Senior HVAC Service Technician

Summary

The Senior HVAC Service Technician is the lead field technician for Soave Mechanical, a Naples-based HVAC and mechanical contractor. Under the direction of the HVAC Service Manager, the Senior Technician diagnoses, repairs, starts up, and maintains high-end systems, serves as the technical escalation point for the service team, mentors and quality-checks junior technicians, and represents the company inside residences where discretion, appearance, and craftsmanship directly affect client retention. The Senior Technician works independently, reports findings and safety concerns to the manager, and conducts all business professionally and ethically.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Estate Systems Service and Diagnostics

• Serve as the senior technical resource and first escalation point for complex refrigerant, chilled water, airflow, electrical, and controls problems.
• Diagnose, repair, and start up chilled water plants (air-cooled chillers, pumps, VFDs, hydronic loops), custom and commercial-grade air handlers and fan coils (including AAON), VRF (Mitsubishi Electric CITY MULTI, LG Multi V), Trane variable-speed communicating systems, whole-house dedicated dehumidifiers, ERVs, wine room and art storage cooling, indoor pool dehumidification, and walk-in refrigeration using manufacturer procedures and diagnostic software.
• Verify charge by superheat, subcooling, and manufacturer-specified methods. Verify airflow by static pressure, temperature split, and CFM. Verify chilled water flow, delta T, and pump and VFD operation. Confirm equipment runs through its programmed sequence and record baseline data at startup and before turnover.
• Perform refrigerant piping to manufacturer standards: nitrogen-purged brazing, micron-gauge evacuation with decay test, correct line set sizing, and leak detection and repair. Handle R-410A and A2L refrigerants (R-454B, R-32) per EPA Section 608 and A2L safety practices.
• Lead dehumidification and building pressurization work: diagnose humidity, indoor air quality, and pressure problems using dew point, wet bulb, and moisture readings; measure supply, return, and outdoor air; and correct issues with dedicated dehumidification, ERV and fresh air, high-MERV and HEPA filtration, UV, duct leakage repair, and condensate management. Protect finishes, millwork, art, and wine collections from humidity damage, including in seasonally unoccupied homes.
• Support the company's accredited testing and balancing work as assigned, following documented test procedures, calibrated instrument controls, and record-keeping requirements.

Maintenance, Controls, and Quality

• Perform scheduled estate preventive maintenance to the company standard (coil and blower cleaning, condensate and float switch service, filter programs, chilled water and hydronic checks, electrical inspection, component testing, refrigerant and control checks) and deliver a written condition report to the estate manager or owner's representative.
• Configure and troubleshoot building automation and manufacturer controls: BMS front ends, BACnet and Modbus points, VRF controllers, communicating thermostats, VFD parameters, and dehumidification controls. Coordinate with the home's automation integrator (Crestron, Savant, Control4, Lutron) and electricians so HVAC status, setpoints, and alerts work correctly. Respond to remote monitoring alerts.
• Perform warranty diagnostics, complete manufacturer warranty documentation, and report premature or repeat failures. Quality-check work by Technician I and II, helpers, and apprentices before closeout.

Client Service and Discretion

• Communicate clearly and professionally with owners, estate managers, house managers, general contractors, and other trades. Provide accurate repair and replacement estimates and coordinate with the comfort advisor on upgrades.
• Follow estate access and security protocols: scheduled arrival windows, gate and staff check-in, escort rules where required, and no movement through the residence beyond the work area.
• Keep client information confidential. No photographs of the residence, its contents, or its occupants (equipment photos only). No discussion of clients or properties outside the company and no social media reference to any client or property. Sign and honor client non-disclosure agreements.
• Protect the property: shoe covers, drop cloths, floor and wall protection, clean tools and truck, no food or drink inside, and leave every work area cleaner than found. Complete detailed digital service records (readings, equipment photos, model and serial numbers, parts, narrative) in the field service software.

Code, Safety, and Leadership

• Comply with the Florida Building Code (Mechanical and Energy Conservation), the National Electrical Code, manufacturer instructions, Collier County permitting and inspection requirements, and company safety policy. Support permit closeout and inspections on new construction and renovations.
• Apply waterfront coastal practices: corrosion-resistant components, equipment anchoring for wind load, elevated stands and mechanical rooms where flood zone rules require them, and hurricane preparation, shutdown, and post-storm restoration.
• Work safely with live high and low voltage using lockout/tagout, ladder, attic, rooftop, and heat illness prevention practices.
• Respond to emergency and after-hours calls, work the rotating on-call schedule, and support extended hours in peak and hurricane season. Lead, mentor, and train junior technicians on site. Maintain the company vehicle, truck stock, tools, and calibrated instruments. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

