Utility Plant Operator 1 - Clarks Summit State Hospital

Full Job Description

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services at Clarks Summit State Hospital is seeking mechanically skilled professionals to join our Facility Services team as Boiler Plant Operators.

If you have the hands-on trade skills to support a dedicated group of Utility Plant Operators, this may be the perfect opportunity for you.

We are looking for a highly capable Utility Plant Operator 1 to help operate and maintain our boiler plant—now enhanced with more than $4.2 million in recent renovations.

This role calls for a mechanically inclined, self-motivated individual who can think independently and take ownership of daily assignments.

Requirements

In this role, you will operate and maintain the boilers and auxiliary equipment that supply proper steam pressure and water levels for the facility’s generating plant.

You will monitor system performance, complete routine maintenance, keep accurate operational records, and respond to equipment issues as they arise.

This position also supports a variety of maintenance and groundskeeping tasks across the campus based on operational needs.

Key responsibilities include:

• Operating and maintaining boilers and auxiliary equipment to ensure proper steam pressure and water levels
• Monitoring gauges, control panels, and water-level indicators; conducting inspections and water tests
• Performing minor adjustments and repairs to boilers, motors, valves, and related equipment
• Filling water softeners with salt, adding chemicals to treatment tanks, and replacing or repairing boiler valves
• Responding to low-water alarms and identifying abnormalities in motors or operating equipment
• Recording steam production, fuel consumption, water test data, oil and gas usage, and steam pressure in boiler room logs
• Completing preventive maintenance in the boiler plant and steam utility tunnels
• Cleaning, maintaining, and painting boilers, auxiliary equipment, and plant facilities
• Receiving and interpreting instructions via phone, pager, radio, computer, and written communications
• Reading and understanding manuals, policies, procedures, safety data sheets, and equipment instructions
• Working additional or alternative shifts as needed to maintain coverage

Additional duties based on operational needs may include:

• Performing groundskeeping tasks such as mowing, trimming, leaf removal, and litter pickup
• Operating mechanized and motorized grounds equipment
• Assisting trades staff with construction, repairs, moving furniture, and using power tools
• Operating a light truck to transport personnel and materials
• Supporting maintenance and repairs at the water treatment plant
• Performing general building maintenance, including painting, cleaning, and minor plumbing tasks
• Assisting transportation staff by operating general-purpose vehicles

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment, 40 hours per week
• Work hours are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This position follows an 8-hour shift schedule with rotating weekends and holidays. The weekly schedule runs Sunday through Friday, with weekend and holiday coverage assigned on a rotating basis.
• Travel and overtime as needed.
• Free parking!
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Six months of experience as a Utility Plant Helper (Commonwealth job title or equivalent Federal Government job title, as determined by the Office of Administration); or
• Six months of unskilled work experience assisting in the operation, maintenance, or repair of industrial, commercial, or institutional utility plant systems and related equipment, electronic equipment, electrical systems, heavy machinery, motors, engines, drives or hydraulic systems; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training.

Special Requirement:

Other Requirements:

• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• A conditional offer of employment will require a medical examination.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Older Adult Protective Services Act.
  • Under the Act, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports, including but not limited to, PA State Police and FBI clearance.

How to Apply:

Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position.

Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).

If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.

Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only.

Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans:

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce.

The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania.

The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law.

All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

Additional Information

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  1. your score may be lower than deserved.
  2. you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.