Power Plant Mechanic Journeyman

City of Gainesville•Gainesville, FL

22h•$20 - $47

About The Position

Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) is seeking a skilled, journey-level mechanic candidate with experience in supporting power plant generation and balance-of-plant equipment through inspection, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, overhaul, and fabrication. Under limited supervision, the successful candidate performs precision work on rotating equipment especially pump and motor alignment, motor coupling installation/repair, and vibration-related troubleshooting—to ensure safe, reliable plant operations. The role requires strong hands-on mechanical aptitude and a safety-first mindset, with demonstrated ability to diagnose complex equipment issues, plan and execute outage work, and document work completed in computerized maintenance systems. Welding and machine shop experience are preferred/considered a bonus. Incumbents may be asked to support multiple units or locations based on operational need and may assist with training and coaching apprentices/trainees. Ideal candidates bring experience from paper mills, power plants, or other large industrial environments where rotating equipment reliability, precision alignment, and outage execution are core expectations. Multiple positions may be filled from this posting. Job Description: SUMMARY This is skilled work at the journey level servicing, maintaining, fabricating, and repairing power plant generation operating equipment, facilities, structures, and ancillary mechanical support equipment. Positions allocated to this classification report to a designated supervisor and work under limited supervision. Work in this class is distinguished from other classes by its advanced technical skills and requirement to train and instruct personnel.

Requirements

Graduation from high school, or possession of an acceptable equivalency diploma, and completion of all requirements as established in progression-through-training program(s) for Power Plant Apprentice, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Must meet minimum Craft and Safety Training established for designated journey program within the guidelines established in the Progression-Through-Training program.
Valid State of Florida driver license.
Thorough knowledge of operation of, and types of defects and repair methods applicable to power plant equipment.
Thorough knowledge of occupational hazards and safety rules and regulation, and safety precautions.
Skill in use and care of tools and equipment needed for various mechanical repair tasks.
Skill in techniques and tools of several building trades.
Ability to read and interpret equipment schematics, blueprints, drawings, and maintenance, operation, and spare parts manuals.
Ability to keep work records and make reports and math calculations.
Ability to document work completed in computerized systems.
Ability to relay via written and verbal methods.
Ability to read, understand, and comply with Material Safety Data Sheets.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
Ability to guide and train subordinate personnel in performance of their duties.
Ability to work effectively with coworkers and the general public.
Work requires normal color vision to distinguish the color and severity of many control and safety devices.
Work requires the use of personal protection equipment including hearing protection, eye protection, foot protection, hand protection, head protection and use of respiratory protection including self-contained breathing units.
This position requires the ability to use respiratory protection equipment in compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.
Works at heights of over 100 feet on open grating or from aerial devices required, including the ability to climb and descend stairs and ladders.
Work requires physical strength and agility sufficient to safely perform all essential job functions including the ability to lift, carry, push, or pull 50 pounds without assistance and to stand, kneel and stoop.
Must communicate orally, see physical surroundings, listen, hear others, respond to oral commands, and demonstrate good communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Welding and machine shop experience are preferred/considered a bonus.
Ideal candidates bring experience from paper mills, power plants, or other large industrial environments where rotating equipment reliability, precision alignment, and outage execution are core expectations.

Responsibilities

Services, repairs, overhauls, and maintains a wide variety of power plant equipment and structures.
Is required to maintain and learn new techniques to allow for maintaining existing facilities as well as new facilities containing new generation technology.
Must be able to learn and retain power plant theory and operational practices to allow for diagnosis of complex equipment and system repair.
Perfoms limited planning and forecasting during off peak outage times to assist in future outage preparation.
Performs limited welding, acetylene burning, brazing, and soldering.
Maintains combustion turbines and mechanical components, such as torque converters, starting motor, auxiliary gearbox, blowers, filtration systems, pumps, valves, sootblowers and enclosures.
Maintains coal conveyors and drive mechanisms, crushing equipment, scales, pulleys, belts, idlers, drives, and filtering equipment.
Maintains biomass handling equipment including tipper equipment, hydraulic systems, drag chains, reclaimer, spike rollers, and conveyors.
Maintains steam turbine including casing and valve disassembly, critical lifting and rigging, turbine clearance measurements, turbine alignment measurements and corrections and reassembly.
Maintains utility-scale generators (hydrogen- and air-cooled) including disassembly, critical lifting and rigging, alignment, and reassembly.
Maintains balance of plant equipment such as high energy pumps, lube oil systems, large fans, compressors, heat exchangers, gearboxes, screw feeders, rotary feeders, fluid couplings, valves and solid handling systems, including precision alignment.
Maintains through planned outage tasks reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE), combustion turbines (CT), brine concentrators.
Ability to troubleshoot and repair RICE, CT and brine concentrators.
Complies with information provided on Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all products.
Handles and stores items properly.
Observes and adheres to proper lockout/tag out of plant equipment and systems in accordance with clearance procedures, policies, and practices.
Attends training courses to learn operations and maintenance requirements of power plant facilities, equipment, and operation.
Completes established training objectives for craft area assigned to journey level
Records and reports malfunctions and irregularities and maintains required control logs.
Performs carpentry and painting tasks.
Performs skilled plumbing and pipe fitting duties.
Creates parts and fixtures by cutting and shaping metals.
Maintains heating and air conditioning systems.
Responds to emergency situations.
Attends work on a continuous and regular basis.
Performs Job Hazard analyses (retask safety review) on work to be performed.
Assists in coal unloading and processing operation.
Assists certified welders.
Assists in cleaning of plant facilities, equipment and general housekeeping.
May be required to transport, mix, handle or use hazardous materials (other than cans of gasoline, batteries, pumping fuel or access to normal janitorial cleaning materials) or may be responsible for facilities or equipment carrying current, fluids or gas that could endanger the public or other employees.
May act in absence of supervisor.
Assists with training of Power Plant Trainees, and other personnel as directed by the Power Plant Maintenance Supervisor.
May be required to train and perform duties in emergency egress, accidental spill incidents, and other safety-related emergencies.
Performs other related duties as assigned.