Job Description
Facilities Mechanical Engineer (System Owner)
At Wolfspeed, we do amazing things in a human way.
We know that the achievements of our organization are due to the passion, hard work, and creativity of our employees. We celebrate different perspectives to foster excellence across our organization, and our goal is to make diversity a foundation of what we do. We are proudly building an environment where you can bring your authentic self to work.
- Enjoy doing things that people say can't be done? Innovation is at the center of everything we do.
- Hate red tape? We remove roadblocks instead of creating them.
- Working parent? We provide childcare assistance and paid parental leave.
- Student? We offer continuing education assistance.
- Looking for community? There are many ways to get involved, from Employee Resource Groups to local outreach.
Who We're Looking For
Wolfspeed is seeking a Facilities Mechanical Engineer to support our Marcy, NY manufacturing facility. As a Mechanical System Owner, you will be responsible for the reliability, capacity, operation, maintenance, continuous improvement, and lifecycle management of critical mechanical utility systems that support semiconductor manufacturing operations.
The Facilities Mechanical Engineering team serves as the technical authority for site-wide utility infrastructure and works closely with Facilities Operations, Maintenance, Manufacturing, EHS, Construction, and Capital Projects teams. The successful candidate will drive system reliability, optimize performance, support expansion projects, and ensure utility systems consistently meet manufacturing and safety requirements.
Systems Under Ownership Include:
- Compressed Dry Air (CDA) Systems
- Chilled Water Systems and Chillers
- Make-Up Air Units (MAUs)
- Boiler and Steam Generation Systems
- Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Cooling Water Pumping Systems
- Process Cooling Water (PCW) Systems
- Process Exhaust Systems
- Acid Exhaust
- Caustic Exhaust
- Solvent Exhaust
- General Exhaust
- Hazardous Exhaust
- Hazardous Gas Exhaust
- Regenerative/Catalytic Thermal Oxidizers (RCTOs)
- Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) Units
The Day-to-Day
1. Mechanical Utility Systems Operations
- Serve as the technical owner for assigned mechanical utility systems.
- Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize system performance to ensure safe, reliable, and uninterrupted operation.
- Support daily operational needs and respond to system alarms, equipment failures, and process utility excursions.
- Ensure utility systems consistently meet manufacturing requirements for capacity, quality, temperature, pressure, humidity, and airflow.
- Collaborate with operations and maintenance teams to maximize uptime and system reliability.
2. HVAC, Cooling Water & Air Systems Management
- Manage operation and optimization of:
- Chillers and chilled water distribution systems
- Process Cooling Water (PCW) systems
- Primary, secondary, and tertiary cooling water pumps
- Make-Up Air Units (MAUs)
- CRAC units supporting critical environments
- Compressed Dry Air (CDA) systems
- Analyze system performance, energy consumption, and equipment efficiency.
- Develop strategies to improve airflow management, cooling effectiveness, and utility reliability.
- Support cleanroom environmental controls and manufacturing support systems.
3. Process Exhaust & Environmental Control Systems
- Provide engineering support for all process exhaust systems, including:
- Acid exhaust
- Caustic exhaust
- Solvent exhaust
- Hazardous gas exhaust
- Hazardous exhaust systems
- General exhaust systems
- RCTO/Thermal Oxidizer systems
- Ensure systems operate safely and comply with environmental and EHS requirements.
- Investigate airflow, pressure balance, containment, and emission-related issues.
- Support environmental permitting and compliance initiatives as required.
4. System Reliability & Maintenance Excellence
- Develop and implement preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs.
- Analyze equipment performance and identify recurring failure modes.
- Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions.
- Troubleshoot issues involving:
- Pumps
- Motors
- Fans and blowers
- Heat exchangers
- Cooling towers
- Compressors
- Boilers
- Control valves
- Instrumentation and controls
- Partner with maintenance teams and contractors to minimize downtime and increase equipment reliability.
- 5. Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement
- Analyze operational data and identify opportunities for performance improvement.
- Improve:
- Equipment reliability
- Energy efficiency
- Utility consumption
- System capacity utilization
- Maintenance effectiveness
- Operating costs
- Lead sustainability initiatives focused on energy reduction and utility optimization.
- Apply Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies to facilities systems.
- 6. Design, Projects & Commissioning
- Support the design, installation, startup, and commissioning of new mechanical utility systems.
- Review and interpret:
- P&IDs
- Mechanical drawings
- HVAC drawings
- Equipment specifications
- Control schematics
- Develop technical specifications and construction packages.
