Water Resources Engineering Technician

School of Government Services•Chapel Hill, NC

2d•$36 - $38

About The Position

The selected candidate will be employed by the School of Government Services (SOG Services), but their work location and reporting responsibilities will be at Energy Services Co Generation plant. SOG Services assists faculty and staff at the UNC School of Government in carrying out its important mission: to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. As a nonprofit organization and an official affiliated entity of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, SOG Services also contributes to advancing UNC-Chapel Hill’s broader mission of academic excellence, research, and public service. Water resources staff oversee the non-potable and stormwater systems on campus and coordinate with the local water and sewer provider to ensure effective and resilient water services on campus. Water resources is part of Energy Services, which provides utilities on campus. This role involves a mix of technical troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and system repair responsibilities. The engineering technician is tasked with diagnosing and repairing instrumentation and control systems, including programming PLC ladder logic, while collaborating with non-potable water customers to ensure system performance meets operational needs. Preventive maintenance duties include verifying plumbing connections for regulatory compliance, calibrating instrumentation, replacing consumables such as lamps and filters, and tuning control systems to maintain efficiency. In addition, the position will assist with troubleshooting and repairing stormwater and non-potable water infrastructure—such as underground pipes, cisterns, conduits, and electronic components—by coordinating with senior engineering staff and managing small repair projects. This role is full-time (30 hours/week ) non-exempt and will be compensated on an hourly basis.

Requirements

Experience with PLC ladder logic programming, preferably on Allen Bradley equipment.
Ability to perform preventive maintenance tasks such as instrument calibration and control system tuning.
Ability to troubleshoot and complete simple repairs with electrical and mechanical components such as VFDs and pumps.
Proven ability to diagnose and resolve system issues in coordination with engineering staff and facilities teams.
Strong communication skills for collaborating with customers, contractors, and internal staff.
Organizational skills to document repairs, maintenance activities, and system performance.
Associates degree in a relevant technical field, or at least 5 years relevant experience.

Nice To Haves

Advanced experience with PLC programming, instrumentation calibration, and control system optimization.
Ability to repair and replace basic electrical components of non-potable water systems.
Basic understanding of indoor plumbing.
Knowledge of stormwater and non-potable water systems, including underground pipes, cisterns, conduits, and related infrastructure.
Strong customer service orientation with experience addressing technical inquiries from non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to manage contractors and coordinate multi-team repair projects effectively.

Responsibilities

Troubleshoot and repair instrumentation and control systems, including pumps, VFDs, and PLCs and various sensors.
Repair and replace
Collaborate with non-potable water customers to adjust operation sequences and instrument settings to ensure system performance meets operational needs.
Using ladder logic program to adjust control sequences and instrument settings to optimize system efficiency.
Basic repairs of instruments and controls for non-potable water systems including VFDs.
Conduct preventive maintenance on non-potable water systems.
Verify plumbing connections for regulatory compliance.
Ensure instrumentation is functioning properly; coordinate calibration as needed.
Replace lamps, filters, and other consumables.
Tune and test control systems to maintain optimal performance.
Diagnose and resolve issues in stormwater and non-potable water systems in coordination with senior engineering staff.
Direct and complete repairs using a tiered approach: First preference: complete work with Water Resources (WR) staff. Second preference: complete a work order for facilities staff to complete work. Third preference: hire an outside contractor through facilities and/or purchasing.
Maintain and repair infrastructure including: Underground pipes, structures, conduits, and electrical/plumbing appurtenances. Cisterns, controls, electronics, and instrumentation.
Assist with budget preparation and monitoring.
Address billing questions and customer inquiries.
Support customer relations by providing timely communication and solutions.