East St. Louis, Illinois
Pew Pew Guru LLC is hiring qualified, dependable employees to support our East St. Louis Housing Authority Vacant Unit Turnaround Services contract — IFB 26-BVUTS.
Our teams prepare vacant residential units for occupancy through cleaning, maintenance, repairs, painting, carpentry, and related turnover services.
The contract generally requires completed units to meet ESLHA standards within a 10-calendar-day turnaround period, making dependability, quality, and teamwork essential.
Position Overview
PositionStarting PayExperienceGeneral Laborer / Cleaning Technician$18.50/hrEntry-level; experience preferredPainter / Maintenance Technician$19.50/hr1+ year preferredSkilled Maintenance Technician$24.50/hr3+ years preferredJob Foreman / Lead Technician$28.00/hr3–5+ years preferredSpecialty Trade Technician / ContractorVariesLicensed/experienced
Work Details
Location: East St. Louis, IL
Typical Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Employment: Project/task-order based; hours may vary according to ESLHA assignments.
AVAILABLE POSITIONS
1. General Laborer / Cleaning Technician Maintenance Mechanic I — Starting at $18.50/hour
This is our entry-level general turnover position, ideal for dependable workers who can clean, remove debris, perform basic maintenance tasks, and assist skilled technicians.
Responsibilities
Clean vacant apartments and houses from top to bottom
Clean kitchens, bathrooms, floors, windows, frames, heat registers, and fixtures
Remove trash, discarded materials, and job-generated debris
Assist with loading and unloading materials and debris
Perform basic maintenance and minor repairs within demonstrated skill level
Prepare work areas for painters and maintenance technicians
Remove nails, tape, contact paper, and other materials
Assist with moving materials, doors, appliances, and supplies
Protect finished surfaces during construction and painting
Maintain clean and safe work areas
Follow instructions from the Foreman/Lead Technician
Secure units, equipment, materials, and keys at the end of each workday
Skills & Experience
Previous janitorial, apartment-turn, construction, or maintenance experience is preferred but not required.
Candidates should have:
Ability to use basic hand tools
Ability to perform physical work throughout a shift
Ability to follow written and verbal instructions
Attention to detail
Reliable attendance and transportation
Ability to work effectively as part of a fast-moving crew
Willingness to learn multiple aspects of vacant-unit turnover
Painter / Maintenance Technician Maintenance Mechanic II — Starting at $19.50/hour
This position performs intermediate maintenance and painting work necessary to return vacant residential units to rent-ready condition.
Responsibilities
Prepare walls, ceilings, doors, and trim for painting
Remove nails, tape, wallpaper, borders, and surface imperfections
Patch minor holes and damaged surfaces
Sand and prepare repaired areas
Apply appropriate caulk and sealants
Brush, roll, and/or spray paint
Paint walls, doors, window trim, handrails, and stair risers as directed
Protect floors, tile, cove base, fixtures, and finished surfaces
Perform routine apartment maintenance and repairs
Replace or reinstall outlet covers, light fixtures, and switches as assigned
Assist with doors, cabinets, countertops, hardware, and other unit-turn components
Clean equipment and work areas upon completion
Preferred Qualifications
1+ year of painting, apartment maintenance, construction, or property-turn experience
Experience with brushes, rollers, and/or paint sprayers
Drywall patching and surface preparation
Caulking and basic carpentry
Familiarity with hand and power tools
Ability to recognize repairs that should be escalated to a higher-skilled technician
Skilled Maintenance Technician Maintenance Mechanic III — Starting at $24.50/hour
This is the team's highly skilled maintenance position, responsible for advanced residential repair and rehabilitation work.
Responsibilities
Diagnose and complete advanced vacant-unit repairs
Repair plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems and appliances
Repair and replace pipes
Repair or replace toilets, sinks, tubs, showers, valves, and plumbing fixtures
Perform drywall installation, taping, sanding, and finishing
Frame and repair walls, ceilings, and floors
Repair/install doors, jambs, locks, and hardware
Install countertops, vanity tops, and medicine cabinets
Repair subfloors and flooring
Perform advanced painting and plaster repairs
Troubleshoot water and gas leaks within authorized scope
Perform appropriate HVAC maintenance and repairs
Repair electrical components and branch circuits within authorized/licensed scope
Determine materials and repair methods necessary to restore vacant units
Assist with quality-control inspections and punch-list completion
Mentor Maintenance I and II employees
Preferred Qualifications
3+ years residential maintenance, apartment maintenance, construction, rehabilitation, or similar experience
Strong troubleshooting ability
Carpentry and drywall experience
Plumbing repair experience
Basic/intermediate electrical knowledge
Door, lock, and hardware installation
Flooring/subfloor repair
Ability to independently identify and complete unit-turn repairs
Ability to supervise less-experienced technicians when necessary
Licensing: Required licenses must be held for work where Illinois/local law requires a licensed trade professional.
