Table Mountain Facility (TMF) Maintenance & Operations Lead

citjpl; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA seeks a Facilities Maintenance and Operations Engineer V to lead TMF reliability and safe operation of remote-site infrastructure. You will direct maintenance, manage capital projects, and coordinate with USFS/USAF, internal staff, and subcontractors to ensure mission-support reliability.

The role requires strategic oversight, long-term planning for future site developments, and strong adherence to NASA/JPL safety and environmental standards.

Qualifications

• Lead technical authority for TMF facilities maintenance and operations.
• Oversee facilities maintenance, operations, and subcontractors.
• Coordinate with external agencies (USFS/USAF) and internal staff for permits and leases.

Responsibilities

• Manage capital improvement projects from planning to closeout.
• Provide senior technical leadership for maintenance and subcontractors.
• Coordinate contract execution with the SCM and oversee vendor performance.
• Interface with external agencies and internal stakeholders for permits and lease agreements.
• Develop, prioritize, and manage preventive and corrective maintenance schedules.
• Oversee procurement of facility materials, parts, and equipment.
• Ensure compliance with NASA, JPL, OSHA, and environmental regulations.
• Drive emergency preparedness and wildfire mitigation.
• Lead reliability and safe operation of remote-site infrastructure.
• Maintain site roads, parking, drainage, and perimeter infrastructure.

Skills

Project management

Facilities maintenance

Contract management

Subcontractor oversight

Regulatory compliance

Preventive maintenance

Facilities engineering

Job description

Job Details

New ideas are all around us, but only a few will change the world. That's our focus at JPL. We ask the biggest questions, then search the universe for answers-literally. We build upon ideas that have guided generations, then share our discoveries to inspire generations to come. Your mission-your opportunity-is to seek out the answers that bring us one step closer. If you're driven to discover, create, and inspire something that lasts a lifetime and beyond, you're ready for JPL.

Located in Pasadena, California, JPL has a campus-like environment situated on 177 acres in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and offers a work environment unlike any other: we inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.

The Facilities and Logistics Operations Division oversees the physical development, maintenance, and safe operation of the Laboratory's infrastructure to enable advanced workplaces, resilient systems, and uninterrupted mission support. Within this division, the Facilities Operations Section, which assumes end-to-end ownership of the physical work environment and responsibility for the overall physical maintenance and safe operation of the Laboratory, is seeking a facilities Maintenance and Operations Engineer V to serve as the lead technical authority for the Table Mountain Facility (TMF) .

Located near Wrightwood, California, in the Angeles National Forest, TMF is a premier, remote site facility operating under a permanent, non-expiring permit with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The site also maintains key multi-agency partnerships, including a specialized facility permit with the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

Based on-site at the Table Mountain Facility, the selected candidate will report to the Facilities Management Group Supervisor and step into a lead-level role responsible for the overall reliability, maintainability, compliance, and strategic oversight of TMF's complex infrastructure, ranging from remote power grids and industrial cooling arrays to standalone, self-sustained water loop operations. In this critical capacity, the selected candidate will not only ensure day-to-day operational excellence but will also direct the engineering strategy to support future site developments and the integration of new hosted facilities.

Tasks include but are not limited to:

• Manage and oversee various facility and capital improvement projects from initial planning and cost estimation through design, procurement, construction, and closeout (including concrete pads, asphalt repair, facility roof replacements, and telescope pier/ray dome modifications).


• Provide senior technical leadership and oversight for the facilities maintenance, operations, and subcontractors. Conduct quality inspections, identify work deficiencies, and ensure strict compliance with contractual performance standards.


• Serve as the Contract Technical Manager (CTM) for the security/custodial subcontract. Partner closely with the Subcontracts Manager (SCM) to jointly direct contract execution, oversee vendor performance, and maintain productive relationships with subcontractor personnel to meet all operational objectives.


• Serve as the primary on-site coordinator and facilities engineering point of contact for external subcontractors and collaborators, utility providers, USFS/forest service rangers, USAF/military point-of-contacts, and internal technical stakeholders. Interface with various organizations internally including Acquisition, Contracts Management, Engineering & Science Directorate technical staff as well as JPL's Real Property Administrator and the NASA Office of JPL Management and Oversight (NOJMO) for permits/permit mandates and lease agreements to ensure alignment with operational requirements.


• Develop, prioritize, and manage preventive and corrective maintenance schedules that seamlessly accommodate active scientific operations, minimizing disruptions to telescopes, lasers, and optical communication ground stations (such as the O2O optical terminal).


• Oversee the procurement and technical tracking of facility materials, maintenance supplies, replacement parts, and specialized equipment.


• Ensure all site operations, civil alterations, and maintenance adhere to NASA, JPL, OSHA, fire/life safety, and environmental regulations, including hazardous waste handling, environmental stewardship, and sustainability initiatives.


• Act as the technical authority for the end-to-end reliability and safe operation of complex, remote-site infrastructure, including high-voltage/3-phase electrical distribution, critical surge mitigation systems, industrial glycol chillers, and standalone water/pump utilities.


• Ensure the proper routine operation and maintenance of site roads, parking areas, drainage systems, and perimeter civil infrastructure.


• Drive emergency preparedness planning, continuity of operations, wildfire mitigation, severe weather (heavy mountain snow/wind) response, and rapid disaster recove