HVAC & REFRIGERATOR SPECIALIST

Duke Careers•Durham, NC

47d

About The Position

At Duke, we celebrate individuality and the unique perspectives each member of our community brings. As an HVACR Mechanic, you'll play a critical role in creating environments that allow our students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors to learn, work, heal, and thrive. Your technical expertise ensures that the buildings across our campus and health system remain safe, comfortable, efficient, and reliable. In this role, you’ll apply advanced heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) knowledge to maintain and repair complex systems. You’ll support preventative maintenance programs, troubleshoot sophisticated equipment, and contribute to Duke’s commitment to energy efficiency, sustainability, and operational excellence. At Duke, you’ll join a community rooted in collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. We are committed to ensuring that every member of our workforce feels welcome, respected, and supported. Duke is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Apply now and help us build, maintain, and strengthen the spaces where the Duke community learns, grows, discovers, and heals.

Requirements

High school education (or equivalent) with relevant coursework in skilled trades.
Valid North Carolina driver’s license.
Valid CFC certification.
Formal training in HVAC safety, lockout/tagout, fleet safety, fire extinguishers, hazardous waste, PPE, communication etiquette, filter identification, wiring, and CMMS tools.
Six (6) years of HVAC experience or equivalent education/experience combination.
Strong knowledge of HVACR fundamentals including heating/cooling principles, airflow, electricity, pneumatic controls, psychometrics, and refrigeration cycles.
Ability to read and interpret blueprints, diagrams, schematics, and operating instructions.
Skilled in troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, equipment repair, and system analysis.
Ability to perform duct installation, refrigerant handling, equipment alignment, system balancing, and advanced diagnostics.

Responsibilities

Perform general repairs and preventive maintenance on all heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.
Regularly perform physical tasks including standing, walking, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, and lifting (up to 100 pounds as needed).
Assist higher-level HVACR mechanics and support team operations by cleaning mechanical rooms, delivering parts, completing forms, and maintaining equipment areas.
Install, clean, maintain, store, and dispose of HVAC filters; follow safety protocols; use magnehelic gauges to measure filter efficiency; manage filter inventory.
Assemble structural and functional components including motors, controls, switches, pumps, compressors, and condensers using screws, bolts, soldering, brazing, and welding.
Pump refrigerants or fluids into systems; start and observe systems; read gauges and instruments; make system adjustments for pressure, temperature, and fluid levels.
Dismantle malfunctioning systems, test components, and replace or adjust worn parts.
Perform preventive maintenance on a wide range of equipment including AC units, water coolers, split systems, heat pumps, mixing boxes, air handlers, exhaust fans, coils, pumps, and cooling towers.
Use the Facilities Automated Control System (FACS) to diagnose issues and take corrective action.
Troubleshoot and repair air conditioning units, refrigeration systems, DX units (hermetic, semi-hermetic, scroll, and reciprocating), coolers, freezers, refrigerators, ice machines, and chillers.
Maintain and repair pneumatic, electronic, and line-voltage controls.
Read, interpret, and apply information from blueprints, sketches, wiring diagrams, block diagrams, and ladder schematics.
Adjust airflow and temperatures to support comfort and energy efficiency standards.
Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair water-side, air-side, and building systems using psychometric and performance analysis.
Replace motors, bearings, couplings, sheaves, pumps, and starters; perform alignment and vibration analysis.
Add, recover, and log refrigerants in compliance with Duke and federal guidelines.
Follow all safety and compliance requirements, including OSHA standards, LOTO procedures, hazardous waste protocols, and PPE.
Be available for on-call or stand-by duties as designated by Local 465 agreements.