Instrumentation & Controls Technician

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

Pay: $28-$32/hr

Shift: Full time

Location Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America Category Facilities, Operations, Hospitality, Trades & Engineering The Rector & Visitors of the University of Virginia Job Id R0088922 Job Type Full time

JOB DESCRIPTION

The University of Virginia's grounds encompass an unusually wide range of building types, including historic academic halls, active research laboratories, clinical spaces, and purpose-built facilities, all depending on reliable building automation systems. The Service Team within Facilities Management’s Building Automation Services department is the University’s primary provider of Building Automation Systems (BAS) services, delivering 24/7 support for HVAC control system failures, BAS network faults, and system alarms across research, healthcare, academic, and other mission-critical facilities.

Our technicians troubleshoot and maintain HVAC control systems regulating temperature, humidity, and pressure in operating rooms, pharmacies, vivariums, and research laboratories, as well as critical monitoring systems for medical-grade freezers and cold rooms that support research and patient care. Our work ranges from routine service requests and preventive maintenance to emergency response and specialized testing supporting annual BSL-3 facility recertification.

The Instrumentation & Controls Technician is a multidisciplinary technical professional who combines expertise in HVAC systems, direct digital controls (DDC), BAS software, network communications, and systematic troubleshooting to install, configure, maintain, diagnose, repair, and optimize building automation systems. Working independently and as part of a team, you will operate Johnson Controls Metasys, Automated Logic WebCTRL, and related BAS platforms to keep building operations safe, reliable, energy-efficient, and compliant.

**What Makes This Role Unique:**

• **Diverse, mission-critical environments:** Your work takes you through mechanical rooms, operating rooms, pharmacies, vivariums, and biosafety-designated laboratories, offering variety and technical challenges that are hard to find in a single employer.
• **Meaningful impact:** The systems you service protect patient care, research integrity, and regulated environments, including medical-grade storage that cannot afford to fail.
• **Industry-standard platforms and protocols:** Hands-on work with Johnson Controls Metasys, Automated Logic WebCTRL, and third-party platforms across BACnet MS/TP, BACnet/IP, Modbus, and LON networks builds a rare, marketable combination of skills.
• **Broad technical growth:** The role blends HVAC, DDC controls, software, and network troubleshooting, along with exposure to commissioning and improvement projects.
• **Stable employer with strong benefits:** UVA Facilities Management is a team of over 1,200 professionals with institutional backing and one of the most comprehensive benefits packages in the region.

**Key Responsibilities:**

Troubleshooting & Repair:

• Troubleshoot, diagnose, and repair BAS and DDC systems, including supervisory devices, communications networks, field controllers, controller inputs and outputs (I/O), relays, sensors, actuators, and other field control devices.
• Service building automation controls supporting air handling units, variable air volume systems, fan coil units, chilled water, hot water, and steam distribution, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), and more.
• Interpret and apply sequences of operation to verify proper system operation and control performance.

24/7 Service & Emergency Response:

• Provide 24/7 response to BAS service requests, system failures, communication faults, and alarms affecting HVAC systems and other mission-critical building operations.
• Diagnose and restore BAS functionality during equipment failures, building-wide outages, supervisory controller failures, and network communication disruptions.
• Troubleshoot and service critical-equipment monitoring systems supporting research laboratories, pharmacies, and medical-grade storage equipment, including ultra-low temperature freezers, refrigerators, cold rooms, and incubators.
• Coordinate emergency response with the System Control Center and communicate findings, corrective actions, and system status to research staff, pharmacy personnel, facility representatives, and other affected stakeholders.

BAS Platforms & Configuration:

• Operate Johnson Controls Metasys, Automated Logic WebCTRL, and third-party BAS platforms to monitor performance, manage alarms, analyze trend data, configure setpoints, and modify control logic.
• Create and maintain graphical displays, and upload or download application programs and device configurations.
• Install, configure, and calibrate DDC controllers, sensors (temperature, humidity, gas, pressure, flow, occupancy), and actuators in accordance with design specifications and sequences of operation.

Network & Communications:

• Configure, troubleshoot, and maintain BAS