Maintenance Lead (Foon Lok East)

Foon Lok East is part of MidPen Housing's portfolio of more than 130 affordable communities across Northern California, home to roughly 20,000 residents including working families, seniors, and people with special needs. The Maintenance Lead here isn't just fixing things. They're running the day-to-day physical operation of the property, and the quality of that work shows up directly in resident experience, inspection outcomes, and long-term asset condition.

Reporting to the Community Manager, you'll own maintenance operations end to end. That means scheduling and supervising your crew, managing vendor bids and contractor oversight, and staying on top of the full range of trades work: electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, appliance repair, flooring, locks, and more. Unit turns are a core part of the rhythm here. Every make-ready has to hit a standard that supports both resident satisfaction and regulatory compliance, and you'll be responsible for keeping that process tight. Annual inspections (REAC, TCAC, MOR) are a real part of affordable housing maintenance management, and comfort with those compliance frameworks matters.

Preventive maintenance programs, common area upkeep, inventory control, parts procurement, and emergency on-call rotations all fall within scope. You're not just responding to work orders. You're building a system that keeps the property safe and functional before things break down.

What separates strong candidates from average ones in this role is the combination of hands-on trade depth and genuine supervisory experience. Five years of broad maintenance work is the baseline. Three years managing a crew is the other piece. The candidates who thrive understand that coaching a junior tech through a repair correctly is as important as completing the repair itself. On the compliance side, familiarity with affordable housing inspection regimes gives you a real advantage. REAC and TCAC inspections have specific requirements that differ from conventional property audits, and being caught flat-footed on either can have real consequences for the property's standing.

MidPen offers company-provided on-site housing as part of the compensation package for this position, which is worth factoring in given Oakland's cost of living. Pay runs $27.00 to $30.38 per hour based on experience, with a full benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, 403(b) retirement, paid parental leave, and education reimbursement.

Qualifications

• High school diploma and five years of broad maintenance experience across trades (plumbing, carpentry, painting, flooring, electrical, irrigation), or equivalent combination
• Minimum three years of supervisory experience managing maintenance staff and overseeing apartment turnovers
• Knowledge of affordable housing inspection standards: REAC, TCAC, and MOR
• Experience managing vendors, reviewing bids, and coordinating contractor work
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and basic property management software
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to perform physically demanding work across varying weather conditions
• Alignment with MidPen's mission serving low-income and special needs residents

MidPen has held Great Place to Work certification in 2025, which reflects something real about how they operate. For a maintenance professional who wants stable, mission-driven work with genuine leadership responsibility, this role offers the kind of scope that builds a long-term career in affordable housing operations.