Mechanical Supervisor

D.F. Barnes Limited; Dartmouth; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Extended health, dental, and vision

Group RRSP with employer matching

Paid training & professional develop.

Leadership career growth opportunities

Challenging marine/industrial work

Team environment that values ideas

Job summary

KMS Industries in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is seeking a Mechanical Supervisor to lead 5–20 tradespeople in marine and industrial maintenance, fabrication, and repairs. The role emphasizes safety, quality, and delivering projects on time and within budget.

Reporting to the General Foreman, you will manage day-to-day operations, mentor apprentices, and coordinate field and shop work. The position offers a Monday–Friday schedule with occasional overtime and travel.

Qualifications

• Red Seal Certification in a relevant trade.
• At least 5 years of trade experience, including 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Strong understanding of marine and/or industrial maintenance practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead tradespeople and coordinate multiple priorities.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and leadership abilities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and digital maintenance systems.
• Valid driver’s licence.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Canadian Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support mechanical crews in day-to-day shop and field operations.
• Plan, schedule, coordinate, and prioritize maintenance and project work.
• Match the right people and resources to each job to keep work moving efficiently.
• Serve as a key point of contact between KMS, our customers, and trades personnel.
• Keep projects on schedule, within budget, and aligned with our safety and quality expectations.
• Lead toolbox talks, hazard assessments, safety inspections, and incident investigations.
• Review drawings, specifications, work packages, and procedures.
• Bring your trade expertise to complex troubleshooting and mechanical challenges.
• Coordinate the equipment, materials, and tools crews need to succeed.
• Monitor productivity, quality, costs, and overall project performance.
• Support estimating, planning, purchasing, and project execution.
• Coach and mentor employees while supporting apprenticeship progression and career development.

Skills

Leadership

Team coordination

Troubleshooting

Communication

Maintenance knowledge

Microsoft Office

Digital maintenance systems

Education

Red Seal Certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Digital maintenance systems

Job description

Mechanical Supervisor

KMS Industries | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia | Full-Time

KMS Industries is looking for a Mechanical Supervisor to join our team in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. This is an opportunity to lead skilled tradespeople, take ownership of challenging marine and industrial work, and play an important role in delivering safe, high-quality solutions for our customers.

Located in the Woodside Industrial Park, KMS Industries specializes in marine vessel maintenance, emergency repairs, custom fabrication, HVAC repair, and quayside refits. As part of the DF Barnes family of companies, we combine strong local expertise with decades of experience serving the marine and industrial sectors.

What You’ll Do

Reporting to the General Foreman, you'll lead a team of approximately 5–20 Journeypersons, Apprentices, Labourers, and Contractors while coordinating mechanical maintenance, repair, fabrication, installation, and inspection work.

You'll be trusted to:

• Lead and support mechanical crews in day-to-day shop and field operations.
• Plan, schedule, coordinate, and prioritize maintenance and project work.
• Match the right people and resources to each job to keep work moving efficiently.
• Serve as a key point of contact between KMS, our customers, and trades personnel.
• Keep projects on schedule, within budget, and aligned with our safety and quality expectations.
• Lead toolbox talks, hazard assessments, safety inspections, and incident investigations.
• Review drawings, specifications, work packages, and procedures.
• Bring your trade expertise to complex troubleshooting and mechanical challenges.
• Coordinate the equipment, materials, and tools crews need to succeed.
• Monitor productivity, quality, costs, and overall project performance.
• Support estimating, planning, purchasing, and project execution.
• Coach and mentor employees while supporting apprenticeship progression and career development.

We're looking for someone who wants to be visible, involved, and engaged with the team.

You'll have the opportunity to influence workforce planning, training, employee development, scheduling, operational priorities, and continuous improvement. You'll build relationships with customers while helping your crew perform at its best.

Success in this role means delivering great work safely, developing strong teams, earning customer trust, and continuously improving how we operate.

What You Can Expect from KMS

We believe great work starts with great people. You'll join an organization where safety, quality, teamwork, innovation, and accountability matter.

We offer:

• Competitive compensation based on qualifications and experience.
• Extended health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Group RRSP with employer matching.
• Paid training and professional development opportunities.
• Opportunities to grow your leadership career within KMS and the broader DF Barnes organization.
• Challenging, hands-on marine and industrial work where no two projects are exactly alike.
• A team environment where experienced tradespeople are trusted to bring ideas forward and make an impact.

Required:

• Red Seal Certification in a relevant trade.
• At least 5 years of trade experience, including 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory role.
• Strong understanding of marine and/or industrial maintenance practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead tradespeople and coordinate multiple priorities.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and leadership abilities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and digital maintenance systems.
• Valid driver's licence.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Canadian Security Clearance.

Even better if you have:

• Experience in marine vessel maintenance, repair, or refit work.
• Additional experience in welding, fabrication, electrical, HVAC, or another complementary trade.
• Experience coordinating customer-facing service or project work.
• A track record of mentoring apprentices and developing skilled tradespeople.

Schedule & Work Environment

The regular schedule is Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Because our customers depend on us when it matters most, occasional overtime, evenings, weekends, holidays, emergency response, and on-call coverage may be required. The position includes work in shop, field, industrial, and marine environments, along with regular local travel to customer sites and occasional out-of-province travel. Candidates must be comfortable working around vessels, machinery, confined spaces, elevated work areas, changing weather conditions, and other industrial environments while using required PPE.