Utilities Technician | 1st Shift | Wilmington, NC

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are

FedUp Foods, one of the nation's early producers of kombucha through the Buchi brand, and one of the largest functional beverage manufacturers in America, offers a diverse portfolio of organic private label functional beverages for top global retailers.

Our Culture

FedUp Foods fuels the growth and success of open-minded, collaborative, and passionate individuals who thrive on teamwork, creativity, and continuous learning.

As a proud benefit corporation we have chosen to make People one of our benefit pillars. We strive to make sure every employee of FedUp Foods feels welcomed, valued, and empowered by fostering a collaborative and adaptable community, providing growth opportunities, and creating a supportive environment where you can thrive both personally and professionally.

Our Values: Agility, Collaboration, Communication, Lifelong Learning, Community, Gratitude

Our Benefits (FT Roles):

• Health Insurance (80–90% of individual premium covered)
• Group Term Life Insurance (100% company-covered)
• Short-Term Disability (100% company-covered)
• Long-Term Disability (50% company-covered)
• Voluntary Dental, Vision, Life & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• 9 Paid Holidays, PTO & Sick Time

Position Summary

The Utility Technician keeps the facility's wastewater and utility systems running safely, reliably, and in compliance. These systems include wastewater equalization, boilers, reverse osmosis, the chiller, the generator, and the CO₂ and N2 tanks. The role covers scheduled rounds, data logging, routine and preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting. The technician escalates alarms and excursions and communicates proactively with production, maintenance, and leadership when utility conditions affect operations or regulatory and food safety compliance.

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and safety-focused, eager to learn utility systems, and comfortable doing hands-on work in a fast-paced, manufacturing environment.

General Duties/Responsibilities

Wastewater Equalization (EQ) System

• Run the equalization tank, the mixers, and pH neutralization by monitoring the level, making sure the pumps are running, and adjusting pH with chemical additions to ensure it's in control
• Monitor and log flow and pH of the discharges sent to the public utility authority
• Conduct chemical inventory for the wastewater dosing chemicals and alert the assigned individual when replenishment is needed
• Identify when production needs to slow or halt for wastewater treatment and proactively communicate such to the production teams
• Report excursions immediately to the appropriate leader and support permit compliance reporting with the local utility

Utility Systems

• Boilers
• Conduct a daily walkdown of the assigned boiler, logging multiple data points for boiler reliability
• Perform a boiler blowdown on the assigned boiler when necessary
• Help with annual jurisdictional boiler inspections for all boilers and prepare the boilers for them if needed

• Reverse Osmosis (RO) System
• Monitor RO water system; looking at flow, reject, and recycle rate, and alerting leadership if the values are trending out of range
• Execute the quarterly inspection of RO inlet filters

• Chiller
• Monitor supply and return temperatures, compressor statuses, and system pressures and alert maintenance when out of spec
• Test glycol concentration and check for leaks
• Keep condensers clean and do routine checks on pumps, filters, and the expansion tank

• Generator
• Monitor fuel reservoir level; update appropriate leader is low
• Verify transfer switch operation and support planned outage and power restoration procedures
• Keep run-hour records needed for EPA engine rule compliance

• CO2 and N2 Tanks
• Monitor tank levels and pressures, and coordinate deliveries with the gas suppliers
• Inspect vaporizers, regulators, relief valves, and piping for frost, leaks, or damage and escalate to maintenance as needed
• Verify that CO2 and O₂-deficiency monitors work on an assigned cadence, respond to alarms, and escalate meter and monitor mis-alignments to maintenance
• Follow cryogenic handling safety practices and PPE requirements

Safety, Quality, and Compliance (Role Specific)

• Conduct scheduled rounds of all assigned utilities on pre-defined cadence and keep accurate electronic or paper logs for every system
• Troubleshoot alarms of assigned utilities and abnormal conditions, and escalate to the appropriate position
• Conduct assigned preventive maintenance of assigned utilities and create work orders in the CMMS
• Follow LOTO, confined space, hot work, and chemical handling procedures