Work Center Team Lead

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Utilities Division (UD) is part of the Facilities & Operations (F&O) Directorate and is seeking a Work Center Team Lead – Chilled Water Systems. UD is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all standard industrial-type utilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), ensuring utility services are delivered safely, reliably, compliantly, and economically to support ORNL’s research mission. The success of every research project at ORNL depends on the Utilities Division’s ability to provide uninterrupted utility services. These utilities include electrical distribution; chilled water production and distribution; steam production and distribution; sewage collection and treatment; potable water storage and distribution; natural gas distribution; compressed air production and distribution; and stormwater control. This position is within the Mechanical Utilities Complex of UD and is specifically responsible for leadership of the Chilled Water Work Center. The Chilled Water Work Center is responsible for the operation, maintenance, reliability, and environmental compliance of ORNL’s chilled water and heating water systems, including chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, piping networks, refrigerant systems, water treatment systems, controls, and associated support equipment. The work center consists of approximately twenty-five employees, including engineers, supervisors, planners, operators, and craft personnel, who provide maintenance and operational support for chilled water facilities, systems, and equipment across the ORNL campus. The Team Lead provides line management and technical leadership to ensure reliable system performance through effective preventative and corrective maintenance, operational oversight, resource planning, environmental compliance, and support of 24/7 utility operations.

Requirements

BS degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited college or university.
Minimum of eight years of progressive utility, industrial plant, HVAC, central plant, or mechanical systems experience that includes both operations and maintenance responsibilities.
Minimum of three years of supervisory or management experience.
Demonstrated experience with industrial chilled water systems, boiler/heating water systems, HVAC central plant systems, or other large-scale mechanical utility systems.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer license active in State of Tennessee.
Five years of experience operating or supervising chilled water or central utility plant systems.
Five years of experience supervising or managing craft personnel in an industrial or utility environment.
Experience with large industrial chillers, boilers, heating water systems, cooling towers, refrigerant systems, chilled water and heating water distribution systems, combustion equipment, and associated controls.
Knowledge of environmental compliance requirements related to chilled water and heating water operations, including EPA refrigerant regulations, boiler and pressure system requirements, NPDES requirements, water treatment and chemistry programs, and applicable mechanical and environmental compliance standards.
Experience working with ASME pressure systems, piping systems, and applicable mechanical codes and standards.
Experience supporting or supervising 24/7 operations in a rotating shift environment.
Strong leadership, interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Demonstrated history of sound technical judgment related to utility system operations and maintenance.
Knowledge of ORNL utility systems, ORNL mission requirements, and the impact of utility reliability on research and facility operations.
Familiarity with labor relations principles and experience working within a collective bargaining/union environment is highly desirable.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced environment, prioritize multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing operational needs.

Responsibilities

Manage personnel, systems, and equipment to provide safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant operation of ORNL chilled water and heating water systems.
Provide technical leadership and operational oversight for large industrial chilled water and heating water systems, including chillers, boilers, cooling towers, pumps, heat exchangers, piping systems, refrigerant systems, instrumentation, combustion systems, and associated controls.
Ensure the reliability and availability of chilled water and heating water systems through effective preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, troubleshooting, and corrective maintenance programs.
Lead and support troubleshooting, repair, and operational response for complex utility system issues and emergent outages.
Ensure compliance with applicable environmental, safety, and regulatory requirements including EPA regulations, refrigerant management requirements, pressure vessel code requirements, NPDES-related requirements, water chemistry and treatment requirements, and other federal, state, and DOE requirements applicable to chilled water and heating water operations.
Support compliance with refrigerant handling, leak detection, recordkeeping, and recovery requirements in accordance with EPA regulations and applicable ORNL procedures.
Ensure operation and maintenance activities comply with applicable ASME pressure system and piping code requirements and internal engineering standards.
Establish and maintain clear expectations, direction, accountability, and performance standards for the work center.
Promote a culture aligned with ORNL’s Safe Conduct of Research principles and strong operational discipline.
Coordinate closely with system engineering, maintenance planners, operations personnel, construction organizations, and research customers to optimize system reliability and minimize operational impacts.
Work with ORNL Security to coordinate maintenance and operation activities in Special Secured areas.
Communicate work direction through shift orders, standing orders, operating procedures, and other formal communication methods to ensure effective turnover and operational continuity between shifts.
Provide operational and infrastructure input to support customer planning, budgeting, and resource forecasting activities associated with chilled water and heating water systems supporting mission-critical research and facility operations.
Interact with all levels of management to coordinate outages, prioritize work activities, allocate resources, and optimize system uptime and reliability.
Support work management, scheduling, and resource planning processes for both planned and emergent work activities.
Conduct field observations, safety meetings, and performance reviews to reinforce safe work practices and operational excellence.
Provide timely notification, documentation, and reporting of incidents, equipment failures, environmental events, and operational occurrences.
Promote continuous improvement, continuous learning, and operational excellence throughout the Utilities Division.
Participate in special projects and assignments as directed by Utilities management.
Treat people with respect and foster ORNL’s core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.