Utility Systems Repairer - Operator

Veterans Health Administration•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

This position serves as a Utility Systems Repairer Operator at the Boiler Plant within the Engineering Service at the Kansas City VAMC in Kansas City, Missouri. The operator maintains and operates high-pressure boilers, chillers, HVAC/R equipment, and electronic controls to provide safe and reliable utility services for critical clinical, laboratory, and life-safety environments. The work includes troubleshooting, repair, preventive maintenance, monitoring, and emergency response to support continuous operations and compliance with applicable requirements. The position operates centralized chilled-water systems, including large chillers, pumps, cooling towers, and chemical treatment systems, and monitors steam and chilled-water systems through facilities energy-management and BAS/SCADA platforms. It maintains environmental conditions in sensitive spaces and performs water analyses, equipment inspections, and field repairs. Boiler duties include operating high-pressure steam boilers and associated fuel, feedwater, condensate, and auxiliary systems; analyzing combustion; troubleshooting equipment; and carrying out emergency shutdowns and startups. The operator also maintains and calibrates electronic industrial controls, diagnoses circuit faults, interprets technical documentation, and supports PLC/DDC control logic and BAS integration. The position performs scheduled preventive maintenance and system testing, maintains accurate operating and maintenance records, responds independently to utility emergencies, and collaborates with engineers, contractors, and maintenance staff on system changes and documentation. Shift work is required to support 24/7 boiler plant operations; tours may include days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Requirements

Evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality to demonstrate the ability to perform the work; no specific length of training or experience is required.
Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the position duties, supported by detailed descriptions in the resume.
Ability to meet the screen-out element and job elements, including equipment assembly, installation, and repair; inspection; interpreting instructions and specifications, including blueprint reading; technical practices; and working without more than normal supervision.
U.S. citizenship is required.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Subject to a background/security investigation and a pre-employment physical.
Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel employee.
Must serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
Ability to work shift schedules that may include days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
Ability to perform sustained physical work, including working from ladders, scaffolds, and platforms and in tiring positions for extended periods.
Ability to occasionally lift items over 50 pounds and items weighing up to 100 pounds with assistance; frequently lift, carry, and set up parts and equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work indoors and outdoors in varied weather and in conditions that may be dirty, wet, dusty, greasy, poorly lit, hot, or inadequately ventilated, with exposure to occupational hazards.

Responsibilities

Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot centralized chilled-water systems, including chillers, pumps, cooling towers, and chemical treatment systems.
Monitor and control steam and chilled-water systems using the Schneider Electric Facilities Energy Management System and BAS/SCADA platforms.
Regulate temperature and humidity in critical areas such as operating rooms, laboratories, ICUs, IT spaces, and research areas.
Perform field repairs, isolate defective equipment, and take corrective action during abnormal or alarm conditions.
Conduct water and condenser-water analyses and adjust chemical concentrations for system performance and corrosion control.
Inspect, lubricate, adjust, and repair air handlers, fans, motors, valves, strainers, belts, coils, ductwork, dampers, and HVAC/R components.
Operate high-pressure steam boilers and associated fuel systems, feedwater equipment, condensate systems, and auxiliary components.
Perform combustion analysis, adjust fuel-air ratios, regulate pressure systems, and support compliance with safety, environmental, NFPA, and ASHRAE standards.
Troubleshoot burners, safety devices, regulators, flue gas recirculation systems, steam traps, expansion joints, and condensate return systems.
Execute emergency shutdowns and startups and respond to fuel interruptions, power outages, and equipment failures.
Maintain, repair, and calibrate electronic control systems for boilers, chillers, feedwater systems, fuel delivery systems, and auxiliary equipment.
Diagnose analog and digital circuit faults using oscilloscopes, multimeters, signal generators, and software diagnostic tools.
Interpret and update P&IDs, wiring diagrams, schematics, and technical manuals to support troubleshooting and repairs.
Develop and implement custom control logic for PLC/DDC systems and integrate legacy equipment with modern BAS platforms.
Perform scheduled preventive maintenance on boilers, chillers, pumps, motors, refrigeration units, air handlers, water-treatment systems, VFDs, exhaust systems, and distribution loops.
Collect and analyze water samples from boilers, condensate tanks, deaerators, and softeners; adjust chemical feed rates and perform blow-down procedures.
Repair and replace piping, steam traps, valves, gauges, pump motors, and related components.
Maintain operating logs covering steam generation, boiler pressures, temperatures, fuel consumption, and system performance.
Work independently on assigned shifts and act as lead operator to ensure safe operation of plant systems.
Respond to emergency trouble calls for Medical Center utilities and coordinate corrective actions, including calling in off-duty personnel when necessary.
Make operational decisions such as boiler shutdowns or startups, load transfers, and system bypasses to maintain Medical Center operations.
Ensure work complies with VA standards, NFPA codes, ASHRAE guidelines, environmental regulations, and Joint Commission requirements.
Maintain records in CMMS systems such as Maximo or TMA and prepare documentation for audits and inspections.
Collaborate with engineers, contractors, and maintenance personnel on upgrades, retrofits, commissioning, and SOP revisions.