- Coordinate with project teams, equipment vendors, contractors, and manufacturing stakeholders.
- Support fab expansion projects, infrastructure upgrades, and capacity increases.
- Lead mechanical utility projects through planning, design, installation, commissioning, and turnover to operations.
- Develop technical calculations and engineering evaluations for piping networks, pumping systems, ventilation systems, and utility infrastructure.
- Create and maintain project schedules using Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Project to support maintenance activities, shutdowns, capital projects, and facility expansions.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary project activities involving Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls (I&C), Process Gas, Chemical Distribution, Water, Wastewater, and Manufacturing teams.
- Serve as the mechanical lead during project execution, ensuring design intent, schedule, safety, and operational requirements are achieved
7. Compliance, Safety & Documentation
- Ensure compliance with:
- OSHA requirements
- Environmental regulations
- Wolfspeed engineering standards
- Site safety procedures
- Conduct risk assessments and participate in MOC (Management of Change) processes.
- Maintain accurate engineering documentation, SOPs, PM procedures, and operating standards.
- Support safety audits, incident investigations, and corrective action implementation.
8. Data Analysis & Technical Reporting
- Utilize data analytics tools to monitor system health and performance trends.
- Generate reports on:
- Reliability performance
- Downtime events
- Energy consumption
- Capacity utilization
- Continuous improvement initiatives
- Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Failure Mode investigations, and reliability improvement efforts.
- Develop KPIs and dashboards for critical utility systems.
9. Leadership, Coordination & System Ownership
- Serve as the system owner and technical authority for assigned mechanical utility systems.
- Provide technical leadership and direction to operations, maintenance, contractors, and project teams.
- Coordinate maintenance, reliability, and improvement activities across multiple organizations and disciplines.
- Work closely with maintenance supervisors and managers to prioritize corrective actions, preventive maintenance activities, and system improvements.
- Influence and drive actions through collaboration, as maintenance technicians and craft personnel do not directly report to the Mechanical Engineer/System Owner.
- Facilitate communication and alignment between Facilities Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Manufacturing, EHS, and Capital Projects teams.
- Lead cross-functional problem-solving efforts and root cause investigations involving mechanical, electrical, controls, process gas, chemical, water, and wastewater systems.
- Ensure system lifecycle management, capacity planning, reliability improvements, and long-term asset strategies are effectively executed
This Job Is Right for You If You Have
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from an accredited four-year university is required.
- 5+ years of experience in facilities engineering, utilities engineering, HVAC systems, or industrial mechanical systems.
- Experience supporting semiconductor, pharmaceutical, advanced manufacturing, chemical processing, or mission-critical facilities.
- Strong knowledge of:
- Chillers and chilled water systems
- Cooling water systems
- Boiler and steam systems
- HVAC equipment and air handling systems
- Compressed Dry Air (CDA) systems
- Process Cooling Water (PCW) systems
- Industrial exhaust and ventilation systems
- Pumps, heat exchangers, and utility distribution systems
- Demonstrated understanding of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics with the ability to:
- Develop and analyze system curves.
- Perform pump and fan sizing calculations.
- Calculate piping pressure losses and flow requirements.
- Perform exhaust duct sizing, airflow balancing, and pressure drop calculations.
- Evaluate system capacity and hydraulic performance for utility systems.
- Proficient in interpreting and developing:
- P&IDs
- Mechanical and HVAC drawings
- Equipment specifications
- Control narratives and sequence of operations
- Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project, including development and management of high-level project schedules, resource planning, and project tracking
- Work Location will be Marcy NY 5 days/week.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in semiconductor manufacturing facilities (fab environment).
- Experience serving as a system owner for critical facilities infrastructure.
- Familiarity with cleanroom HVAC systems and environmental controls.
- Knowledge of industrial exhaust systems, thermal oxidizers, and emissions control technology.
- Experience with Building Management Systems (BMS), SCADA, PLCs, and automation controls.
- Understanding of reliability engineering methodologies and predictive maintenance programs.
- Experience supporting facility startup, commissioning, or ramp-up operations.
- Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification is a plus.
This role may require additional duties and/or assignments as designated by management.
The posted salary range is what Wolfspeed reasonably expects to pay for this position. Actual pay for a hired applicant will be determined based on the individual’s job-relevant qualifications, experience, and other determinative factors. In the event it is determined that a different job level upon hire is warranted then that range will be communicated to the hired applicant as soon as reasonably practicable.
$93,000.00 - $128,000.00
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.