Plant Engineer III - Mechanical Handling

PAE Government Services Inc.; Richland (WA); On-site; USD 102,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off and holidays

Retirement benefits (401k)

Educational reimbursement

Parental leave

Employee stock purchase plan

Tax-saving options

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

Amentum is seeking a Plant Engineer to support operations and maintenance of plant equipment at the Hanford site. You will ensure configuration management, troubleshoot mechanical handling systems, and provide on-site technical support during maintenance and commissioning.

This role collaborates with Operations, Maintenance, project groups, subcontractors, and vendors, with safety and quality as core values.

Qualifications

• Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent) from a four-year accredited college/university.
• Experience: Minimum of seven years of related professional experience.
• Preferred Experience: DOE/DOD facilities, national codes/standards, mechanical handling equipment, configuration control of docs.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot complex mechanical equipment including cranes, hoists, conveyors, bogies, manipulators, shield doors/windows, elevators, and hatches.
• Provide field work support for mechanical handling equipment.
• Develop/review engineering documents and assess facility/process anomalies.
• Resolve condition reports and support repair/replacement engineering products.
• Provide on-site technical support during maintenance, commissioning, and testing.
• Assist with operability determinations and fixing out-of-spec conditions.
• Interface with vendors, subcontractors, and project support groups.
• Prepare timely oral and written technical reports and system health reviews.
• Support safety and quality culture at Waste Treatment Plant site.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Field support

Documentation review

Communication

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

The Plant Engineer job family is responsible for technical activities relating to operations and maintenance of plant equipment. The Plant Engineer protects the installed configuration of the plant systems and provides technical support and issue resolution needed for operations and maintenance. Under direction of a Plant Engineering Supervisor; interacts with other plant engineers, Operations, Maintenance, WTP project groups, subcontractors, and equipment vendors as required to perform job assignments. This is a system engineer position responsible for ensuring continued operation of assigned mechanical handling systems while maintaining configuration management within the plant. Individual will work directly with maintenance and operations for troubleshooting and addressing issues with equipment such as cranes, hoists, conveyors, bogies, through wall manipulators, shield doors, shield windows, elevators, and hatches.

REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS

• Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent discipline) from a four-year accredited college or university.
• Experience: Minimum of seven years of related professional experience.
• Preferred Experience: Experience in processing facilities, DOE facilities, or DOD facilities. Experience with national consensus codes and standards. Experience working with mechanical handling equipment including cranes, hoists, doors, and associated codes and standards. Experience maintaining configuration control of technical documents to project/site procedures and federal compliance.

Progression to the next grade is based upon complexity of assignment and performance.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES/TASKS

• Troubleshooting of complex mechanical equipment including cranes, hoists, conveyors, bogies, manipulators, shield doors, shield windows, elevators, and hatches.
• Field work support for mechanical handling equipment.
• Develop, review, concur with and/or assess engineering technical documents.
• Assess facilities, systems, and/or processes anomalies or degraded conditions.
• Resolve condition report issues or other similar discrepancies as assigned.
• Develop or request support to develop engineering products for system or equipment repair or replacement.
• Provide on-site technical support during preventative or corrective maintenance activities or commissioning.
• Assist assigned engineers in determining operability and correcting out-of-specification conditions.
• Perform troubleshooting associated with mechanical handling equipment.
• Remain apprised of operational status and ongoing modification activities.
• Provide technical review of facility/system related procedures and work instructions.
• Assist with resolution of design issues necessary to support plant operations and/or maintenance.
• Interface with subcontractors, vendors, and project support groups.
• Ensure timely and accurate oral and written technical reports on assigned activities including system health reports.
• Support the Waste Treatment Plant Nuclear Safety Quality Culture by emphasizing the values of safety and quality in the performance of work to protect self, others, and the environment.

This job description is not intended to include every duty, task or instruction for which an employee is responsible. Other tasks may be assigned, based on business needs and the department supervisors request.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS (EFNM)

Exposed Field Non-Manual- Performs desk work, including writing, computer workstation processes, and telephone operation. Arranges for and/or performs presentations, oral reports, planning meetings, and other formal and informal contacts, requiring long periods of sitting. Oversees field activities through inspections, testing and equipment operations, which requires walking, standing, bending, and turning along with wearing of personal protective equipment. Occasional loading, transport, and unloading of tools and/or supplies specific to an activity.

This position is located at the Construction Site (22 miles north of Richland) and works a 4 x 10 schedule, M-Th, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Must be authorized to work and remain in the United States without Amentum visa sponsorship now or in the future. Must be able to complete and pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check which includes verification of employment and education. Must be able to obtain a Department of Energy badge for access to the Hanford Site. (Even if teleworking, must still be able to comply with security requirements to obtain a badge.) Non-U.S. citizens from countries identified by the Department of Energy as posing heightened security concerns - including sensitive countries, state sponsors of terrorism, countries of risk, and other designated countries - are subject to additional security requirements.

COMPENSATION DETAILS

$101,573.67 - $157,957.21

The compensation range or hourly rate listed for this position is provided as a good-faith estimate of what the company intends to offer for this role at the time this posting was issued. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as job responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and relevant laws.

BENEFITS OVERVIEW

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and holidays
• Retirement benefits (including 401(k) matching)
• Educational reimbursement
• Parental leave
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Tax-saving options
• Disability and life insurance
• Pet insurance

Benefits may vary based on employment type, location, and applicable agreements. Positions governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), or other employment contracts may include different provisions/benefits.

ABOUT US

Amentum is a global company with a heritage dating back more than 100 years and delivering solutions in nuclear energy, infrastructure, operations and maintenance, and national security. Our predecessors helped build Hoover Dam, protected fighting forces in World War II, and supported the Manhattan Project. Today, our teams clean up legacy nuclear waste around the world, manage the United Kingdom’s defense portfolio, design programs and tests for Navy submarine electronic systems, and provide integrated supply chain services needed in developing countries during the pandemic.

Amentum has joined with Bechtel to create an LLC, known as the Waste Treatment Completion Company (WTCC). Join us as we make history at the Hanford Vit Plant, known as the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. We are designing and building a one-of-a-kind facility that will turn radioactive and chemical waste left over from World War II and Cold War plutonium production into a form safe for disposal. Your efforts will help protect the nearby Columbia River and the communities, salmon, and wildlife along its shorelines throughout the Northwest.

Sitting at the confluence of the Columbia, Snake and Yakima rivers near two mountain ranges, our community provides access to year-round outdoor recreation, 300 days of sun a year, more than 200 wineries within a 50-mile radius, and the amenities of large cities just a three-hour drive (or short flight) to Seattle and Portland.

COMPANY VALUES & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Amentum is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, ancestry, United States military or veteran status, color, religion, creed, marital or domestic partner status, medical condition, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, low-income status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law. Learn more about your rights under Federal laws and supplemental language at Labor Laws Posters.

Original Posting: 10/21/2026 - 10/31/2026. Amentum anticipates this job requisition will remain open for at least three days, with a closing date no earlier than three days after the original posting. This timeline may change based on business needs.

If you need assistance, please reach out to [e-mail].

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please complete our Accommodation Request. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis.