Central Energy Plant Operator

Sub Department: Facilities Management

Michigan Technological University is an R1 technological research university founded in 1885 in Houghton. Our rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Research focus areas include defense, health, energy, automotive, environment, and aerospace.

The area’s waters, forests, and snowfall support year-round recreation, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, and paddling. The University is an integral part of the region, supported by a friendly and welcoming community that takes pride in being a true college town. We embrace our size, climate, sense of adventure, and originality.

Summary

Michigan Technological University is seeking a Central Energy Plant Operator for a Full time, 24/7 shift rotation. They will supervise the complete shift operation of the Central Energy Plant, Heating Ventilating, Air Conditioning (HVAC) Central Control System, Steam Distribution System, Campus Generators, CHP Backup Generator, and Fuel Storage Facility. Assist in the planning, scheduling, operation, and maintenance of the Central Energy Plant.

Responsibilities and Essential Duties

• Is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the steam plant, electric generating plant, fuel storage facility, and steam distribution system. Duties include operating the plant independently without immediate assistance.
• Is responsible for monitoring, controlling, and scheduling of HVAC equipment in campus buildings through the HVAC Central Control Systems. Duties include receiving short-term and long-term schedule requests and operating the HVAC control systems accordingly. Monitoring alarms and notifying facilities maintenance staff of needed corrections.
• Is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the boiler water treatment system, including water testing, chemical inventory, adjustments, interactions with the water treatment chemical suppliers, coordinating with service engineers, and reporting via electronic documentation.
• Is responsible for natural gas nominations and balancing; fuel oil deliveries and inventory; monitoring and reacting to the real-time MISO electrical energy market; and reacting to natural gas operational flow orders. Maintains year-round access to the fuel tank farm, necessary valves, and spill containment equipment. Ensure that rainwater is removed from the spill containment basin promptly after rain events.
• Maintains plant records; assists in the development and implementation of operating, maintenance, and emergency procedures. Strives to convert and maintain all records electronically in a system accessible to all users. Cooperate with all personnel to periodically validate records as appropriate.
• Is assigned as the lead operator in one or more of the following assigned areas: generator maintenance, steam plant maintenance, water treatment, HVAC central controls, safety compliance, monthly reports, planned maintenance, or procedure development.
• Performs routine inspections and preventative maintenance on plant equipment. This includes primary ownership of the entire facility's housekeeping, including cleaning the operational area, storing tools and materials, properly filing records, storing personal items in lockers, painting, and labeling all assets.
• Assists in boiler inspections and annual steam plant maintenance. This includes writing electronic work orders for repairs, materials, and preventive activities.
• Contributes to a safe working environment by: following University safe work procedures, wearing assigned PPE, actively participating in safety training, and developing safe work procedures. Completes all assigned safety training on schedule and attends assigned meetings and classes. Assists in correcting unsafe conditions. Use of the LOTO lockbox system for all equipment.
• Commits to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work. Is actively engaged in the University's continuous improvement initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: Functional supervision is exercised over Mechanic/Operators and student assistants.

Required Education, Certifications, Licensures

• High School Diploma
• Boiler Operators License or an equivalent combination of education and boiler operating experience in similar facilities from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired.

Required Experience

• Four years of progressively responsible experience in steam plant operations and/or maintenance in a similar, multi-boiler facility.
• Two years of hands-on experience with gas and oil or other multi-fuel boilers.
• Experience using personal computers and basic software packages for word processing, accessing websites, searching for information, managing work orders, ordering supplies, and completing reports and spreadsheets.

Desirable Education and/or Experience

• Greater than four years of progressively responsible experience in steam plant operations and maintenance in a similar, multi-boiler facility with power generation equipment.
• Greater than two years of hands-on operating experience with gas and oil or other multi-fuel boilers.
• Experience operating multiple synchronized industrial generators.
• Experience operating an HVAC central control system.
• High proficiency in using word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Experience using Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
• Graduate of a mechanical trade school program in industrial equipment maintenance, steam fitting, or industrial piping.
• Training and coursework in any of the following: boiler systems, boiler auxiliary equipment, blueprint reading, computer-assisted drawing (CAD), HVAC, industrial piping, piping systems, pneumatic and electronic controls, steam systems, or welding.
• Experience in maintaining, repairing, and troubleshooting HVAC and boiler controls.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of standard practices, codes, regulations, safety standards, and theory applicable to steam plant operation.
• Ability to operate multiple industrial steam boilers, steam plant auxiliary equipment, and large diesel generators independently without immediate assistance.
• Ability to read blueprints, wiring diagrams, piping diagrams, operating and maintenance instructions, plans, sketches, and procedures manuals.
• Ability to work scheduled rotating shifts common to shift operations, including days, evenings, nights, holidays, and weekends, as well as ability and availability to work unscheduled work shifts when required to handle emergencies, work backlogs, or to fill in for other personnel.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills, and/or Abilities

• Demonstrated success in, or potential future contributions to, working with people with a wide variety of backgrounds and viewpoints.

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands

Work Environment and/or Physical Demands:

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job:

• The employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, sense heat, or feel objects, tools, keyboards, and controls; stand; talk and hear; and taste and smell.
• The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance on stairs, ladders, and work platforms; kneel, crouch or crawl.
• The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close, distance, peripheral, and color vision; depth perception; and the ability to adjust focus.
• The employee must be able to control hand movements required while using tools and equipment.
• The work environment is typical of an industrial plant or equipment room.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. Hearing protection is required.

Required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):

Hearing protection, safety glasses, steel-toe safety shoes, hard hats, work gloves, face shields, and rubber aprons as prescribed by specific safety assessments for various tasks.

Required Training and Other Conditions of Employment

Every employee at Michigan Technological University will receive the following training courses:

• Employee Safety Overview
• Annual Data Security Training
• Anti-Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Training
• Annual Title IX Training

The department will periodically require additional training.

• Safety training modules and position-specific training.

Background Check:
Offers of employment are contingent upon and not considered finalized until the required background check has been performed, the results received, and assessed.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) % (1=100%): 1

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Appointment Term: 12 Months

Shift: -

Pay Rate/Salary: The minimum salary for this position is $26.50/hour. The final salary will depend on experience and qualifications.

Title of Position Supervisor: Energy Plant Manager

Posting Type: Internal & External

Dependent on Funding: None