Chiller/Boiler Specialist

About the role

Are you looking for career opportunities that provide top-notch benefits including paid vacation & sick leave, outstanding health & dental insurance, a free health clinic for you & your dependents, a generous retirement plan, and much more?

Travis County’s Facilities Management Department has great jobs that serve dozens of facilities across the county. We offer stable career options with training and tuition reimbursement available to get you to the next level in your career.

Travis County Facilities Management Department is seeking a skilled HVAC professional to assist with maintaining and repairing climate control systems in County buildings. This role focuses heavily on maintaining complex mechanical infrastructure and optimizing efficiency via modern Building Automation Systems (BAS) and direct digital controls (DDC), along with refrigerant monitors and refrigerant logging. Performs routine maintenance and repair on chilled water cooling systems (air and water cooled chillers and cooling towers) and hot water/steam heating systems,]including related equipment.

Performs skilled journey level work for preventive maintenance, repairs, and additions to County heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC) systems, including preventive maintenance and repairs on large chillers, heating boilers, water treatment systems and associated equipment. Serves as Technical Quality Assurance Evaluator on any contracted work on these systems. Performs all work in accordance with adopted building codes using appropriate

Number of Vacancies: 2

Distinguishing Characteristics

This is a job classification within the Skilled Trades job family. This classification is distinguished by the additional experience and the ability to perform skilled journey level of HVAC work on large chiller water refrigeration systems/boilers. This classification may require work in secure facilities. This classification may require a flexible work schedule in order to meet the needs of the department.

• Performs routine maintenance and repair on chilled water cooling systems and hot water/steam heating systems, including related equipment.
• Performs daily, weekly and monthly inspection, testing, certification, maintenance and repairs on the large chilled water and heating systems.
• Maintains Refrigerant logs and Refrigerant Monitors for assigned systems.
• Inspects and corrects settings for control, and safety devices associated with chillers/boilers.
• Opens and inspects chillers, condensers, cooling towers, belts, valves, back-flow preventers and motors.
• Opens, inspects and cleans assigned boilers, operates and bleeds feed equipment to ensure proper operation, chemically tests system water, checks motors, pumps and couplings prior to winter startup.
• Checks steam lines and gas pressure to boilers. Provides summer shut down of heating systems.
• Monitors expiration dates for boiler certifications and schedules inspections.
• Provides technical quality assurance evaluations for contractor work on assigned systems.
• Provides on-the-job training and serves as crew leader for mechanics on chiller/boiler systems.
• Researches and estimates time and materials needed and records time and materials used. Requests for needed tools, equipment, supplies and materials to perform assigned tasks. Monitors expenditure of supplies and controls inventory of equipment and tools.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Associate's degree in a technical field AND five (5) years of experience in chiller and boiler maintenance field, including two (2) years of experience in maintenance of large chiller units;
• OR,
• Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Universal Certification.Must have a valid Texas Driver's License.
• Must pass a criminal background check for CJIS clearance.
• Applicants are required to successfully pass the background investigation, including fingerprint clearance.

Preferred

Chiller Mechanic Certification by at least one major chiller manufacturer.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of

• HVAC codes, related terminology, practices and procedures.
• Standard HVAC maintenance and repair methods, materials, tools and equipment.
• Centrifugal/screw chillers, hot water and steam boiler systems and associated systems.
• Proper procedures for working with and containing freons.
• Preventive maintenance schedules and procedures for major chiller/heating systems.
• Remote and other DDC systems to monitor system operations.
• Chilled water expansion systems.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, guidelines, rules, regulations and applicable carpentry standards and procedures.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.

Skill in

• Operating and using standard HVAC tools and equipment.
• Installing and maintaining HVAC work.
• Reading and interpreting schematics and blueprints.
• Proper and applicable safety practices, procedures and regulations.
• Working with others, including on a team.
• Explaining complicated problems in simple non-technical language.
• Calculating estimates of time, labor and quantities of materials needed.
• Diagnose problem to repair or replace.
• Both verbal and written communication.

Ability to

• Understand and precisely follow both verbal and written instructions and communicate in a concise and effective manner.
• Work efficiently, both independently and as part of a team.
• Reason and make judgments and decisions.
• Manage time well, perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, other County employees and officials, representatives of outside agencies, and the general public.

Additional information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 50 pounds, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment.

Subject standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending for extended periods of time, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, driving, handling, use of vision, depth perception, reaching, forceful gripping, twisting, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting, working in cramped or confined spaces or areas for extended periods of time to perform the essential functions.

Subject to contact with hazardous waste, foul odors, animal and human fecal matter, insects and rodents, toxic or potential hazardous chemical or substances, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, loud noises, and high voltage. Requires work indoors/outdoors in all types of weather (excessive heat and cold). Requires working at heights from ladders and scaffolds.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

This job classification may require you to work evenings, overnight, and holiday shifts as needed.

Department: Facilities Management

Location: 700 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701

Criminal, Driving, Education and Employment Background Checks Required.

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.