Auxiliary Operator / Operator Trainee

About the role

This position is located at the Talen Energy Freedom facility in Berwick, PA. We are looking for qualified candidates with a minimum of vocational training and/or mechanical experience and prefer candidates with 2–4 years of power plant experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform piping and conduit installation in the plant for system upgrades and modifications.
• Operate demineralizers, compressors, and turbine components.
• Perform Inspection of Watch on each system within the plant.
• Maintain equipment by tightening fittings, replacing valve packing, gaskets, valves, and gauges.
• Clean, replace, oil, and lubricate other component parts and equipment as required.
• Read meters, gauges, or automatic devices to record data such as temperature of equipment, vibration of equipment, hours of operation, pressure, and fluid levels, water chemistry to verify operating conditions.
• Perform general housekeeping and continuous improvement of the appearance of the facility including painting projects as required.
• Maintain the cleanliness of all areas of the plant and control room.
• Perform capital project and/or major program responsibilities as assigned by Plant Management.
• Coordinate purchasing with appropriate personnel and vendors to achieve timely repair of plant equipment.
• Operate and maintain a Combined Cycle power generating facility equipment with minimal guidance or assistance as directed by and in coordination with the Lead.
• Identify and resolve emission monitoring problems (CEMS).
• Assist in calibrations and gas bottle change outs.
• Keep Manager fully informed of unusual plant conditions and current job progress as the job relates to facility operations when assigned on-shift.
• Responsible for ordering chemicals through established vendors.
• Utilize the facility’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
• Work with the Manager in managing the plant’s inventory, performing audits as needed.
• Responsible for opening and closing circuit breakers as required for proper system operation and electrical isolation.
• Participate in outage planning and scheduling.
• Assist with development of Operations and Maintenance procedures.
• Assist with administering the Operator training program.
• Assist with performing Root Cause Analysis of failures.
• May operate heavy equipment such as man lift and forklift.
• Perform water chemistry analysis on heat recovery system generator (HRSG), auxiliary boiler, and cooling tower systems.
• Ensure water chemistry is within proper control ranges.
• Adjust water chemistry, as needed, by controlling chemical feed and/or blowdown rates.
• Work with plant chemist, operations, and water treatment vendor to properly monitor overall chemistry program.
• Operate demineralized water system in accordance with OEM and plant procedures and monitor demineralized water to ensure quality is within acceptable limits.
• Read, understand, and comply with all regulatory procedures and facility safety programs.
• Follow all plant environmental permits.

Requirements

• Demonstrates knowledge of all facets of power plant operations.
• Demonstrates the ability to make competent decisions in emergency situations.
• Capable of writing operating procedures, work requests, written records.
• Demonstrate good verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office including Excel and Word.
• Demonstrates the ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, electrical one-lines, logic drawings, technical manuals, and P&IDs.
• Will write routine reports, solve practical problems, and clearly communicate tasks and needs, and training of other personnel.
• Mechanical, instrumentation and electrical equipment knowledge is required.
• Adept at troubleshooting and diagnosing problems with mechanical equipment with the ability to apply a resolution in a timely fashion.
• Proficient at repairing, replacing, dismantling, and inspecting defective plant equipment and parts such as pumps, valves, fans, gearboxes, demineralizers, compressors, and turbine components.
• Capable of operating welding and cutting equipment and completes metal fabrication projects.
• Proficient at Water Chemistry.
• Capable of setting up and operating a drill press, pipe threading machine, grinder, and other various tools to make and repair parts and equipment.
• Vocational training and mechanical experience required; 2–4 years of power plant experience