Utilities Technician

Utilities Technician

The Utilities Technician provides key support for the utilities in the manufacturing facility. He/she is knowledgeable of the utilities and equipment and has the ability to troubleshoot and repair equipment throughout the facility. The Utilities Technician works under the supervision and direction of the Maintenance Manager by completing work orders, carrying out preventative maintenance schedules, and overseeing the installation of new equipment. Teamwork and coordination are key to this position's success. This person must be able to work on a team and foster teamwork within the maintenance department and with other functional departments in the workplace.

Essential Functions, Duties and Performance Responsibilities:

• Observes mechanical devices in operation and listens to their sounds to locate causes of trouble.
• Sets up and operates tools used to diagnose and repair equipment.
• Dismantles functional systems and tests components.
• Starts system, observes operation, read gauges and instruments, and adjusts mechanisms such as valves, controls, pumps to control level of fluid, pressure, and temperature in system.
• Starts devices and equipment to test their performance.
• Keeps maintenance shop and assigned areas neat, clean, and organized.
• Completes assigned work orders and performs PM/WO in a timely manner.
• Performs critical maintenance support in timely manner.
• Plans activities and works to minimize overtime.
• Maintains shop tools and hand tools and securely stores them when not in use.
• Maintains, repairs, and completes PM's on boilers, DA tank, feed water pumps, City RO, and chemical distribution to this equipment. Repairs and maintenance of all steam piping and equipment, including preventative maintenance. Daily chemical testing and adjusting to ensure steam equipment is properly protected.
• Maintains, repairs, and completes PM's on air compressors, air dryers, oil separators and main air lines to the plant.
• Maintain, repairs, and completes PM's on refrigeration units, glycol pumps, cooling tower pumps, cooling towers, glycol lines and valves in the plant. Conducts daily chemical testing and adjustments to ensure that refrigeration equipment is properly protected.
• Maintains, repairs, and completes PM's on wastewater equipment, pumps, piping, valves, drains, and plumbing to and from the plant.
• Maintains, repairs, and completes PM's on all equipment dealing with the main water supply to the plant.
• Maintains, repairs, and completes PM's on all air filters and makes necessary changes.
• Maintains knowledge of, understands, and follows OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and Safety Regulations.
• Follows L.O.T.O policies.
• Communicates safety issues to managers.
• Is a proactive member of the team.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Position Specifications:

Education:

• Required: High School diploma/GED or equivalent work-related experience
• Preferred : Two-year HVAC certification
• Preferred : Refrigerant Recovery EPA Certification

Experience:

• Preferred : Minimum 2 years' experience in the dairy food industry

Skills and Abilities:

• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective prioritizing, organizing, and time management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible, execute plans, strategies and achieve desired results.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively to achieve defined goals on time.
• Adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully
• Computer skills helpful.
• Experience with ammonia refrigeration systems is a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Regular ascending and/or descending of ladders and stairs using feet and legs and/or hands and arms on a regular basis. Body agility is emphasized.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances on a regular basis.
• Repetitive motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time on concrete.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist on a regular basis.
• Reaching: Extending hands and arms in any direction.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward, or outward.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees occasionally.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Lifting: Able to lift up to 90lbs occasionally.
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Includes activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Subject to extreme cold: Temperatures below -15 F for limited periods possible
• Subject to up to at least 92db's.

Equipment Operated:

• Boilers, air handlers, refrigeration and compressed air equipment, mechanical tools, welders, lifts, multi-meter, ammeter and megohmmeter.