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Plant Engineering Technician I – C Shift

  • Rochester, NY
  • Construction/Facilities

Plant Engineering Technician I – C Shift

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Schedule: C Shift | 11:30 PM–7:30 AM
Starting Pay: $20.00/hour + $0.75/hour shift differential
Career Opportunity: Contract-to-Hire through TES Staffing

Night Owls With Mechanical Skills: This Could Be Your Way Into RIT

Want a steady overnight schedule; and a job that can actually lead somewhere?

TES Staffing is recruiting a Plant Engineering Technician I for the overnight Facilities Management team at Rochester Institute of Technology.

This is an entry point into a much larger career path.

You'll learn how a major university campus operates behind the scenes, working with heating and cooling systems, mechanical equipment, plumbing, building systems and central plant operations.

Even better: RIT is known for developing and promoting employees from within Facilities Management.

People can advance into higher-level engineering roles, cross-train in other skilled trades, move between facilities work groups and potentially grow into areas such as construction and project management.

If you're mechanically inclined and want someplace you can build a career—not just collect a paycheck—keep reading.

What Happens on Campus Overnight?

RIT is essentially a small city.

Approximately 5,000 students live on campus, and the university operates 24 hours a day.

While C shift tends to be quieter than daytime operations, the buildings and mechanical systems never stop.

You'll:

  • Complete scheduled rounds of campus buildings and mechanical rooms

  • Inspect equipment and systems to make sure they're operating correctly

  • Respond to overnight maintenance work orders

  • Troubleshoot heating, cooling and mechanical problems

  • Respond to plumbing issues, leaks and other facilities concerns

  • Work alongside other Plant Engineering Technicians to identify and resolve problems

  • Coordinate with Public Safety when facilities issues arise overnight

  • Document work using RIT's work-order system

  • Drive university vehicles between campus buildings and adjacent RIT facilities as needed

You'll be part of the first-response facilities team when something happens overnight.

And while the overnight crew is smaller than the daytime operation, you will not be working alone. You'll work alongside other experienced Plant Engineering employees, with additional support available when an unusual problem arises.

We'll Train You Before You Go to Nights

Nobody expects you to learn a university campus overnight.

New hires will initially spend several weeks training on A shift, where you'll have access to the largest group of experienced RIT facilities employees.

You'll learn:

  • Campus buildings and mechanical rooms

  • Daily rounds

  • Major equipment and systems

  • Work-order procedures

  • Troubleshooting expectations

  • RIT facilities processes

  • When to handle something yourself—and when to call for additional support

Once you're comfortable with the operation, you'll transition to your regular 11:30 PM–7:30 AM C shift.

Who Does Well Here?

People who like working with their hands.

You don't have to come from a university or central plant environment. Relevant backgrounds may include:

  • HVAC

  • Automotive repair

  • Mechanical contracting

  • Residential or commercial heating and cooling

  • Plumbing

  • Facilities or building maintenance

  • Industrial equipment

  • Mechanical trades

If you've spent your career fixing cars, servicing HVAC equipment, maintaining buildings or troubleshooting mechanical systems, your skills may translate better than you think.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must have:

  • An Associate degree in a related technical field OR approximately two years of relevant hands-on field experience

  • Strong mechanical aptitude

  • Comfort troubleshooting problems and learning new systems

  • Ability to perform physical work and walk throughout a large campus

  • Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record

  • Ability to successfully complete required background screening

  • Reliable transportation and dependable attendance for an overnight schedule

Candidates must meet RIT's minimum qualifications to ultimately be considered for permanent employment.

The Career Path Is the Big Story Here

RIT Facilities Management doesn't just hire people to fill a shift.

The department works to develop people from within.

Employees have opportunities to cross-train, gain exposure to different trades and equipment, and develop skills that can qualify them for higher-level positions.

Plant Engineering is itself a step up for employees coming from other facilities areas, and experienced employees can continue developing toward higher-level engineering, skilled-trade, construction and project-management opportunities.

And if your long-term goal is a daytime schedule, B and C shift technicians may have opportunities to move into A shift when positions become available.

Get in. Learn the campus. Build your technical skills. Create a career.

And Then There Are the RIT Benefits

This position begins through TES Staffing with the goal of transitioning successful employees into permanent RIT employment.

Eligible regular RIT employees have access to a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, paid time off and extensive educational benefits.

Eligible regular RIT employees currently receive a 100% tuition waiver immediately, including undergraduate and most graduate-level courses. Full-time employees may take up to 12 credit hours per term under the tuition-waiver program.

That means this job can give you an opportunity to build your technical career while continuing your education.

Looking for Somewhere You Can Stay?

RIT offers something that's increasingly difficult to find in the trades: stability, training, variety and a defined place to grow.

One night you might be checking mechanical rooms. Another you're responding to a heating issue in a residence hall. Another you're helping troubleshoot equipment serving one of RIT's specialized facilities.

You'll keep learning—and you'll be surrounded by people who know the campus and its systems.

If you're mechanically inclined, dependable and ready to build something long-term, we want to hear from you.

Apply today through TES Staffing to be considered for RIT's Plant Engineering team.