Senior Maintenance Technician IV

Bio-Rad Laboratories; Hercules (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Bio-Rad Laboratories in Hercules, CA seeks a senior maintenance technician to oversee lyophilizer operation, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting across critical equipment in a regulated manufacturing environment.

You will review work orders, calibrate sensors, and mentor junior staff while coordinating with contractors for specialized service. Strong knowledge of refrigeration, vacuum, and PLC-based controls is essential for keeping uptime and audit readiness.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive maintenance experience in a manufacturing or regulated production environment.
• EPA Section 608 Universal Certification is required.
• Specialized equipment knowledge includes lyophilizers, vacuum systems, cooling towers, chilled water systems, RODI/water purification systems, and compressed air systems.
• Advanced ability to read electrical schematics, P&IDs, and wiring diagrams; troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, and PLC-based control systems.
• cGMP documentation fluency and calibration records in regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Review open work orders and prioritize preventive maintenance across manufacturing, lab, and utility areas.
• Monitor lyophilizer cycle performance, troubleshoot vacuum and refrigeration subsystems, calibrate sensors, and maintain tight process tolerances.
• Perform advanced troubleshooting on other critical equipment (cold rooms, ULT units, compressors, pumps, RO/DI systems).
• Support installation, commissioning, or qualification of new equipment and lyophilizer upgrades or replacements.
• Mentor less experienced maintenance staff and coordinate with contractors or OEMs for specialized lyolypH service.
• Document completed work, calibration records, and equipment history to stay audit-ready under cGMP standards.

Skills

Maintenance expertise

Troubleshooting

Equipment reliability

Mentoring

Documentation

Electrical schematics reading

Education

High School Diploma

EPA Section 608 Universal Certification

Tools

Lyophilizers

Vacuum systems

P&IDs

PLC-based instrumentation

Job description

A typical day begins with reviewing open work orders and prioritizing preventive maintenance tasks across the manufacturing, laboratory, and utility areas. A significant part of the role centers on the site's lyophilizers - the technician monitors cycle performance, troubleshoots vacuum and refrigeration subsystems within the units, calibrates temperature and pressure sensors, and performs preventive maintenance to keep freeze-drying cycles running within tight process tolerances. Because lyophilization equipment sits at the intersection of refrigeration, vacuum technology, and precision controls, this work draws on a background in industrial refrigeration systems, vacuum pump diagnostics, and PLC-based instrumentation - along with the judgment to know when a deviation is a minor adjustment versus a sign of a larger mechanical or electrical failure.

Beyond the lyophilizers, the technician performs advanced troubleshooting and repair on other critical equipment - cold rooms and ultra-low temperature units, compressed air systems, cooling towers, chilled water systems, pumps, and RODI water systems - diagnosing mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, instrumentation, and control system issues along the way. Much of the work is done independently, drawing on technical documentation, schematics, and P&IDs to pinpoint root causes rather than just symptoms.

Throughout the day, the technician may also support installation, commissioning, or qualification activities for new equipment (including lyophilizer upgrades or replacements), coordinate with and oversee contractors or original equipment manufacturer service technicians when specialized lyophilizer service is needed, and document completed work, calibration records, and equipment history to stay audit-ready - since lyophilization equipment in a regulated environment carries close cGMP documentation scrutiny. Because this is a senior, subject-matter-expert role, the day often includes mentoring less experienced maintenance staff on lyophilizer operation and troubleshooting, fielding technical questions from cros-functional teams, and weighing in on how to improve equipment reliability going forward - all while following safety protocols and using appropriate PPE in a hands-on environment that can include ladders, elevated spaces, and physically demanding tasks.

Minimizes unplanned downtime by diagnosing and resolving complex mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and control system failures before they escape into production-stopping events

* Safeguards regulated operations by keeping critical refrigeration, lyophilization, vacuum, and utility water systems running reliably and in compliance with cGMP documentation standards

* Enables capital projects and upgrades by supporting the installation, commissioning, and qualification of new equipment and system improvements

* Drives measurable reliability gains by analyzing equipment performance data and implementing root-cause corrective and preventive actions

* Strengthens the broader maintenance team by mentoring less experienced technicians and serving as the go-to technical resource across mechanical, electrical, and controls disciplines

• Education: HighSchoil Diploma
• * 6+ years of progressive maintenance experience in a manufacturing or regulated production environment, with a demonstrated track record of increasing technical responsibility
• * EPA Section 608 Universal Certification (required), paired with hands-on expertise in industrial refrigeration systems, diagnostics, and repair
• * Specialized equipment knowledge - lyophilizers, vacuum systems, cooling towers, chilled water systems, RODI/water purification systems, and compressed air systems
• * Advanced technical literacy - able to read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, and wiring diagrams, and to troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, and automated/PLC-based control systems
• * cGMP documentation fluency - working knowledge of compliance requirements, calibration records, and maintenance documentation standards in a regulated setting

Legal Entity: (USA_1000)Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.