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Career Path => NRC => Topic started by: weatherby460 on Jan 18, 2013, 06:38

Title: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Jan 18, 2013, 06:38
I am getting an interview for this job.  I think I understand the tasks and feel I can do the job...but I have some concerns.

It is a rotating contract, with NO benefits.  The pay is only 18-22hr, but they already said $25 is very possible.

I love the job description, but for that type of money with no benefits, it seems way too low.

Please tell me what you can about this job, and what typically a person is paid in this position.
 



12 Months contract w/ extensions.

Please see attached SOW for job description. The candidate must be able to work with electronic circuits. THIS IS NOT AN IT DESKSIDE SUPPORT ROLE

Simulator Hardware Maintenance/Training Technology Specialist - Scope of Work

The following describes the scope of work involved in performing preventive and corrective maintenance on Simulator control panel hardware and I/O, and maintaining classroom training technology components.

Summary:

• Perform hardware preventive and corrective maintenance activities for the simulator.

• With input from Training and IT, assemble needed work plans for simulator hardware work, including developing installation plans and methods for modifications and enhancements.

• Install modifications involving simulator panel hardware changes.

• Specify/order parts and materials required for preventive and corrective maintenance, as well as authorized hardware enhancements.

• Specify and maintain Classroom Technology Components outside scope of IT support.

• Assist Simulator Coordinator with data gathering and validation activities.

• Ensure all maintenance is completed as required in a manner to meet the needs of the site training programs.

Hardware Maintenance Activities

Install, troubleshoot, repair, configure, and maintain standard control panel devices. (Switches, lights, meters, potentiometers, chart recorders, horns, etc…) Install, troubleshoot, repair, configure, and maintain I/O system to the Simulation Computer interface (Chassis, Cards, Power Supplies, device wiring, etc..) Install, troubleshoot and repair stimulated electronic panel devices (e.g. Controllers).

Install, troubleshoot and repair simulated electronic panel devices (e.g. Bailey Feedwater controllers, SPING, etc.) Vacuum, dust, clean control panels, if not provided by others.

Removal of unused wiring and components after modifications.

Follow test procedures when equipment is installed or modified.

Review and compare plant control room and simulator configuration to identify differences (in conjunction with Training)

Hardware Work Preparation Activities

Provide estimates for installation of station modifications for input to Simulator Work Requests.

Specify parts needed to implement modifications or enhancements.

Develop work packages as needed for maintenance, modifications, and enhancements.

Update documentation (including drawings, if applicable).

Create/modify meter scales as needed for existing equipment.

Layout/design of control room environment changes. (Instructor booth, furniture, ceiling, NSO desks, etc.) Interface the simulator I/O system or computer system to stimulated devices.

Work with vendors to have designs implemented.

Implement designs in-house when appropriate.

Write and maintain guidelines for the operations and maintenance of new equipment.

Parts Procurement Activities

Specify parts needed for modifications, enhancements, and repairs.

Specify/maintain spare parts inventory.

Specify/maintain consumables inventory.

Researching, Ordering, Coding, and tracking parts needed for corrective and preventive maintenance and enhancements. Modification parts may be handled by Engineering in some cases.

Shipping, tracking, and receiving components for repair.

Administrative Activities

Update Simulator Work Requests/Minor Maintenance Issues as needed.

Update documentation (including drawings, if applicable).

Assist Simulator Coordinator with plant data collection, physical fidelity comparison walk downs, and scenario testing activities Classroom Training Technology Activities Specify, Install, troubleshoot, repair, and configure audio-visual systems, digital signage, training mock-ups and other classroom technology not typically maintained by IT Develop and update display graphics for instructor workstations and stand-alone simulation systems (i.e.: V-Panels) Assist Training Department with the development of graphics needed for training materials and classroom presentations.

 
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Jan 18, 2013, 09:14
I know the Useta plant had a deal like this where the upgrades and maintenance of the simulator were taken care of by low-bid contracts, instead of using the house I&C techs.  So, my guess is you are basically applying for an I&C job, minus the risk and liability of working on an operational power plant.

You would have to tell us what part of the country you are in to fully analyze the pay rate, but does sound low-end, therefore in line with a low-bid contractor...  Might be a decent route to get some experience, but probably not great long-term option.

Good luck!  :)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Jan 19, 2013, 06:13
Location is Northern IL.....

If I do get offered this job, I want to be able to ask for the correct amount of pay. 

And yes.....I really do think it would be a great experience for other jobs down the road.

thanks for any info
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Jan 19, 2013, 07:59
Can anyone say what the pay should be?
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Jan 20, 2013, 09:18
Can anyone say what the pay should be?

I'd say it's low if you are within 50 miles of Chicago...probably about right for an entry-level job otherwise.

Disclaimer:  It's been half-dozen years since I've worked northern Illinois, so this is just based on gut reaction, not current information about the job market there.

Play around with www.payscale.com a bit and see what kind of an answer you get.  And let us know how things look!

Good luck!  :)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: Laundry Man on Jan 21, 2013, 09:05
Seem low to me.
LM
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Jan 21, 2013, 10:53
What should I ask for if I get the offer?
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Jan 30, 2013, 05:00
I have an interview tomorrow...over the phone...what should I ask?
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Jan 31, 2013, 08:50
Had the interview....it went well...it is a contract to hire job for eventually to be a maintenance person......i hope i get it
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: GLW on Jan 31, 2013, 10:04
Good luck paleeo!!

Keep us posted,.... 8)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: HydroDave63 on Feb 01, 2013, 07:42
Had the interview....it went well...it is a contract to hire job for eventually to be a maintenance person......i hope i get it

Are you going to take it if they only offer the pay as discussed? It does look like a decent foot in the door!
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 01, 2013, 09:42
Here is my deal...i am out of work, my company moved out of the states, I was making $31 an hour in maintenance.  My wife has health insurance, so I am ok there.  I am going to ask for 27.50 if I get the offer.  Which is still cheap since they are not paying for any benefits...but, I am sure they will low ball me.  But, I think its the best chance I have to get my foot in the door...its a 45 mile commute each way, but i think I can tolerate that just fine.  Finally I was on third shift.....this is day shift...thats a huge bonus for me.  No pre taxed 401K kinda bites...I have always been vested in a 401K since I was 18.

Any thoughts
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: HydroDave63 on Feb 01, 2013, 08:03
Any thoughts

1. If you truly want the job, I wouldn't argue much over the pay.

2. Since you had 401k's, did you do a rollover? You should be able to contribute...but that's for the tax professionals to advise.

3. Foot in the door, and all that.
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Feb 02, 2013, 07:47
1. If you truly want the job, I wouldn't argue much over the pay.

2. Since you had 401k's, did you do a rollover? You should be able to contribute...but that's for the tax professionals to advise.

3. Foot in the door, and all that.

Yeah.  What he said.  :)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 02, 2013, 02:52
Are I&C Techs usually hired from within, or can people get in from the outside?
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Feb 03, 2013, 07:44
Are I&C Techs usually hired from within, or can people get in from the outside?

They filled 5 slots when I was hired. Originally, it was going to be all/mostly ex-navy guys transferring from operations, but when push-came-to-shove, the ops guys all decided against it. They hired 4 slots externally and filled the other internally.  That was back when unemployment rates were lower, so not sure what the results would be now.  And no idea if that is representative of other plants and/or hiring cycles.

Good luck.  :)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 03, 2013, 09:40
What was your experience before being hired as an I&C Tech.....
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: GLW on Feb 03, 2013, 10:02
What was your experience before being hired as an I&C Tech.....

Search two minutes and you will find this:

01/01/01 – Trojan decommissioning (RP)

02/02/02 - Millstone outage (RP)

03/03/03 - Diablo Canyon outage (RP)

04/04/04 - Diablo Canyon outage (RP)

05/05/05 – Columbia outage (RP) - early summer break from BSU electronics program

06/06/06 – Home in Idaho - job search to use new electronics degree

07/07/07 – INL - (Waste Characterization)

08/08/08 – Home in Washington - summer break after going back on road (RP)

09/09/09 – Pilgrim (I&C)

10/10/10 – Humboldt Bay decommissioning (RP)

11/11/11 – Bangkok, Thailand - medevac from Peace Corps Cambodia

12/12/12 – Kampot, Cambodia - Peace Corps


That was enlightening...made me realize that even those jobs that seemed to drag on forever didn't really last that long...


Knowing how to research the answer for yourself will help your nuclear support career immensely,...

Seeing the question before the boss sees it and researching the answer to have it when needed is an appreciated skill,...

Doing what you're told when you're told as you're told makes you reliable, being reliable puts you in at the LCD of any nuclear career,...

Just my thoughts, do with them what you will,... [coffee]
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Feb 04, 2013, 10:56
What was your experience before being hired as an I&C Tech.....

I had been in nuclear power for 20+ years in radiation protection.  The nuclear background, plus a bachelors in electronics technology, got me in the door...

Good luck with your job search!  :)





One last reminder...different job climate back then, so...?
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 05, 2013, 10:14
No call yet...bet I didn't get it.
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 06, 2013, 12:23
Got a call.....I have a face to face interview Friday!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: Marlin on Feb 06, 2013, 12:48
Got a call.....I have a face to face interview Friday!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck Mr. pessimist  ;)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Feb 06, 2013, 07:56
Got a call.....I have a face to face interview Friday!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

Good luck!  :)

:)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 09, 2013, 09:39
I had the interview...it went great.   The job is just supporting the simulator control room.

I am not sure if I am missing something, but that is all that I would be supporting...just the training room, which is basically computer controlled.

I expected to support alot more, including at least a mock up reactor, but that doesnt appear to be the case.

I think it will be a fairly easy job compared to my last job.  I kinda hope it will be more involved.  Honestly, I dont even know how a person can stay busy for 8 hours a day.

Does this assumption correct?  Again, I want the job to get my foot in the door.
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Feb 10, 2013, 08:03
I had the interview...it went great.   The job is just supporting the simulator control room.

I am not sure if I am missing something, but that is all that I would be supporting...just the training room, which is basically computer controlled.

I expected to support alot more, including at least a mock up reactor, but that doesnt appear to be the case.

I think it will be a fairly easy job compared to my last job.  I kinda hope it will be more involved.  Honestly, I dont even know how a person can stay busy for 8 hours a day.

Does this assumption correct?  Again, I want the job to get my foot in the door.

Glad to hear your interview went well!  :)

As I mentioned above, we (I&C) didn't work on the simulator at the Useta plant, so anything I say about it is just conjecture, but...

I'm guessing you are right that some days you will have a hard time staying busy for the full day.  That is typical of nuclear power.  I have the same problem you do with wanting to minimize down time, so I keep a to-do list of side-projects that I can refer to if things get slow. 

And, the simulator is a very complex roomful of equipment.  I was only in it once for a tour, so maybe the guys who work/train on it all the time can chime in, but I remember it having all the same instrument readouts as the real control room (I'm drawing a blank about whether the back aisles exist at the simulator, but am assuming they do...).  If you are doing PM's and cals on that many instruments by yourself, it seems like a full schedule.  Throw in modifications and such...and you may be over-worked!  ;)

Thanks for keeping us posted.  It sounds like a great opportunity.  If you land the job and really learn the simulator, you'll be able to roll into the real plant in a few years as a control room expert.

Good luck!  :)
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: weatherby460 on Feb 11, 2013, 08:03
I got the job!!!!!

Thanks for the help and chiming in everyone...esp Uncabuffalo!

I dont know the details except for the wage, and I will have health ins and matching 401K (not sure how much).

Again this is a contract job, so no paid vac, and the wage is only $24 an hour to start.  But its a foot in the door, a day shift job, clean enviroment, climate controlled, and I feel I can be very good in the job with my current skills set.

Here is where there is hope.  This location has not hired direct hires in over a year in most areas.  The staffing agent said because of reorganization from a new owner...I forgot the name.   She said if I do well, and they like me...I will most likely be hired by Exelon when the company can hire again.

Very good day for me.
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: Higgs on Feb 11, 2013, 08:50
Congratulations! I'm very happy for you!

Justin
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: UncaBuffalo on Feb 11, 2013, 10:10
You probably already know this, but it was the single most important thing I learned as an I&C tech (THANKS, DAVE S. :)):


There are a TON of different instruments in a plant (or simulator).  There is no way for a normal person to remember every detail about every calibration or PM on every instrument.

Therefore, TAKE NOTES!

My system was to jot notes in the margin of my copy as I performed each procedure. Then, when I got back to the shop, I'd transfer all the notes (with step #) to the cover page, tear the cover page off, and stick it in a binder.  This way, when it came time to re-perform calibration (many are done only semi-annually or annually), I still always had a few tidbits of information that made my life easier  (even mundane things - such as exact location of instrument or exactly which wrenches are required - are a HUGE time-saver...and dose-saver...in the real plant.)




There were also some unanticipated benefits to my note-taking system:

First, since I always was playing with the procedures, it became common for the lead techs to ask me to submit procedure revisions when we got back to the shop.  This is something I enjoy and helped keep me busy (which you mentioned you were worried about.)  That in turn led to being given a couple of other great projects, because I had the reputation of enjoying, and being efficient at, paperwork.

And, when it came time to be fully qualified, I was the only one who could prove I'd already performed such-and-such surveillances, so was the first one to be pushed through.



Congratulations and Good Luck!  :)

Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: allenmurrow on Mar 10, 2013, 03:41
You probably already know this, but it was the single most important thing I learned as an I&C tech (THANKS, DAVE S. :)):


There are a TON of different instruments in a plant (or simulator).  There is no way for a normal person to remember every detail about every calibration or PM on every instrument.

Therefore, TAKE NOTES!

My system was to jot notes in the margin of my copy as I performed each procedure. Then, when I got back to the shop, I'd transfer all the notes (with step #) to the cover page, tear the cover page off, and stick it in a binder.  This way, when it came time to re-perform calibration (many are done only semi-annually or annually), I still always had a few tidbits of information that made my life easier  (even mundane things - such as exact location of instrument or exactly which wrenches are required - are a HUGE time-saver...and dose-saver...in the real plant.)




There were also some unanticipated benefits to my note-taking system:

First, since I always was playing with the procedures, it became common for the lead techs to ask me to submit procedure revisions when we got back to the shop.  This is something I enjoy and helped keep me busy (which you mentioned you were worried about.)  That in turn led to being given a couple of other great projects, because I had the reputation of enjoying, and being efficient at, paperwork.

And, when it came time to be fully qualified, I was the only one who could prove I'd already performed such-and-such surveillances, so was the first one to be pushed through.



Congratulations and Good Luck!  :)



Good information. These work practices would benefit other departments as well. I'd give you positive karma if I had that ability.  +K
Title: Re: Need explanation of Simulator Maintenance job?
Post by: Marlin on Mar 10, 2013, 10:42
Good information. These work practices would benefit other departments as well. I'd give you positive karma if I had that ability.  +K

$36.50/year that's just $3.04/month or $0.10/day...


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