Utility Systems Operator

This position reports to the Engineering Operations Supervisor of the VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas facility. The facility is a campus type hospital on 84 acres consisting of five major patient care buildings, an accredited research facility and several outlying buildings supporting patient care and administrative services totaling 2.5 million square feet making this facility the third largest hospital in the VA Health Care system.

Major duties: This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 10, 2027 .The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 25, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks until 09/10/2027. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Applicants who are referred will be considered for 90 days, after 90 days applicants will have to reapply. The incumbent serves as a journeyman Utility Systems Operator (USO) responsible for the safe operation of the Energy Center, consisting of a combined boiler and chiller plant. If the situation dictates, the operator has the authority as acting Chief Engineer after normal hours to call in off-duty employees on an overtime basis and if the situation wan-ants, informing the supervisor, ACE/M&O and Chief Engineer of problems after-hours.

BOILER OPERATION: Starts, operates, adjusts, stops, maintains, and performs various operation repairs on the steam plant consisting of three D-type pressurized water-tube power boilers, each developing 32,000 pounds of steam per hour and a Combined Heat and Power plant consisting of a SOLAR Mercury 50 gas-turbine electrical generator producing 4.6 MW of campus electricity per hour and a RENTECH Heat Recovery Steam Generator producing 14,000 - 45,000 pounds per hour of steam for a maximum of 141,000 pounds per hour operating 110-125 psig.

Also operates all support equipment-Deaerator Tank, Condensate Storage Tanks, associated condensate and boiler feed pumps, natural gas compressor, glycol cooling system, chemical injection systems, and air-control systems. Incumbent starts and stops equipment and regulates the steam plant and associated equipment as steam load varies. He must anticipate load changes based on operations occurring at various times of the day such as laundry and changing weather conditions.

Incumbent continuously monitors gauges, meters, boiler water level indicators and computer control equipment and displays to detect changes in operation to keep system operating safely and efficiently. CHILLER OPERATION: Manages two (2) 1000-ton steam turbine-driven chiller units and four 1000- ton centrifugal chiller units in conjunction with a 3.25 million gallon chilled water thermal storage system, performing hourly checks of all operating equipment in the chiller plant, making shift inspections of the cooling towers and utility tunnels.

Operates a primary, secondary, tertiary chilled water pumping system, maintaining proper chilled water flows throughout the system to maintain required conditions in all zones of the Medical Center. Operator may be required to make manual adjustments to system to maintain system efficiency and integrity. Operates chilled water thermal storage system, making manual adjustments to system water flows and chiller cycling to maintain system capacity and efficiency.

Performs preventive and corrective maintenance on chillers, cooling towers, boilers, pumps, steam traps, and other associated equipment. Performs major and minor repairs to equipment in accordance with VA regulations and directives, ASME boiler and pressure vessel codes, ASHRAE standards, facility policies, and good engineering practices. FIRE SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING SY STEMS: Monitors 24/7 all hospital required emergency power systems including the fire alarm system, master medical gas alarm panel, emergency communications systems, eleva