Maintenance Technician (Cienega Heights)

What You'll Actually Do

This is a hands-on maintenance role at Cienega Heights, an affordable housing community in Watsonville managed by MidPen Housing. You report to the Community Manager and handle the full range of skilled repairs: electrical work on appliances, fixtures, switches, and circuits; plumbing on water and sewage systems; rough and finish carpentry. You'll also maintain landscaping and irrigation systems and keep common areas clean, lit, and secure.

Turns are a regular part of the job. You'll prep vacant units for re-occupancy within set timeframes, which means painting, flooring replacement, and installing fixtures and appliances. You'll also run preventive maintenance schedules, track work orders, and manage tool and supply inventory.

Beyond the technical work, you'll coach and oversee Maintenance Groundskeeper staff. When contractors are involved, you help coordinate the bidding process, schedule their work, and confirm it gets done. You'll assist with move-ins, move-outs, and annual inspections alongside the Community Manager.

On-call is part of this position. You'll rotate through a schedule that covers seven consecutive days at a time, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

What You Bring

• High school diploma or GED with at least three years of maintenance experience, ideally in property management
• Solid plumbing knowledge and hands-on experience with electrical repairs to appliances, circuits, and fixtures
• Rough and finish carpentry skills covering both structural and cosmetic work
• Familiarity with OSHA safety regulations and landscape maintenance practices
• Experience coaching or training junior maintenance staff
• Basic computer skills for work order documentation
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds regularly and work in all weather conditions

Context Worth Knowing

MidPen Housing has been developing and managing affordable housing across Northern California since 1970. Their portfolio covers more than 130 properties serving roughly 20,000 residents, including working families, seniors, and people with special needs. The pay range for this role runs $25.00 to $28.13 per hour based on experience. Benefits include health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan, paid parental leave, education reimbursement, and paid time off.

Strong candidates at this level know how to prioritize competing work orders without being told, can walk a unit and build an accurate punch list fast, and communicate clearly with residents who may be dealing with difficult circumstances. The mentorship component matters here too. If you've only ever worked solo, the coaching expectation will be an adjustment.