Utility Maintenance Technician

Talascend, LLC; Westborough (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and disability insurance

401(k)

EAP

Paid time off

Company-paid holidays

Job summary

The Talascend Life Sciences facility in Westborough, MA seeks a Utility Maintenance Technician to operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair critical utility systems, including HVAC, purified water, boilers, and clean steam, ensuring regulatory compliance and minimal downtime.

You will perform preventive maintenance, respond to after-hours calls, document actions in CMMS, and support QA and validation activities per SOPs, FDA, and cGMP standards.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 3–5 years hands-on experience maintaining industrial utility systems in pharmaceutical/biotech environments.
• EPA 608 certification for refrigerant handling.
• Experience with BAS, PLCs, and energy management systems.
• Ability to read P&IDs, electrical schematics, and mechanical drawings.
• Strong troubleshooting and preventive maintenance skills.

Responsibilities

• Operate, monitor, and maintain central utility plant equipment including chillers, boilers, cooling towers, air handling units, and BAS.
• Perform preventive maintenance on purified water systems and clean steam generators per cGMP.
• Maintain compressed air, nitrogen, CO2, and vacuum systems to meet quality specs.
• Monitor HVAC to control temperature, humidity, and differential pressure in cleanrooms and labs.
• Diagnose and resolve utility system failures to minimize downtime.
• Respond to after-hours calls for utility issues and environmental excursions.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Coordinate maintenance with researchers to minimize disruption of experiments.
• Maintain logs, calibration certificates, and equipment histories in CMMS.
• Follow SOPs, FDA regs, and ISO/cGMP standards during maintenance.
• Support IQ/OQ/PQ activities and qualifications.
• Assist in regulatory inspections with technical documentation on utilities.
• Follow OSHA and biosafety requirements.

Skills

HVAC & utility systems operation

Chillers, boilers, cooling towers

BAS/PLCs/Energy management

P&IDs & drawings reading

Electrical troubleshooting & plumbing

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Universal EPA 608 certification

Tools

CMMS knowledge

Job description

Talascend is currently seeking a Utility Maintenance Technician for an opportunity in Westborough, Massachusetts.

Overview

The Utility Maintenance Technician is responsible for the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of critical utility systems supporting a Life Sciences Research and Development facility. This role ensures continuous, reliable operation of HVAC, clean utilities, compressed gases, vacuum systems, and other mission‑critical infrastructure that supports sensitive research operations and maintains regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Operate, monitor, and maintain central utility plant equipment including chillers, boilers, cooling towers, air handling units, and building automation systems.
• Perform preventive maintenance on purified water systems, clean steam generators, and associated distribution loops according to established schedules and cGMP requirements.
• Maintain compressed air systems, nitrogen generation equipment, CO2 systems, and laboratory vacuum systems to ensure continuous supply at specified quality parameters.
• Monitor and adjust HVAC systems to maintain precise temperature, humidity, and differential pressure requirements in cleanrooms, laboratories, and controlled environments.
• Diagnose and resolve utility system failures quickly to minimize impact on research operations and maintain environmental stability in critical areas.
• Respond to after‑hours emergency calls for utility system failures, alarms, or environmental excursions affecting research spaces.
• Perform root cause analysis on equipment failures and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Coordinate with researchers and laboratory staff to schedule maintenance activities that minimize disruption to ongoing experiments.
• Maintain accurate maintenance logs, work order records, calibration certificates, and equipment histories in the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
• Execute maintenance activities in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), FDA regulations, and industry standards (ISO, cGMP) as applicable.
• Support facility qualification and validation activities including Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ).
• Participate in regulatory inspections and audits by providing documentation and technical expertise on utility systems.
• Conduct all work in compliance with OSHA regulations, life safety codes, environmental health and safety protocols, and facility‑specific biosafety requirements.
• Perform lockout/tagout procedures and confined space entry protocols as required for safe maintenance operations.
• Monitor utility system performance for deviations that could affect product quality, research integrity, or regulatory compliance.
• Maintain awareness of biosafety levels and contamination control procedures when working in or near research areas.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Minimum 3-5 years of hands‑on experience maintaining industrial utility systems in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, laboratory, or healthcare environments
• Universal EPA 608 certification for refrigerant handling
• Proficiency in operation and maintenance of industrial chillers, steam and hot water boilers, cooling towers, and central plant equipment
• Working knowledge of purified water systems including reverse osmosis, deionization, electrode ionization, and clean steam generation
• Experience with building automation systems (BAS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and energy management systems
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and equipment manuals
• Competency in basic plumbing, pipefitting, welding, electrical troubleshooting, and mechanical repair
• Demonstrated ability to perform the duties of this position through relevant experience, training, or education

We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those qualified individuals who closely meet thequalifications of the position will be contacted. The details of the position are only a summary, otherduties may be assigned as necessary.

Background Check and Drug Screen may be required.

Pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited toexperience and geographic location.

• health and disability insurance
• 401(k)
• EAP
• paid time off
• company-paid holidays

The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on dateof hire, plan requirements, schedule type, and client work site mandates.

Talascend is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race,religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, orveteran status.