A/C Equipment Operator - Federal Medical Center (Houston)

Type: Contract, full-time, on site | Location: Houston, Texas | Positions: 3 | Term: 12 months from late September 2026, with a 12-month extension option | Rate: USD $33.89/hr

The role

Operate and maintain the central chiller plant and building automation system at a large federal medical center in Houston, around the clock. You run the plant shift by shift and are the first to act when a chiller trips or a reading drifts.

What you will own

• Operate and monitor the computer-based building automation system and chiller plant: multiple large-capacity centrifugal chillers, pumps, cooling towers and associated HVAC equipment, 24/7.
• Routine surveillance, trending and analysis of temperatures, pressures, loads and alarms to detect abnormal conditions and take corrective action (adjust setpoints, start and stop equipment, switch to manual control as needed).
• Start up and shut down plant systems, using independent judgment and initiative in day-to-day operation, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair.
• Preventive and corrective maintenance on air handlers, terminal units, cooling towers, pumps, steam humidifiers and pneumatic and electronic controls, to manufacturer recommendations and the facility PM schedule.
• Respond to emergent HVAC and refrigeration calls, including after hours; investigate, restore service or initiate call-back procedures. When on shift outside normal hours, you carry sole responsibility for engineering emergencies.
• Keep shift-by-shift chiller plant and automation logs with hourly readings, PM and repair records (work orders closed in the CMMS), alarm histories and incident entries.
• Contribute annual input to HVAC condition and performance summaries for capital planning and reliability reporting.

What we require

• Any license or certification your trade requires, current and unrestricted, from a US state, territory or the District of Columbia.
• Documented experience operating a central chiller plant and a building automation system.
• Fluent spoken and written English, with documentation of competency, skills and licensure available on request.
• Able to meet the testing and immunization standards that apply to staff in a healthcare environment (TB screening, immunizations).
• Authorized to work in the United States (E-Verify) and able to pass a federal background check and facility access requirements.
• Completion of the facility's mandatory onboarding and safety training on start.

What will set you apart

• Large-tonnage centrifugal chiller experience.
• Hospital or other 24-hour critical facility experience.
• CMMS experience (Maximo or similar) and pneumatic controls.

Hours and coverage

• Full-time, 2,080 hours per year, on site.
• The facility runs 24 hours a day. Shifts are 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, 3:30 pm to 12:00 am and 11:30 pm to 8:00 am, and evening and night shifts carry a differential.
• Federal holidays are observed by the facility, but you may be scheduled to work them.
• Continuity matters to this client: the assigned team is expected to stay in place through at least the first 90 days.