How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Job Summary
The University of Michigan is seeking a Field Engineer (FE) to work within the Facilities & Operations (F&O) Maintenance Services Department. The FE's primary responsibility will be to work alongside the HVAC & Chilled Water Program Manager to oversee chemical treatment and testing service contracts of glycol-based and high-purity systems, including condensing type cooling towers, chilled water systems, heating hot water systems, dual temp water systems and systems serving laboratory operations. The secondary, but equally critical role, will be active participation with the Office of Campus Sustainability's Building Tune-Up Program to better integrate the Maintenance Services Team. This recommissioning type of program actively identifies issues with building systems to save energy and preserve valuable assets. This position will work in the field with skilled tradespersons daily.
The ideal candidate is interested in a career in facilities engineering and understands the value of a major campus environment with a broad group of facility, mechanical system, and skilled tradespersons to develop hands-on knowledge from. The preferred candidate is an Engineer-in-Training seeking to obtain their professional licensure through field experience in troubleshooting and developing solutions for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, controls and other mechanical systems.
Responsibilities*
Provide oversight of the Campus Water Treatment and High-Purity Water Program:
- Manage the multi-year chemical water treatment service contract.
- Manage the multi-year high purity water treatment testing service contract.
- Support water-treatment related preventative maintenance standards and monitoring for HVAC and high purity water systems to improve lifespan and functionality.
- Manage water treatment assets. Triage failures and malfunctions, track corrective action to completion. Supported assets may also include water filtration and humidification systems.
- As requested, be able to provide reports to asset owners and key leadership on system status and issues.
Support the HVAC & Chilled Water Program Manager:
- Partner with the HVAC and Chilled Water Program Manager to ensure functionality of cooling towers, chilled water, and heating hot water and geothermal systems.
- Triage equipment failures for water chemistry effects and perform root cause analysis.
- Support RFP development for periodic overhauls and quality assurance oversight.
- Provide field-level knowledge to the HVAC and Chilled Water Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA) team for Cooling Tower condition assessment and funding prioritization.
- Support development facility condition assessment (FCA) deficiency notifications and participate or lead associated FCA committees.
- Perform preventative maintenance spot checks on high value/system-critical HVAC assets.
Collaborate with the Office of Sustainability (OCS):
- Lead Maintenance Services support to OCS as a standing member of the Building Tune-Up team.
- Prioritize and develop reporting metrics for work orders resulting from tune-up activities to ensure timely completion to ensure long-term health of valuable assets.
- Develop an in-depth knowledge of building mechanical systems across the Ann Arbor Campus.
Collaborate with Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC):
- As required, support design review during new project development.
- As required, support design guidelines and specification development for water treatment systems.
- Validate new water treatment systems are commissioned, tagged and preventative maintenance plans are in place prior to beneficial occupancy.
Ensure environmental regulatory compliance:
- Coordinate with Environmental, Health & Safety (EH&S) on chemical handling and storage, hazardous waste, and spill prevention compliance.
- As requested, participate on safety and health working groups dealing with water treatment-related issues, e.g., a committee formed to ensure appropriate mitigation efforts are in place at UMICH to deal with legionella concerns (ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015 Committee).
Required Qualifications*
- Bachelor's degree in an ABET-accredited engineering discipline, preferably mechanical, chemical, industrial, or environmental.
- Engineer-In-Training (EIT) or become as an Engineer-In-Training (EIT) within one year of being hired.
- Excellent communication skills, the ability to write technical procedures, bid specifications, etc.
- Ability to respond to after-hour emergencies.
- Physical ability to perform field investigations which may require working from heights; entering confined spaces; moving items, and other physical requirements associated with the construction and maintenance industry.
Desired Qualifications*
- Water treatment, high-purity systems, HVAC-R education or experience, preferably in a large campus-type industrial, commercial or academic setting.
- Some proficiency in the use of laboratory equipment, such as conductivity meters, pH meters, spectrophotometers, titration equipment, etc.
- Ability to learn special laboratory equipment such as Ion Chromatography and Specific Ion Electrochemistry
- Ability to obtain Professional Engineering (PE) licensure.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Additional Information
Facilities and Operations is a positive organization dedicated to the principles of being respectful, collaborative, solutions-based, and proactive.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.