Lead HVAC Technician

The City of Roanoke is seeking a skilled and dedicated Lead HVAC Technician/DDC Specialist to join our team. In this role, you will play a critical part in enhancing our Facilities’ ability to sustain HVAC equipment to ASHRAE standards, achieving greater return on investment, and advancing sustainability efforts.

Your work will focus on optimizing the cooling and heating systems through air and water balancing, ensuring efficiency and comfort. You’ll use advanced Direct Digital Control (DDC) software to monitor and adjust systems remotely, allowing for precision and proactive management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Upgrade and maintain control systems to improve system control, performance tracking, and energy efficiency.
• Utilize ShortRidge equipment to align existing systems with design specifications, reducing costs and minimizing energy loss.
• Operate specialized instruments to test, adjust, and balance air and hydronic systems. This includes measuring temperatures, pressures, flow rates, velocities, and air/water quantities to confirm optimal system performance.
• Adjust and fine-tune HVAC components such as dampers, valves, fan speeds, pump impellers, and automatic controls (e.g., thermostats and pressure controllers) to achieve peak system efficiency during normal operations.

At the City of Roanoke, we are committed to creating an inclusive, open work environment that values diversity, promotes acceptance, and fosters professional growth. We respect, celebrate, and embrace the rich tapestry of differences and similarities among our employees, recognizing that this collective strength enhances our ability to deliver excellent service and create a vibrant community.

This is a non-exempt position offering a unique opportunity to contribute to the sustainability and efficiency of Roanoke’s public facilities.

The City of Roanoke is an Equal Employment Opportunity/AA/M/F/Disability Employer. To elevate the performance of the organization, we are committed to respecting, celebrating, and embracing the collective mixture of differences and similarities between our employees as a rich tapestry. Our behaviors will demonstrate open communication, and we will seek opportunities to learn, recognizing and rewarding actions that promote acceptance while suspending judgment. By doing this, we will foster an inclusive, open work environment that delivers excellent service and creates a more vibrant and inviting community.EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:

SUMMARY

Performs skilled technical work in the maintenance, repair, replacement, and installation of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, controls and distribution systems.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Installs, troubleshoots and repairs heating, air conditioning and refrigeration units, including chillers, boilers and heat pumps
• Troubleshoots malfunctioning heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems to determine the cause of the malfunction
• Performs scheduled maintenance inspections, and adjusts, cleans and calibrates various systems to assure proper operations
• Repairs wiring and electronic components associated with automated building management systems
• Replaces expansion valves, compressors, motors, coil units and other component parts 
• Cleans refrigerant systems from hermetic burnouts, evacuates, and charges systems 
• May be required to assist with repairs to direct digital and pneumatic control systems 
• Checks distribution systems for proper velocity, volume, temperature, pressure, etc.
• Balances air and water treatment systems
• Determines cause of and corrects condensation problems
• Provides technical assistance with the design of HVAC systems including installations and modifications to existing systems
• Assists in training other technicians and staff in preventative maintenance of HVAC systems
• Prepares records and reports describing procedures, actions taken, and recommended solutions
• Prepares and submits requests for supplies and equipment
• Responds to emergency service requests 
• May supervise work of other technicians
• Knowledge of pertinent rules and regulations, guidelines, safety orders, departmental operating procedures and safety regulations sufficient to ensure that work is performed in compliance with applicable law.
• Enforces sound safety and housekeeping practices.
• Follows safety rules/procedures; avoid known hazards in the work environment. 
• Reviews safety procedures before beginning each job with known hazards.
• Safety first. Places avoidance of injury or property damage above all other job requirements. 
• Follows established safety procedures.
• Must be able to climb/work on ladders/lifts to reach high ceilings or walls.  
• May be required to wear some type of respiratory protection in the performance of their duties
• May be required to take classes or training to enhance job performance

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

May supervise an assigned work crew.

 TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS:

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or general education degree (GED) with five or more years of progressively responsible experience working with complex HVAC systems and equipment. Examples of this experience may include chillers, boilers, package units, VAV systems (direct digital, pneumatic and automated control systems), heavy rigging, pipe and steel fabrication experience.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, plans, sketches, blueprints, and procedure manuals. Ability to write reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

REASONING ABILITY 

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS 

Possession of a valid appropriate driver's license issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Journeyman HVAC certification required. Masters HVAC Tradesman certification preferred. Masters HVAC Tradesman certification may be obtained within 24 months from date of hire or promotion.  

Must be able to pass/maintain level 1 CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Systems) background check & certification due to required access to secured areas.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand. The employee must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including electronic and diagnostic tools, recovery equipment and other HVAC equipment. Must be able to exert 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently. Specific vision abilities required by this job include ability to adjust focus and to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Some exposure to potentially harmful chemicals or materials may occur.

This is a job description and not an individualized position description. A job description defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but it is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.

 

Salary : $49,201 - $78,721