Utilities Technician | 1st Shift | Wilmington, NC

FedUp Foods•Wilmington, NC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Utility Technician keeps the facility's wastewater and utility systems running safely, reliably, and in compliance. These systems include wastewater equalization, boilers, reverse osmosis, the chiller, the generator, and the CO₂ and N₂ tanks. The role covers scheduled rounds, data logging, routine and preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting. The technician escalates alarms and excursions and communicates proactively with production, maintenance, and leadership when utility conditions affect operations or regulatory and food safety compliance. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and safety-focused, eager to learn utility systems, and comfortable doing hands-on work in a fast-paced, manufacturing environment.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required
1+ year of manufacturing, industrial, or facilities maintenance environment required
Attention to detail and ability to follow established processes, SOPs, and work instructions
Ability to read and interpret running conditions for assigned utility operations
High standard of cleanliness and a safety-first mindset
Ability to stay organized, and remain flexible in a fast-paced production environment
Basic computer skills and ability to enter data accurately into spreadsheets, checklists, or documents
Willingness to learn utilities and processes
Basic understanding of pumps
Ability to interact effectively with team members and contribute to a positive, team-oriented work environment
Must be able to safely wear and utilize required personal protective equipment (PPE), which may include safety glasses, hearing protection, gloves, hair restraints, beard restraints, protective footwear, and other PPE as required
Must be able to safely perform work in accordance with company safety policies, GMP requirements, food safety standards, and operating procedures
Frequent standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, crouching, crawling, as well as maneuvering of heavy equipment and/or parts, occasionally on uneven, slippery, and/or wet surfaces
Must maintain situational awareness and safely work around production equipment, mobile equipment, and other personnel
Ability to lift up to 20 pounds regularly and up to 100 pounds occasionally with assistance
Must be willing and able to work overtime, extended shifts, weekends, and schedule adjustments as required to support business operations
Must be able to take part in on-call or callout coverage as requested; occasionally flex from 8 hour to 12 hour shift

Nice To Haves

Experience with utility or plant systems such as boilers, chillers, pumps, water treatment, or wastewater preferred

Responsibilities

Run the equalization tank, the mixers, and pH neutralization by monitoring the level, making sure the pumps are running, and adjusting pH with chemical additions to ensure it's in control
Monitor and log flow and pH of the discharges sent to the public utility authority
Conduct chemical inventory for the wastewater dosing chemicals and alert the assigned individual when replenishment is needed
Identify when production needs to slow or halt for wastewater treatment and proactively communicate such to the production teams
Report excursions immediately to the appropriate leader and support permit compliance reporting with the local utility
Conduct a daily walkdown of the assigned boiler, logging multiple data points for boiler reliability
Perform a boiler blowdown on the assigned boiler when necessary
Help with annual jurisdictional boiler inspections for all boilers and prepare the boilers for them if needed
Monitor RO water system; looking at flow, reject, and recycle rate, and alerting leadership if the values are trending out of range
Execute the quarterly inspection of RO inlet filters
Monitor chiller supply and return temperatures, compressor statuses, and system pressures and alert maintenance when out of spec
Test chiller glycol concentration and check for leaks
Keep chiller condensers clean and do routine checks on pumps, filters, and the expansion tank
Monitor generator fuel reservoir level; update appropriate leader if low
Verify generator transfer switch operation and support planned outage and power restoration procedures
Keep generator run-hour records needed for EPA engine rule compliance
Monitor CO₂ and N₂ tank levels and pressures, and coordinate deliveries with the gas suppliers
Inspect CO₂ and N₂ vaporizers, regulators, relief valves, and piping for frost, leaks, or damage and escalate to maintenance as needed
Verify that CO₂ and O₂-deficiency monitors work on an assigned cadence, respond to alarms, and escalate meter and monitor mis-alignments to maintenance
Follow cryogenic handling safety practices and PPE requirements
Conduct scheduled rounds of all assigned utilities on pre-defined cadence and keep accurate electronic or paper logs for every system
Troubleshoot alarms of assigned utilities and abnormal conditions, and escalate to the appropriate position
Conduct assigned preventive maintenance of assigned utilities and create work orders in the CMMS
Follow LOTO, confined space, hot work, and chemical handling procedures
Support food safety programs (GMPs, SQF/FSMA as applicable) wherever utilities touch products, such as water, gases, and steam
Review utility (water, gas, electric) usage to identify and suggest efficiency opportunities
Help with shutdowns, projects, and commissioning of new equipment as assigned
Monitor local weather conditions and report out to the facility if/when lightning is present following the facility weather policy
Follow GMP policy in the production facility and encourage the team to do the same
Understand safe, quality food policies including pest control, visitors, allergen management, and cleaning and sanitation
Support management's commitment to quality food safety objectives
Report any food safety or quality problem to the FSQ so it can be logged in the CAPA log, investigated, and resolved