Temporary Desalination Maintenance Technician

Required Qualifications:

Field experience with steam systems, desalination processes, or wastewater treatment systems Proven experience handling industrial chemicals, including spill prevention and safe handling of hazardous materials such as oxidizers and corrosives Hands‑on experience with water analysis techniques, including in‑field colorimetric testing and jar testing Experience working with control panels, instrumentation, and process equipment in an industrial or pilot‑scale environment Demonstrated experience developing, following, and adhering to standard operating procedures (SOPs)

Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field. Any equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience as approved by the Human Resources Department.

FLSA Status: Non‑Exempt

Grade: Temporary

Salary: $40.00 per hour minimum; rate commensurate with experience.

Location: Loving, New Mexico

Anticipated

Schedule:

Monday through Friday mornings (e.g., 8:00 a.m.‑1:00 p.m.), averaging approximately 5 hours per weekday following completion of training.

Located in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) is a newly independent public community college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. A proud Hispanic Serving Institution, it awards certificates and associate degrees that serve the needs of its region and prepare students to transfer to programs at other colleges or universities. SENMC offers Early College and Dual Credit programs in collaboration with local high schools.

Southeast New Mexico College enjoys the strong support of its community, and has been awarded several grants, which include $11.7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and several multimillion‑dollar grants from the U.S. Department of Education for student support.

The college’s diverse employee pool includes 39 full‑time faculty, 48 adjunct faculty, and 112 staff members. SENMC offers a generous benefits package which includes medical, dental, retirement, and college tuition reimbursement. More information on SENMC can be obtained from its website at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) has commenced joint operations with Sunvapor, Inc., a leading developer of low‑carbon industrial process plants, to operate and maintain the country’s first solar desalination facility – located at a commercial saltwater disposal well in Loving, New Mexico. To develop its workforce program in sustainable water reuse, SENMC supports operations and maintenance (O&M) tasks at the pilot facility. The solar‑powered desalination plant leverages a patented hybrid desalination process to achieve industry‑leading thermal efficiency and recovery rates for the prospective beneficial reuse of produced water in the Permian Basin.

This position supports SENMC’s sustainable water reuse program by performing routine operations and maintenance at the solar‑powered produced water desalination pilot facility.

Under Sunvapor’s direction, responsibilities include daily plant operations in accordance with SOPs, chemical handling, equipment checks, performance monitoring, responding to alarms, assisting with maintenance, and maintaining operational records to ensure safe, reliable facility performance and workforce training support.

• Work under the direction of the System Owner (Sunvapor) and proactively communicate with SENMC Technical Point of Contact.
• Independently and confidently perform on‑site operations and maintenance (O&M) tasks at the produced water desalination pilot plant in Loving, New Mexico.
• Follow established SOPs for daily operations and routine maintenance,…