Engineering Technician II, Mechanical Testing

Requisition ID # 174112 

Job Category: Engineering / Science; Maintenance / Construction / Operations 

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Energy Delivery

Work Type: Onsite

Job Location: Danville

Department Overview

Applied Technology Services (ATS) has been providing technology-based, innovative, high-value services to the company for over 40 years. ATS is a multidisciplinary team of over 130 engineers, scientists, and technicians. The ATS vision is to be a forward-thinking, technological leader providing high-value solutions and services needed across the Company. ATS high value services also help proactively avoid future problems by specifying equipment, materials and methods that are best practices in the industry.

PG&E’s Applied Technologies Services (ATS) Materials Engineering & Failure Analysis group provides a range of services, which include failure analysis, material selection, and specification and procedure development.  

Facility description: ATS has Mechanical and Metallurgical laboratories that specialize in Failure Analysis testing.  The mechanical testing laboratory is equipped with a variety of universal force testing frames along with a machine shop for fabricating testing fixtures. The lab is also supported by the materials team with a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), optical microscopes, image analysis systems, sample prep equipment, and micro-hardness testers.  

Position Summary

This position is represented by Engineers and Scientists of California (ESC) subject to collective bargaining.

The ideal candidate will have experience and skills in:

• Testing the properties of materials under dynamic or static forces in conducting mechanical tests such as tensile strength tests, compression strength tests, bending tests, shear tests, impact resistance, fracture toughness, and fatigue per industry standards.
• Executing tests based upon industry and testing standards under engineering direction. Materials you will most likely encounter on the job are steels (pipes, valves, vessels), aluminum (wire, fittings, connectors), copper (wire, valves), and ceramics (insulators).
• Fabrication including machining (hand tools, band saw, drill press, lathe, end mill), fixture manufacturing, using acetylene torches, band saws, and cut off saws (wet, dry). A strong knowledge of metallurgy with experience in polishing equipment (manual/automated), and sample mounting processes, hardness testers, and optical microscopes are a plus.
• Reading and interpreting engineering drawings, product specifications, and other technical documents.

Travel requirement: 10-20% of the time, throughout the PG&E territory.

PG&E is providing the hourly rate range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job.  The actual hourly rate paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreement, and internal equity.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the hourly rate range for this position is $59.79 to $66.18, subject to collectively bargained wage increases.

Job Responsibilities

• Safety: Demonstrate safe work practices at all times. Strong focus on customer, public and employee safety in all work practices.
• Job Management: Collaborate well with team members and clients to plan and conduct laboratory projects.
• Mechanical and metallurgical testing: Plan, design, setup, execute, and analyze results with direct support from an engineer.
• Housekeeping: Responsible for performing necessary, maintenance, calibration, and shop orderliness including ensuring adequate inventory of testing supplies is maintained.
• Quality Improvement: Identify continuous improvement opportunities within the lab.
• Reporting: Compile detailed test data and put together simple pre/post-test summary reports in the format requested by the clients.

Qualifications

Minimum:

• Possess an Associate of Science degree (preferably mechanical engineering) or equivalent education and/or certifications in the appropriate field of technology.
• 2 years of experience to include mechanical fabrication of metal fixtures (cutting, joining, grinding, polishing, and testing) and operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and calibrating laboratory equipment such as MTS and Tinius Olsen universal test frames and Keyence digital microscopes.

Desired:

• Previously operated mechanical/metallurgical testing equipment in custom non-standardized testing setups.
• Experience with materials management (Sample log-in, tracking, and following internal procedures for chain of custody).
• Basic understanding of metallurgy concepts preferred.