Chiller Technician

The University of North Carolina; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of North Carolina Charlotte, Facilities Management (Adm), is seeking a Chiller Technician to maintain central cooling plants and complex chiller systems, ensuring continuous high-efficiency cooling for research environments and campus operations.

You will lead shop personnel, enforce EPA 608 refrigerant and OSHA safety standards, and oversee preventive maintenance, diagnostics, and mutual outages to minimize downtime.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalency with two years of related experience, or an equivalent education/experience.
• Execute expert-level diagnostics, preventive maintenance, overhauls, and repairs on commercial centrifugal, screw, scroll, magnetic-bearing, and absorption chiller systems.
• Troubleshoot central cooling plant operations and optimize efficiency (kW/ton) across chillers and BAS control loops.
• Lead technicians, coach staff through major overhauls, and maintain safety protocols (EPA 608, OSHA, LOTO).
• Maintain compliance with EPA refrigerant management and ASHRAE standards.

Responsibilities

• Manage work orders and asset histories in the CMMS/Archibus system.
• Coordinate with campus liaisons to communicate maintenance schedules and outages.
• Inspect chiller bays and shop spaces, ensure tools are calibrated and safe.
• Pursue ongoing trade education and training on emerging cooling technologies.

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

• The finalist will be subject to a Criminal Background Check and/or a Motor Vehicle Report
• The Search Committee will not contact references without first verifying permission with the finalist.
• Please ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills, abilities, and experiences to support your answers to the supplemental questions.
• Do not write ‘see resume’ on your application when completing the job duties section.

Position Information

• General Information
• Vacancy Open to All Candidates
• Employment Type Permanent - Full-time
• If time-limited, note appointment end date
• Hours per week 40
• Months per year 12
• Position Number 009629
• NC Salary Grade Equivalency NC11
• Salary Range $64,554 - $71,727
• Anticipated Hiring Range $64,554 - $71,727
• FLSA Status Non Exempt
• Division Business Affairs
• Department Facilities Management (Adm)
• Work Unit FM MOE

This position serves as a Chiller Technician with responsibility for providing senior-level technical expertise associated with the maintenance, troubleshooting, and optimization of the University’s central cooling plants and complex commercial chiller systems to ensure continuous, high-efficiency cooling critical to preserving climate-sensitive research environments, academic operations, and facility infrastructure across campus. Additionally, this role provides dedicated technical leadership to guide shop personnel through major overhauls, strictly enforces EPA Section 608 refrigerant and OSHA safety regulations, and minimizes operational downtime while reducing reliance on costly external service contractors.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

High school diploma or equivalency and two (2) years of experience related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Note: Some state job postings state you can qualify by an ‘equivalent combination of education and experience.’ If that language appears above, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both.

• Execute expert-level diagnostics, preventive maintenance, overhauls, and repairs on complex commercial centrifugal, screw, scroll, magnetic-bearing, and absorption chiller systems across central cooling plants.
• Troubleshoot central cooling plant operations holistically, evaluating interconnected chillers, cooling towers, primary/secondary hydronic loops, VFDs, and Building Automation System ( BAS ) control loop logic to optimize system efficiency (kW/ton).
• Serve as the primary technical expert and work unit lead, directing, coaching, and mentoring technicians through complex compressor teardowns, shaft alignments, dynamic control tuning, and emergency repair workflows.
• Implement predictive maintenance technologies—including vibration analysis, eddy current tube testing, infrared thermography, and oil spectrographic sampling to forecast component failure and extend capital asset lifespans.
• Oversee strict regulatory compliance with EPA Section 608 refrigerant management regulations, maintaining audit-ready tracking logs while enforcing OSHA standards, Lockout/Tagout ( LOTO ), arc flash protocols, and heavy equipment rigging safety.
• Formulate and execute emergency contingency plans during central plant outages, including the rapid deployment and hydronic tie-in of temporary mobile chiller skids to preserve critical campus operations and research environments.
• Inspect, verify, and commission work executed by shop technicians, vendors, and OEM contractors, ensuring complete adherence to ASHRAE standards, state mechanical codes, and university quality specifications.

Other Work Responsibilities

• Manage work order documentation and asset histories within the enterprise Computerized Maintenance Management System ( CMMS /Archibus), tracking parts inventory, labor hours, and technical logs to support data-driven shop operations.
• Engage directly with campus building liaisons, facility managers, and research personnel to communicate maintenance schedules, provide transparent status updates during plant outages, and resolve facility environmental concerns.
• Perform regular safety inspections and operational assessments of chiller bays, mechanical spaces, and shop equipment, maintaining clean, hazard-free work zones and ensuring specialized diagnostic tools are properly calibrated and serviced.
• Participate in continuing trade education, vendor training, and professional development programs to maintain deep subject matter expertise on emerging cooling technologies, low- GWP refrigerants, and evolving energy codes.

Departmental Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education

• Factory-trained certifications from major commercial chiller manufacturers (e.g., Trane, York/Johnson Controls, Carrier, Daikin, Smardt/Turbocor) and an OSHA 30-Hour General Industry Certification.
• Specialized experience in commercial or industrial central cooling plants, including centrifugal compressor overhauls, magnetic-bearing technology, absorption systems, and plant optimization.
• Advanced working knowledge of Building Automation Systems ( BAS ), direct digital control ( DDC ) logic and Variable Frequency Drive ( VFD ) integration.
• Prior lead technician or supervisory experience within a higher education campus, complex healthcare facility, or large institutional central energy plant environment.

Necessary Licenses or Certifications

• EPA 608 certification
• Valid driver’s license

Work Location

• Work Location FM - RUP Shop

Posting Specific Questions

• * Do you have at least a high school diploma or equivalency and two (2) years of experience related to the area of assignment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have prior experience in troubleshooting and repairing hydronic cooling systems?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have an EPA 608 certification?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have a valid driver's license?
  • No
  • Yes
• * How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
  • UNC Charlotte Website
  • HERC Job Board
  • Inside Higher Education
  • Circa (formerly known as Local JobNetwork)
  • Another Website
  • Agency Referral
  • Advertisement/Publication
  • Personal Referral
  • Other
• * Where did you learn about this posting?

  (Open Ended Question)

Required Documents

• Resume / Curriculum Vitae
• Contact Information for References

Optional Documents

• Cover Letter / Letter of Interest

9201 University City Blvd Charlotte, NC 28223