Mastery of estate-scale mechanical systems. Independent diagnostic judgment. Discretion and client communication. Leadership and mentoring. Craftsmanship. Accountability. Safety leadership. Reliability. Adaptability in peak season and storm response.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated experience on high-end equipment. For this position, high-end equipment means the systems installed in estates valued at $40 million and above: chilled water plants with pumps and VFDs, custom and commercial-grade air handlers, VRF, whole-house dedicated dehumidification, specialty room cooling, and building automation, together with the manufacturers' top-tier variable-speed and communicating systems. The Senior Technician must be able to start up, charge by manufacturer method, balance, and diagnose these systems through manufacturer software and BMS front ends.
• Ability to diagnose complex refrigerant, chilled water, airflow, electrical, and controls issues independently. Strong understanding of humidity control (dew point, wet bulb, moisture load) in a hot, humid, coastal climate.
• Ability to read blueprints, mechanical and piping drawings, wiring diagrams, control sequences, and service manuals, and to read a load calculation and duct design and spot problems that will affect performance.
• Proficiency with digital gauges or probes, micron gauge, static pressure tools, multimeter and clamp meter, leak detectors, hydronic flow and temperature instruments, and manufacturer diagnostic apps.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, with the tact and discretion to work with owners, estate managers, and household staff.
• Ability to work in Florida heat and humidity, attics, mechanical rooms, and rooftops, and to manage priorities across multiple high-value client accounts.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent. Completion of an accredited HVAC training program or registered apprenticeship.
• Minimum seven years of HVAC service experience, including at least three years on estate-scale or commercial mechanical systems as defined above: chilled water plants, commercial-grade air handlers, VRF, whole-house dehumidification, and building automation. Residential split-system and ductless mini-split work alone does not meet this requirement. Candidates must name the systems they have started up and serviced and provide factory training records. Commercial and institutional HVAC technicians with this experience are encouraged to apply.
• Experience inside occupied luxury residences under estate manager direction, and experience leading or quality-checking technicians, strongly preferred.

Preferred Certificates and Licenses

• EPA Section 608 Universal certification required.
• A2L refrigerant safety training completed at hire or within 90 days of hire.
• NATE certification within 12 months of hire if not held at hire.
• Factory service training on the company's equipment lines (Trane, Mitsubishi Electric, LG, AAON) and on the chiller and dehumidifier manufacturers the company services preferred. Company-designated manufacturer training must be completed within 12 months of hire.
• Collier County Journeyman Air Conditioning certificate, or ability to obtain within 12 months of hire. Lee and Hendry County journeyman certificates where required by that county for the work performed.
• Valid Florida driver's license with a motor vehicle record acceptable to the company's insurance carrier. Must remain insurable to operate company vehicles.
• Must pass a pre-employment criminal background check and drug screen, and any client-required background screening. Estate clients routinely require their own screening as a condition of access.

Communication, Math, and Technology

Speak, read, and write English fluently. Read codes, safety rules, service manuals, piping and wiring diagrams, and control sequences, and write clear service narratives and client reports. Calculate superheat, subcooling, temperature split, static pressure, CFM, chilled water delta T, and electrical values, and perform unit conversions and estimating math. Proficient with field service software on a tablet or smartphone, manufacturer diagnostic and startup apps, BMS and controller interfaces, email, photo documentation, and digital timesheets.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Provides daily technical direction, on-site training, and quality review for Technician I and II, helpers, and apprentices, and gives the Service Manager input on their performance. No authority to hire, discipline, or terminate.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

Work is performed in occupied waterfront estates, estates under construction or renovation, private clubs, and commercial buildings. The employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts, outside weather, confined spaces, attics that can exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, mechanical rooms, rooftops, salt air, lightning, and the risk of electrical shock. Work inside finished residences requires protection of floors, finishes, furnishings, and art. Hurricane season may require storm preparation and post-storm response.

This position is very active and requires continuous standing, walking, bending, stooping, kneeling, crawling, climbing ladders, and pulling throughout the day, with frequent repetitive motions. The employee must frequently lift and carry up to 50 pounds and push or pull 50-pound loads, using team lifts or mechanical assistance for heavier equipment. Requires close, distance, color, and peripheral vision and depth perception. The employee must wear required PPE, follow company heat illness prevention practices, and work safely at all times. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

Hours, Travel, and Employment Conditions

Full-time, non-exempt. Overtime is paid per the Fair Labor Standards Act and company policy. Extended hours are expected in peak cooling season. The employee works the rotating on-call schedule and evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed for emergency service and storm response. Daily local travel in a company vehicle, with occasional overnight travel for training.

This job description is not a comprehensive list of duties, and duties may change at any time with or without notice. Employment with the Company is for an indefinite period and is "at will," which means either you or the Company may end the employment relationship at any time, for any or no reason, with or without cause or prior notice.

Soave Mechanical is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law, including the Florida Civil Rights Act. Accommodation requests go to Human Resources. The Company participates in E-Verify and maintains a Drug-Free Workplace program. Employment is contingent on a satisfactory background check, drug screen, and motor vehicle record review.