Plant Maintenance Technician

Job Description

About us: The City of Burlington Plant Maintenance Division within the Water Resources Department is responsible for maintaining and repairing equipment, facilities, and infrastructure that support the City's water and wastewater operations. This includes two water treatment plants, two wastewater treatment plants, a residuals management facility, laboratory facilities, administrative buildings, sewer lift stations, booster pump stations, and elevated water storage tank sites.

Our mission is to provide reliable, high-quality maintenance services that minimize equipment downtime, maximize operational efficiency, and support the continuous delivery of safe drinking water and effective wastewater treatment for the community. Through proactive maintenance, timely repairs, and ongoing system improvements, we help ensure the dependable operation of critical Water Resources facilities.

What you will do: This employee is responsible for the maintenance and repair of water and wastewater treatment plants, facilities, and related equipment. Emphasis of the work is on preventative maintenance and repair work to ensure optimum operation of both water and wastewater treatment systems. The employee performs mechanical, electrical, plumbing, welding, or machine maintenance on equipment including lubrication, inspection, and replacement parts; repairs plumbing of industrial and commercial piping systems and troubleshoots and maintains multiple motor control systems with multiple voltages.

Examples of Duties

Electrical & Mechanical Systems Maintenance:

• Diagnoses and repairs various systems, including pumps, valves, pipes, electrical equipment, power distribution (e.g., on-off switches, motor drives), high-pressure boilers, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, compressors, vacuum pumps, and more.
• Repairs electrical systems and components (e.g. industrial motors and controls systems).
• Assembles, repairs, and installs mechanical systems, such as air compressors and pumps.

Fabrication & System Modification:

• Fabricates metal parts and performs on-site welding for repairs.
• Modifies equipment for greater efficiency, configuring electrical and control systems to better meet operational needs.

Preventive Maintenance & Inspections:

• Inspects, maintains, and performs preventive maintenance on various mechanical systems, including pumps, motors, bearings, and meters.
• Cleans and replaces worn parts, filters, and screens as part of ongoing maintenance procedures.

Safety & Protocols:

• Maintains a safe working environment by adhering to safety rules and protocols.
• Participates in safety training and actively implements safety procedures during daily tasks.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Performs other related duties as needed to ensure systems are operational and efficient.

Qualifications

Industrial Maintenance Expertise:

• Extensive knowledge of industrial maintenance, including servicing electrical, plumbing, and hydraulic systems.
• Proficient in the operation and maintenance of electrical, electronic, and pneumatic control systems.
• Skilled in analyzing and ensuring the correct operation of pumping stations and related mechanical equipment.

Technical Proficiency & Documentation:

• Able to read, comprehend, and apply technical manuals for operational and maintenance procedures.
• Capable of keeping accurate records and generating detailed reports.

Collaboration & Independence:

• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively with team members.
• Follows oral and written instructions accurately to complete tasks.

Physical & Environmental Adaptability:

• Physically capable of performing tasks that require heavy lifting, wearing safety equipment such as self-contained breathing apparatus, bending, and driving under adverse conditions.
• Adaptable to working in challenging environments, including extreme temperatures and weather.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, and the public.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED equivalency and three to five (3-5) years work experience in industrial maintenance or plant maintenance, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL-B) or the ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Employee is classified as safety-sensitive.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certification from AWWA-WEA as a Maintenance Technologist I or higher is desired.
• Licensure by the NC State Board for Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC or General Contracting preferred.

Supplemental Information

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Work in this class is described as strenuous and frequently requires physical exertion to complete tasks and move objects.
• Work typically involves the ability to physically perform the basic life operational functions of climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, fingering, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing and repetitive motions.
• Work necessitates visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of work assigned in preparing and analyzing figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal viewing and extensive reading.
• Employee is subject to hazards, including proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, or exposure to chemicals or infectious bodily fluids, and atmospheric conditions due to exposure to fumes, odors, and dusts.
• Employee may work in close quarters, crawl space, shafts, man holes, small enclosed rooms, small sewage and water line pipes, and other areas which could cause claustrophobia.
• The worker is required to wear a respirator.
• Working conditions include both inside and outside environmental conditions.

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Inclement Weather Classification: Essential

Benefits

Benefits for full-time employees of the City of Burlington (with the exception of full-time sworn police officers) are as follows:

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Ability to transfer North Carolina local government earned sick leave.
• Paid holidays for New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
• Enrollment in the Local Government branch of the North Carolina State Retirement System
• Enrollment in Empower 401k
• Health and dental insurance coverage for employee and children; spouses may be added to the policy if they are not offered coverage at their own place of employment
• Voluntary enrollment in a Flexible Spending Plan
• Life insurance
• Long-term care insurance
• Other voluntary insurances and deferred compensation plans