Operations & Maintenance Technician

The Commonwealth Chesapeake Peaker facility is just 3/4 mile south of the Maryland border. Built in 2000, the plant houses seven LM 6000 turbines with a total generating capacity of 315 MW at nominal load. Its strategic location allows for efficient energy production in the region.

Opportunity Summary

As an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Technician, you will be part of a dedicated team responsible for operating and maintaining the facility, performing tasks with minimal supervision across various skill areas. Your duties will include preventive maintenance, calibration, installation, and troubleshooting of critical plant equipment, such as turbines, generators, and control systems. You will also be expected to safely operate machinery, interpret complex schematics, and actively contribute to the site's safety and environmental management plans.

Primary Functions

• O&M Technicians work as part of an efficient and motivated team to operate and maintain the facility. These technicians carry out all duties across various skill areas with minimal direction and supervision.
• Instrument/electrical preventive maintenance includes calibration, testing, installation, troubleshooting, and repair of plant equipment, such as process control devices, motors, generators, batteries, transformers, regulators, valves, circuit breakers, disconnecting switches, analog/digital instrumentation, control relays, communication systems, lighting, and auxiliary equipment within the generating station and associated substations.
• Mechanical preventive maintenance includes calibration, testing, installation, troubleshooting, and repair of equipment such as aero-derivative turbines, generators, clutches, motors, pumps, compressors, and auxiliary systems. Additional tasks include vibration analysis, laser alignment, and oil analysis.
• Instrumentation and controls preventive maintenance includes calibration, testing, installation, troubleshooting, and repair of plant hardware and software systems, including the turbine control system (MicroNet), balance of plant control system (Emerson DeltaV), telemetry/SCADA (GE Harris, OSIsoft Pi), plant servers, networking, updates, and security systems.
• Safely operate equipment necessary for job duties, including vehicles, forklifts, man lifts, cranes, hoists, and welding/cutting tools. Utilize appropriate safety equipment and techniques in daily tasks.
• Read and interpret complex blueprints, wiring, and schematic diagrams, and perform both internal and external switching and tagging for mechanical and electrical systems.
• Efficiently use the computerized maintenance management system (Maximo) to generate tasks, work orders, requisitions, and manage spare parts inventory. Maintain accurate logs, records, and pass-down information.
• Actively participate in the site's Safety Management, Environmental, EHS Contingency, and Maintenance Plans, ensuring compliance with safety protocols and regulatory agencies.
• With the appropriate training, perform safe filling, shutdown, unloading, and inspection of diesel fuel handling, storage, and distribution systems.
• Maintain high standards of safety and housekeeping in assigned maintenance areas.
• Collaborate as a team member to achieve plant goals and objectives.
• Ensure thorough information turnover between shifts or during project handoffs.
• Develop procedures, reports, log sheets, and checklists.

Major Equipment List

The O&M Technician is responsible for maintaining and operating various equipment and components, including:

• GE LM-6000 aero-derivative turbine, controls, and auxiliaries.
• Alstom and Brush 50MW air-cooled generator, controls, and auxiliaries.
• Centrifugal inlet air chillers and controls.
• Rotary screw chillers and controls.
• Fuel oil centrifuges.
• Air compressors.
• Fuel distribution, storage, and unloading systems.
• Water supply systems, including demineralizers.
• Emerson/Control Dynamics distributed control system (DCS).
• Transformers, relays, circuit breakers, and related equipment.

NAES Safe

Safety is a core value of NAES and as a condition of employment, all employees are expected to be mentally alert and work safely at all times. Additionally, employees are required to adhere to all safety warnings and posted safety signs whenever on company property. Furthermore, employees must follow all NAES safety rules and procedures. Effectiveness in carrying out this responsibility is part of the evaluation of each employee’s performance.

Working Relationships

The O&M Technician reports to the O&M Manager and cooperates with all plant personnel relative to the operation and maintenance of the facility.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Physical requirements include standing for extended periods of time, stair and ladder climbing, and routinely lifting up to 50 pounds. Protective equipment must be worn in the performance of some duties (e.g., hard hats, safety glasses, air masks, ear protection, chemical suits, hot gloves, and high voltage protective equipment, etc.). Work with hazardous materials may be required. There are extensive smoking restrictions in and around the facility.

Working surfaces and terrain are varied: tile, concrete, stone/rock, grating, soil, and grass ground coverings. Access to areas include uneven surfaces, ladders, platforms, and while utilizing site procedures entry into areas with limited or confined access.

Fitness for Duty

All employees will participate in the Fitness for Duty Program. This program includes post-offer physical examination and drug screening and post-employment random drug screening.

Work Schedule

The work schedule follows a rotating 12-hour shift pattern, alternating between day and night shifts. Position requires extended working hours and varied shifts with weekend and holiday work, as required by schedules, workload, and plant conditions. "On call" status will rotate weekends and may periodically be required throughout the week.

Compensation

The initial starting compensation will range from $38 to $45 per hour and will include an annual performance bonus.

Job Qualifications

• Ability to comprehend procedures and instructions relevant to the assigned area, typically obtained through four years of high school.
• A two-year degree/diploma plus three years of related work experience is preferred.
• Experience with electric generating equipment and operations, including the repair and maintenance of turbine generators, is desired. Five years of progressively responsible work experience as a technician in a related industry may be substituted for this requirement.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of combustion turbine operations, industrial safety, hazardous waste management, and plant parameter inspection/recording is highly desirable.
• Experience with industrial chillers and aero-derivative turbines is a plus.
• Proficient knowledge of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, or control systems is essential for success in this role.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, along with familiarity with computer-based productivity tools such as Microsoft software, work order databases (CMMS), maintenance logs, and procurement systems, are necessary.
• The ability to work well with others, be self-directed, and apply creative solutions to unique instrumentation, electrical, and mechanical challenges is highly desirable.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Drivers License at all times.

About NAES

NAES Corporation is the leading provider of operations, maintenance, and engineering services for energy facilities. We have established ourselves as a reliable partner for clients in North America and internationally, offering services across power generation, oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors. Additionally, our growing family of companies enables us to address the entire life cycle of power generation and other industrial plants.

NAES is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is the practice of NAES to seek employees of the highest quality and to select individuals on the basis of merit and competence, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status or affiliation protected under USERRA, or any other basis of discrimination prohibited by applicable local, state and federal law.