Posted: Mar 6, 2024
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HVAC Major Systems Specialist

Southern Research - Birmingham, AL
Full-time
Application Deadline: N/A
biotech
Major Systems Specialist
 
General Summary
This position is responsible for maintaining the facility in proper working order to ensure a safe work environment for employees and a healthy living environment for laboratory animals; and providing on call emergency maintenance services, either as the primary contact or as a backup, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
 
Key Responsibilities
  • Responds to requests for maintenance and service from building occupants to include emergencies, maintenance problems, requested installations, modifications, repairs and adjustments, and other similar tasks.
  • Observes appropriate operational, safety and study requirements by reading, understanding, and following Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and study protocols.
  • Member of facility emergency response team.
  • Performs other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned or directed by Division management and supervision.
Position Specific
  • Installs and maintains laboratory equipment, animal racks and cages, and company vehicles as necessary.
  • Maintains and performs repairs, modifications, replacements and installations of automatic temperature control, controllers, relays, variable drives, variable inlet vanes, valve and damper actuators, pneumatic and electronic control systems, boiler fire control systems, and other similar equipment.
  • Operates, adjusts installs and maintains computerized energy management and control systems for electronic, direct digital and pneumatic control systems for HVAC equipment, chillers, boilers and other similar type equipment. Operates, adjusts, calibrates and maintains automatic temperature controls, controllers, variable speed motor drives, variable inlet vanes, valve and damper actuators, pneumatic and electronic control systems, boiler fire control systems and other similar type equipment.
  • Maintains and performs repairs, modifications, replacements and installations of HVAC equipment to include steam, gas, electrical and hot water heating systems, terminal reheat and VAV boxes, air handling units, ducts, chilled water systems, pumps, fan units, radiation and convection unit, valves, lamps, cooling tower, damper and valve actuators, T-Stats, pneumatic systems, coils, DX Units, hot water and steam converters, condensate systems, and other similar type equipment. Maintains and performs repairs on drinking water coolers.
  • Measures, calculates, balances and adjusts CFM readings for air handling systems.
  • Performs routine and preventive maintenance on steam, gas, electric and hot water heating systems, VAV boxes, pumps packaged air conditioning units, DX Units, reheat units, air handling units, boilers, cooling towers, chillers, hot water converters, control valves and dampers, air compressors, room T-Stats, air ducts, condenser and evaporator coils, ice machines, freezers, coolers and other similar type equipment.
  • Utilizes CFCs and HCFCs refrigerant recovery/recycling equipment, maintains records, and performs all service and maintenance repairs in accordance with current EPA regulations.
  • Reads, understands and interprets blueprints, drawings, floor plans, schedules and manufacturers operating and/or maintenance specifications as they relate to electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and special equipment, building structures and finishes.
  • Maintains and performs repairs, modifications, replacements and installations on a wide variety of light and heavy duty heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment for both existing facilities, and those under renovation.
  • Performs routine and preventive maintenance to include operating, cleaning, inspecting and troubleshooting, adjusting, tightening, replacing, lubricating, reporting problems, and other similar tasks on a wide variety of light and heavy duty heating ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
  • May be called upon to assist other maintenance personnel in the completion of their work to include Electricians, Plumbers, Maintenance Technicians, Sheet Metal Workers and others.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:          
  • High School diploma or equivalent
Experience:        
  • Five (5) years’ experience in commercial or industrial HVAC or refrigeration equipment maintenance within similar facilities.​
Skills/Certifications/Licenses:
  • Driver’s License, valid in the State of Alabama.
  • An EPA approved “Universal” type CFC certification.
  • Candidate must demonstrate verifiable skills in the following:
    • Installation of a single duct direct digital variable air volume controller on a single duct air terminal and set it up to be fully functional. This is to include proper mounting and wiring of hardware, interfacing with controller and setting of controller attributes using setup software, and able to perform a “test & balance” on the air terminal to ensure the air terminal is distributing the specified air flow.
    • Traversing an air duct using a manometer and calculating the amount of air flowing through the cut with three different readings obtained:
    • Average different pressure of the traversed duct.
    • Average velocity in feet per minute (fpm) of the traversed duct.
    • Total volume of air moving through the duct in cubic feet per minute (cfm).
Preferred Qualifications
  • An approved accredited post-secondary vocational or technical school diploma.
  • Fume hood and Bio-Safety Cabinet experience.
  • Certification of competencies or multiple years’ experience in the following are preferred:  Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing and other building trades.
Core Values
Cultivating human connection – putting people first.  We know that every individual makes a difference and that no one can do it alone.  We believe the world’s most powerful resource is human potential.  We are an inclusive and courageous team where innovation and diversity of though go hand in hand.  We understand that relationships move at the speed of trust.
Operating with precise execution – measuring what matters and owning results as a team.  We leverage data to drive decisions that advance science.  We recognize the importance of a stable foundation coupled with an agile mindset.  We hold ourselves accountable and take pride in our work.  We give and receive candid feedback as a gift that keeps us growing.
Harnessing relentless curiosity – our unstoppable, innovative force.  We are driven to ask sharp questions and push the boundaries of knowledge.  We use creativity and critical thinking as catalysts for finding solutions that change lives.  We learn by doing, consistently striving to improve our relationships, training, methodologies, questions and results.
Stewarding a healthy community – implementing sustainable operations for a safe, engaging environment.  We don’t compromise on safety and health for our employees, customers or community.  We believe a healthy community begins with inclusive economic opportunities.  We respect the dignity of the patients we ultimately serve.  We are motivated to serve communities that are underserved and markets that are overlooked.
 
Work Environment & Conditions
Ability to wear appropriate PPE if necessary to enter BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory work environments and building maintenance spaces.
 
Physical Demands
Possess the necessary physical requirements, with or without the aid of mechanical devices, to safely perform the duties and responsibilities of his position to include:
  • Sitting or standing for long periods of time
  • Bending and stooping
  • Extended computer use
  • Ability to climb ladders and stairs in performing work
  • Lifting and carrying a minimum of fifty (50) pounds
  • Working in confined spaces
  • Working within extreme temperature ranges