???? 1 Year contract
???????$85.83/hr
On-site in Berkeley
Keep a world-class scientific facility running - one drop at a time
Somewhere behind the walls of a cutting-edge accelerator facility, an invisible network of pumps, exchangers, and ultra-pure water loops is quietly doing the hard work: pulling heat away from equipment that pushes the boundaries of physics. That network needs an owner. That's you.
We're looking for a Water Systems Engineer to take technical ownership of the cooling and process water infrastructure powering a major scientific research campus including a large-scale capital upgrade project currently underway. If you love solving real engineering problems with real consequences, and you want your fingerprints on systems that keep world-class science running 24/7, this is the seat.
Why this role is different
You'll own something real. Not a slice of a system, the whole thing. Design, operation, reliability, and continuous improvement of cooling water infrastructure are yours to drive.
High-stakes, high-trust work. These systems support sensitive scientific equipment where downtime isn't an option. Your decisions matter, and you'll be trusted to make them.
Design and build and run it. This isn't a design-only or maintenance-only role. You'll architect systems, specify equipment, manage installation, and then operate what you built.
Constant variety. One day you're deep in hydraulic calculations and P&IDs; the next you're troubleshooting a resin bed, coordinating a shutdown, or reviewing a contractor's installation work.
What you'll actually do
Design & engineer the systems
Architect cooling water systems from the ground up - P&IDs, flow diagrams, hydraulic calculations, equipment specs
Analyze heat transfer, fluid flow, pump sizing, pressure drops, thermal stability, and water quality
Specify and oversee procurement of pumps, heat exchangers, filtration, expansion tanks, piping, valves, instrumentation, and treatment systems
Ensure everything meets ASME, ANSI, California code, and lab engineering standards
Run the operation
Own daily operation of closed-loop low-conductivity water (LCW) and deionized (DI) water systems resistivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, the works
Manage chemical dosing, UV sterilizers, mixed-bed deionizers, and RO systems to fend off biological growth, scaling, and corrosion
Build and run preventive maintenance programs; troubleshoot pump failures, resin degradation, leaks, and everything in between
Plan and commission system expansions and retrofits, choosing the right materials (think PVDF, electropolished stainless) to protect ultra-pure water quality
Lead the projects
Take water-system projects from concept through installation and commissioning
Coordinate contractors, vendors, and installation crews
Build schedules, cost estimates, and technical scopes
Review installation quality against your own specs
Keep it safe and documented
Participate in hazard analyses and readiness reviews
Maintain clean, accurate engineering documentation and support change control
Support lockout/tagout planning and safety procedures
What you bring
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (or closely related field)
8+ years of relevant engineering experience, with substantial time spent designing, operating, or maintaining industrial process or facility water systems
Real, hands-on knowledge of low-conductivity and deionized water systems, you know how to protect purity, prevent corrosion, and troubleshoot fast
Experience with closed-loop cooling systems, process utilities, and industrial piping
Comfort reading and producing engineering drawings and P&IDs
Working knowledge of pumps, heat exchangers, cooling towers, water treatment, and controls
A troubleshooter's mindset and strong root-cause analysis instincts
The ability to juggle multiple projects in a complex, live operational environment
Communication skills sharp enough to brief both a technician and a director
Bonus points for
A Professional Engineer (PE) license
Experience with large scientific facilities, accelerators, semiconductor fabs, or other high-availability technical infrastructure
Exposure to EPICS or industrial controls integration
Experience with vibration-sensitive or thermally stable cooling systems
Reliability-centered maintenance know-how
Background in a national-laboratory or similarly regulated research environment
The day-to-day
Expect a mix of office, lab, mechanical room, and construction-site time. Occasional after-hours or weekend support may be needed during shutdowns or commissioning events, and some work happens in confined mechanical spaces around industrial equipment. If you'd rather be moving between problems than staring at the same spreadsheet all day, you'll feel right at home.
Why it matters
The systems you'll own are the thermal backbone of a facility pushing the edge of scientific discovery. Every degree of temperature stability, every part-per-billion of water purity, every minute of uptime you protect translates directly into research that couldn't happen without you. This is engineering with a mission behind it.
Ready to keep the mission running? Apply today.
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