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Pentair delivers a comprehensive range of smart, sustainable water solutions to homes, business, and industry around the world. The company’s portfolio of solutions enables people, business, and industry to access clean, safe water, reduce water consumption, and recover and reuse it.

From about 130 locations in 34 countries, Pentair’s 10,000 employees are focused on the belief that the future of water depends on us all.

In Hamilton, Pentair hires people directly from school who are interested in apprenticeships including CNC operating and fitter-turning. Other good problem solvers and designers may come from university into draughting and design engineering roles.

Pentair is always looking for people with strong maths skills and the right attitude.

Jordan Lester

Field Service Technician

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A Chat with Jordan about his role

Jordan Lester, Pentair Field Service Technician, General Engineering Apprentice Level 4, former Te Awamutu College and Hamilton Boys’ High School student.

How did you get into this work?

I left school and was working at PAK’nSAVE when I saw a labouring role advertised at an engineering workshop. I applied for it and ended up working as a labourer there for nine months. I thought it was really cool and decided to look for an apprenticeship, and then I saw this opportunity advertised on-line and I applied for it!

What do you enjoy about your job?

I like being able to pull things apart and diagnose problems – it’s pretty satisfying to put something back together and get it working!

Pentair is great because we get to work across different industry sectors like food processing, water treatment and energy supply. And we get to travel all over New Zealand!

What qualifications do you have?

I am studying General Engineering Level 4 at the Open Polytechnic.

What have you learnt at work?

Pretty much everything I know, I’ve learned on the job… machine work, fitting skills, lots about different food processing equipment and processes.

What advice would you give someone thinking about their career?

When I left school, I thought going to university was the only pathway for a good career but now I know that’s not necessarily the only pathway. You just need to be keen and have the right attitude and you will find your place. You are young and can always try different things out until you decide what you enjoy.

It’s important to show up, on time, with a positive attitude and being keen to learn. Quite often if you have those qualities, everything else will fall into place.

What do you like about working at Pentair?

The culture is really good here. The people are like family. I love that no two days are the same, and we often get to travel.

How do you maintain a good balance between life and work?

It’s important to get enough sleep, exercise and eat well. Don’t have FOMO when your mates are out partying and you can’t because you need to get to work the next day – you are working hard to lay the foundations for a great life! I’m a Type 1 diabetic, so managing my health and being awate of keeping a good balance is really important for me – and actually for everyone!

A Day in the Life

7.30am

Arrive at work and do a temperature check at the door – hygiene, health and safety are extremely important at a business like this.

Go and see the team in the office to discuss the plan for the day. If I am in the workshop, I could be servicing relief and safety valves or helping the team with repairs. A lot of work is out on site though.

8.00am

I might have a valve or something to repair and rebuild, but it really is different every day. I am probably out on-site at a customer’s business doing these things at least half the time.

A lot of my role is customer-facing. You need to be able to figure out what the customer wants and make a plan to get it taken care of in a timely and efficient way.

10.00am

Stop for break.

10.15am

Back to work – solving problems, fixing safety valves.

11.00am

Write up reports for the jobs I have completed.

12.00pm

Stop for lunch and have a laugh with the team.

12.30pm – 4.30pm

Back to work and continue with the tasks for the day. On the field at the moment I am going out to the dairy factory and servicing a lot of hygienic food safety valves. I take them apart to repair the seals and rings. It’s a food processing environment, so that means you have to go across a “red line”. You have to account for any outside tools or components – everything must be accounted for. You need permits for everything.

4.30pm

Knock off for the day.

Top Career Tip

“If you get a trade you always have something you can go back to, even if it’s not want you want to do for the rest of your life. Lots of skills you learn can be used across many different jobs.”

Becoming a Field Service Technician

Skills, subjects and qualifications