Warranty Services Representative

**Department**:Warranty Services

**Type of Position**:Full Time, Permanent

**Location**:Home Office, West of Greater Toronto Area (Brampton)

**Reporting to**: Manager, Warranty Services

**About Tarion**

Since 1976, Tarion has provided new home warranty protection to more than 2 million Ontario homes. We serve new home buyers and new homeowners by ensuring that one of their life's biggest investments is protected. Almost every new home in the province is covered by a new home warranty. This warranty protection is provided by Ontario's builders and lasts up to seven years. It is backstopped by Tarion. More than 375,000 homes are currently enrolled in the warranty program. Every year about 55,000 new homes are enrolled.

With more than 265 employees, Tarion works hard every day to serve the public interest by, first and foremost, protecting consumers and their new home purchases. We investigate homeowner warranty claims; resolve warranty disputes between homeowners and builders; and provide deposit and delayed closing protection for new home buyers. We also manage the Guarantee Fund, an important financial reserve designed to help shield Ontario consumers from possible catastrophic building events. All of this enhances fairness and confidence in Ontario's new home building industry.

**About the Role**

The Warranty Services Representative provides technical and warranty advice to vendors, builders, home buyers and owners, consultants and lawyers. This position conducts early intervention, investigative, emergency inspections, meetings and conciliations with vendors and owners to assess complaints in compliance with the Ontario New Home Warranties Plan Act and Tarion's Construction Performance Guidelines. The incumbents will either live within the Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville region and will be responsible for travelling to assigned work locations covering areas such Milton, Simcoe, Niagara Falls and outlying regions within the province when required.

**Responsibilities**:

- Work collaboratively and creatively with parties to promote early resolution of warranty claims, in accordance with Tarion's procedures and policies
- Understand the relevant technical standards that provide the basis for identifying warranty issues, and offers suggestions for possible resolution, in keeping with the merits of the warranty claim and the interests of the parties
- Maintain impartiality and open-mindedness while facilitating negotiation and resolution between the parties to a warranty claim by providing direction and encouraging parties to find a compromise or a mutually satisfying solution
- Provide technical and warranty advice to vendors, builders, consultants and homeowners regarding warranty related issues
- Conduct inspections and meetings with external clients and make rulings and decisions on freehold and condominium unit issues on behalf of Tarion
- Issue Work/Settlement Schedules, set and adjust financial reserves as required
- Authorize contractor services and monitor contractor progress
- Represent Tarion as a witness at the License Appeal Tribunal and the Builder Arbitration Forum
- Provide fair, timely, quality and consistent service to home buyers, owners, vendor/builders and their agents and other stakeholders and clients
- Represent Tarion at Builder Associations and public outreach activities

**Qualifications**:

- 3 - 5 years' construction related experience - preferably in freehold residential construction methods
- Training and experience in a neutral dispute resolution role, such as a mediator, conciliator, claim adjudicator; or experience and skills related to fairly managing complaint processes that involve hearing from participants, analyzing information, encouraging resolution and making recommendations or writing decisions
- Superior communication (verbal and written), observation, negotiation, problem solving, analytical and conflict resolution skills
- Direct or related experience and skills related to creative interest-based approaches to mediating or resolving disputes in different settings such as in-person, telephone, video conference or online
- Ability to maintain confidences, exercise sound judgment and discretion and work collaboratively with others
- Capacity to work in an empathetic and accessible manner, using effective communications to manage confrontational or stressful situations with diverse users
- Minimum community college graduate, in building science or construction related diploma
- Excellent negotiating, time management and interpersonal skills
- Comprehensive knowledge of the Ontario Building Code and construction practices in Ontario
- Ability to work independently and as a part of a team within a dynamic environment
- Above average keyboarding and computer skills in Microsoft Office and Internet environments
- An out-going self-starter with the ability to make decisions based on practical building knowledge
- Valid Class ‘G' driver's license and reliable