Mechanical Engineer - Water SystemsAdvanced Light Source Upgrade (ALS-U)Requisition #: ASKUSR0146079Position SummaryEssnova Solutions is seeking an experienced
Mechanical Engineer - Water Systems to support the
Advanced Light Source Upgrade (ALS-U) and ongoing Advanced Light Source operations at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
This position will serve as a technical authority for critical process and facility water systems supporting accelerator systems, beamlines, experimental equipment, HVAC interfaces, and associated utility infrastructure.
The ideal candidate brings significant hands-on engineering experience with
industrial cooling water, Low Conductivity Water (LCW), deionized (DI) water, closed-loop cooling systems, process utilities, mechanical infrastructure, and industrial piping systems. This role will support the complete system lifecycle-from engineering design and equipment specification through installation, commissioning, operations, maintenance, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
Key ResponsibilitiesWater System Design & Engineering- Lead the design and engineering of cooling and process water systems supporting ALS-U and existing ALS infrastructure.
- Develop system architectures, P&IDs, flow diagrams, hydraulic calculations, equipment specifications, and supporting engineering documentation.
- Perform engineering analyses involving heat transfer, fluid flow, pump sizing, pressure drop, thermal stability, and water quality.
- Specify pumps, heat exchangers, filtration systems, expansion tanks, piping, valves, instrumentation, water treatment equipment, and related mechanical components.
- Integrate water systems with accelerator, beamline, cryogenic, HVAC, and facility utility systems.
- Evaluate piping materials, valves, instrumentation, and other components required to maintain high-purity and ultra-pure water standards.
- Ensure designs comply with applicable ASME and ANSI standards, California building and mechanical codes, laboratory engineering standards, and safety requirements.
LCW, DI & Water Treatment Systems- Support operation and engineering of closed-loop Low Conductivity Water (LCW) and deionized water systems.
- Monitor critical water-quality parameters including resistivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH.
- Support chemical dosing, UV sterilization, mixed-bed deionization, reverse osmosis, filtration, and related treatment processes.
- Develop solutions to prevent biological growth, scaling, contamination, and galvanic corrosion.
- Troubleshoot water chemistry, resin degradation, leaks, pump failures, flow instability, thermal excursions, and related system problems.
- Maintain water purity and system performance while minimizing equipment corrosion and operational downtime.
Operations, Maintenance & Reliability- Serve as a technical resource and system owner for operational water infrastructure.
- Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
- Monitor system performance, reliability, lifecycle condition, and operational availability.
- Perform root-cause analysis and troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and water-quality issues.
- Coordinate outages, repairs, system modifications, and maintenance activities to minimize impact to facility operations.
- Support rapid response to critical facility incidents and system failures.
Projects, Installation & Commissioning- Manage water-system projects from conceptual design through installation and commissioning.
- Develop technical scopes of work, cost estimates, and project schedules.
- Coordinate contractors, vendors, installation teams, engineering groups, facilities personnel, operations teams, and scientific stakeholders.
- Review installation quality and verify conformance with engineering specifications.
- Support startup, testing, balancing, readiness activities, and commissioning.
- Plan and execute system expansions, upgrades, and retrofits.
Documentation & Configuration Management- Maintain engineering drawings, calculations, specifications, operating procedures, maintenance procedures, and system inventories.
- Support configuration management and formal change-control processes.
- Develop operational standards and engineering best practices for facility water systems.
Safety & Compliance- Perform work in accordance with Integrated Safety Management (ISM), EH&S requirements, laboratory policies, and applicable regulatory standards.
- Participate in hazard analyses, readiness reviews, and safety assessments.
- Support lockout/tagout planning and safe maintenance and operational procedures.
RequirementsRequired Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Minimum 8 years of relevant professional engineering experience, including substantial experience designing, operating, and/or maintaining industrial process or facility water systems; equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Low Conductivity Water (LCW) and deionized (DI) water systems.
- Experience with closed-loop cooling water systems, process utilities, mechanical infrastructure, and industrial piping systems.
- Strong knowledge of hydraulic and thermal system design principles.
- Experience developing and interpreting P&IDs, engineering drawings, flow diagrams, calculations, and technical specifications.
- Working knowledge of pumps, heat exchangers, cooling towers, filtration systems, water treatment systems, instrumentation, and controls.
- Experience troubleshooting complex mechanical and process systems and performing root-cause analysis.
- Ability to manage multiple engineering projects and priorities within an active operational environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Experience supporting particle accelerators, synchrotrons, large scientific facilities, semiconductor facilities, or other high-availability technical infrastructure.
- Experience with EPICS or industrial control-system integration.
- Experience with vibration-sensitive and/or thermally stable cooling systems.
- Experience commissioning and starting up large process or utility systems.
- Knowledge of reliability-centered maintenance practices.
- Previous experience supporting DOE national laboratory environments.
Working EnvironmentWork may be performed in office, laboratory, mechanical-room, construction, and industrial environments. The position may require access to confined mechanical spaces and industrial equipment areas.
Occasional after-hours or weekend support may be required during planned shutdowns, commissioning activities, maintenance events, or critical operational issues.
Hourly Rate: $80
Position ImpactThe Mechanical Engineer - Water Systems plays a critical role in ensuring reliable thermal management and utility performance for the ALS-U project and long-term ALS operations. The position directly supports facility uptime, equipment protection, operational reliability, and successful delivery of the ALS-U mission.
Equal Employment OpportunityEssnova Solutions, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Never miss an opportunity! Create an alert based on the job you applied for.