Job Foreman / Lead Technician — Starting at $28.00/hour
The Job Foreman / Lead Technician is a Pew Pew Guru leadership position responsible for coordinating crews, managing workflow, and ensuring units are completed according to project requirements.
Responsibilities
Lead assigned vacant-unit turnaround crews
Review task orders and scope with PPG management
Conduct initial unit walkthroughs
Assign daily work to Maintenance I, II, and III personnel
Coordinate painters and specialty subcontractors
Monitor production against the 10-calendar-day completion requirement
Identify additional repairs or materials requiring ESLHA approval
Coordinate inspections and punch-list corrections
Verify workmanship before requesting final inspection
Track employee hours and work classifications
Maintain accountability for ESLHA-issued keys
Ensure units are secured at the end of each workday
Ensure job sites remain clean and safe
Report problems, delays, damages, and scope changes immediately
Take before/during/after photographs as required
Maintain professional communication with PPG management and ESLHA representatives
Preferred Qualifications
3–5+ years residential maintenance, construction, apartment-turn, or rehabilitation experience
Previous crew-lead/foreman experience
Ability to read scopes of work and task orders
Strong understanding of residential repairs
Ability to coordinate multiple trades
Strong communication and documentation skills
Quality-control experience
Ability to manage deadlines and multiple units simultaneously
SPECIALTY TRADE OPPORTUNITIES
HVAC • Plumbing • Electrical • Carpentry
Pew Pew Guru LLC is also building an on-call/prequalified specialty-trade roster for:
HVAC
Plumbing
Electrical
Carpentry
Candidates and subcontractors must possess applicable licenses, certifications, insurance, and demonstrated experience appropriate to their trade.
Specialty work may include diagnosis, repair, replacement, installation, and rehabilitation work associated with vacant residential units.
Certain work beyond normal maintenance—including fire/rehabilitation units and specialty services—may trigger Davis-Bacon wage requirements and weekly certified payroll.
Requirements For All Field Positions:
Applicants should:
Be at least 18 years old where required for the duties performed
Be legally authorized to work in the United States
Have reliable transportation to East St. Louis job sites
Be dependable and punctual
Be able to work safely around construction and maintenance activities
Follow PPE and safety requirements
Maintain professional conduct while on ESLHA property
Protect resident/ESLHA property
Properly safeguard keys and access credentials
Work cooperatively with other trades and crew members
Accurately report hours worked and the type/classification of work performed
Important: Accurate classification is particularly important because HUD labor provisions require employees to receive the wage applicable to the classification of work actually performed. Employees working in multiple classifications can be paid the corresponding rates for the time worked in each classification when payroll records properly document it.
SECTION 3 & EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Section 3 Workers, Targeted Section 3 Workers, East St. Louis-area residents, and veterans are encouraged to apply.
PPG's submitted Section 3 plan commits to:
Local advertising Consideration of qualified Section 3 applicants Veteran and Section 3 outreach Recruitment documentation
Pew Pew Guru LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY NOW HIRING:
Part-Time Janitorial Worker
DeKalb, Illinois — State of Illinois Secretary of State Facility
Pew Pew Guru LLC is seeking a dependable and detail-oriented part-time janitorial worker.
Start Date :October 1, 2026
Schedule: Monday–Friday
Hours: 2 hours per evening after 5:00 PM
Total Hours:10 hours/week
Pay: $22.00/hour
Weekly Pay: Approximately $220 before taxes
Responsibilities
Cleaning and sanitizing offices and common areas
Emptying trash and replacing liners
Sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming floors
Cleaning and sanitizing restrooms
Restocking paper products and cleaning supplies
Completing assigned cleaning duties consistently and on schedule
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be:
Dependable
Professional
Able to work independently
Committed to maintaining a clean and safe government facility
Employment is subject to successful completion of all required screening and facility-access requirements.
To Apply
Send your name, phone number, work experience, and availability to:
Pew Pew Guru LLC
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (630) 699-5776
Website: ppguru.com