electrical and plumbing fixtures and equipment
• Troubleshoot, repair and maintain washing machines, mowers, golf carts and generators
• Provide carpentry, drywall and concrete repairs
• Manage welding, landscaping, and other maintenance projects and initiatives
• Design and coordinate special projects like building island structures, paint removal etc.
• Purchase parts and supplies.
• Obtain burn permits and conduct controlled burns weekly.
• Maintain an organized and efficient maintenance shop and office area
• Maintain all fuel levels for diesel, gasoline and propane for generators by ordering from selected vendors
• Work with contracted vendors and support each of their scopes of work
• Develop instructional materials and conduct in-service educational programs.
• Direct operations on overnight shifts including emergency situations weather events, failures in the water plant or electrical issues affecting heaters in the chimp enclosures as needed
• Monitor departmental activities to ensure effective use of resources and assess the need for additional staff, equipment, and procedures.
• Prepare and deliver activity reports for discussion with the Facility and Project Manager during weekly 1:1 meeting to inform of the status of department activities, initiatives, operational and staff concerns.

Safety:

• Ensure that safety is a top priority within the department, monitoring and promptly addressing areas of concern.
• Participate as a member of the Safety Committee.
• Inspect facilities and recommend building or equipment modifications to ensure emergency readiness and compliance to safety regulations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proficient in the safe use power hand tools, industrial welding equipment, torches, table saws, punch press, cutting, drilling tools, commercial lawn maintenance equipment, tractors and other on/off road sanctuary vehicles
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to promote teamwork.
• Strong attention to detail, time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to demonstrate flexibility, to work as part of a diversified team while maintaining a professional and positive attitude required.
• Flexibility with work schedule required.

Education, Work Experience and Qualifications

• High School Degree of GED required, Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in trades preferred.
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience working in a supervisory role overseeing the maintenance function of a complex, multifaceted outdoor facility.
• A minimum of seven (7) years performing maintenance tasks to include construction, plumbing, electrical, mechanical repair, welding and landscaping.
• Maintain a valid driver’s license for local business travel

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand for long periods of time; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs, step stools, ladders; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk and hear; able to push and pull metal doors. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and team lift in excess of 25 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Must be able to run and swim in the face of danger

Environmental Requirements

• Tasks are regularly performed with potential for exposure to adverse conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, animals/wildlife.
• Employees must not object to unpleasant chimpanzee behaviors including spitting of water or saliva, throwing of feces, food or other waste, and chimpanzee displays that may include banging, kicking of the fencing, and loud screams or hooting.
• Retaliation and/or negativity towards the chimpanzees are not permitted.

Must be able to successfully pass a pre-hire drug screen and a criminal background check. Also due to the safety risk to the chimps, it is an essential function of the position to have received the MMR vaccine series along with several other vaccinations and have a negative Tb test.

Save the Chimps is an equal opportunity employer and treats all applicants and employees consistently without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $54,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Maintenance: 5 years (Required)
• supervisory: 3 years (Required)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License and clean driving record (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $54,500