W&PC Control Systems Specialist

SALARY
$35.82 - $52.37 Hourly
$74,506.43 - $ Annually
LOCATION
50010, IA
JOB TYPE
Full-Time
JOB NUMBER
25-5304-01
DEPARTMENT
Water & Pollution Control
OPENING DATE
12/05/2025
CLOSING DATE
1/2/2026 12:00 PM Central
FLSA
Non-Exempt
BARGAINING UNIT
MERIT
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT?
No

Centrally located in the heart of Iowa, Ames is a vibrant, progressive community with more than 66,000 residents providing an excellent quality of life. Home to Iowa State University, Ames offers year-round recreation opportunities, diverse cultural offerings, a stable economy, safe neighborhoods, and a high-achieving school district.

The City of Ames is conducting a recruitment to establish a Civil Service eligibility list for this classification. This list will be valid for up to one year from the date of certification by the Ames Civil Service Commission and may be used to fill one or more vacancies in this classification. In addition, City of Ames Civil Service employees who have previously held Civil Service status in this classification and are interested in voluntarily demoting or laterally transferring into the current vacancy must submit their application by the deadline.

Under the general supervision of the Assistant Director of Water & Pollution Control as part of the Administrative Division, this position performs specialized technical work involving the design, implementation, programming, maintenance, and troubleshooting of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Human‑Machine Interface (HMI), and telemetry systems. These systems serve the City’s water and wastewater utilities including treatment plants, wells, pump stations, elevated tanks, lift stations, and river and stream gauges.

This position will interact directly and coordinate with the Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents of the Water Treatment Plant and Water Pollution Control Facility. As a vital member of the Department’s technical support team, this position ensures the secure and efficient operation of critical infrastructure, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding SCADA systems from physical and cyber threats. Performs other duties as assigned.

In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must submit their online application by the deadline listed on this posting. Your application includes complete responses to the supplemental questions. Please keep in mind that submission of a resume in lieu of work history on your application or answering the supplemental questions is not sufficient.

Oversees the overall operations and maintenance of the SCADA systems for the Water Treatment Plant and Water Pollution Control Facility. Plans, designs, installs, configures, monitors, upgrades, and troubleshoots a variety of instrumentation and controls. Installs and configures new or relocated HMI workstations, thin clients, and other interface devices. Develops, modifies, and troubleshoots ladder diagrams and control logic. Implements and maintains security measures for the Operational Technology (OT) systems consistent with industry best practices.

Performs control system software upgrades per manufacturer’s guidelines. Writes and modifies HMI graphic codes; configures and manages database for plant historian; creates and modifies data reporting systems; configures and maintains SCADA system backups. In conjunction with other maintenance staff, diagnoses and resolves issues with motor controllers, variable frequency drives, soft starts, and valve actuators. Programs, calibrates, and troubleshoots in‑line analytical equipment such as chlorine analyzers, dissolved oxygen probes, turbidity meters, etc.

Configures and maintains radio telemetry and fiber optic systems for in‑plant and remote site communications. Reads and interprets blueprints, wiring diagrams, and schematics. Maintains technical manuals, drawings, sketches, schematics, and diagrams for electronic and controls equipment. Maintains security camera and access control systems to maximize “uptime” and safeguard the utility’s critical infrastructure. Collaborates with plant Superintendents to…