Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Lead - Internal

This is an internal/promotional recruitment available to current City of Davis staff.

Under general supervision plans, assigns, leads, oversees, and participates in the more complex and difficult work of an operations crew responsible for performing wastewater treatment plant operations functions; inspects, operates, and maintains the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant facility and treatment processes; treats wastewater to protect the public health and environment before discharge; performs corrective and repair work on plant systems; performs general maintenance work at plant facilities;

provides technical and specialized assistance to assigned management and supervisory staff; and performs related work as required.

Receives general supervision from the WWTP Ops Supervisor. As Lead, works closely with a small crew, providing technical and functional supervision while working in the field; provides training to less experienced staff. May serve as acting supervisor in the absence of assigned supervisor.

This is the advanced journey level classification responsible for performing the most complex work assigned to the series. Incumbents regularly work on tasks that are varied and complex, requiring considerable discretion and independent judgment. Incumbents lead a field crew and are required to operate and train others in the operation of a variety of treatment processes, equipment operations and work duties.

Positions in the classification rely on experience and judgment to ensure the City Wastewater Treatment Plant facility is operated and maintained in a safe and effective working condition. Assignments are given with general guidelines and incumbents are responsible for establishing objectives, timelines, and methods to complete assignments. Work is typically reviewed upon completion for soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to policy and requirements.

Positions in this class are distinguished from supervisory classes in that they do not perform direct supervisory duties.

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Provides technical and functional supervision to assigned staff responsible for operations, maintenance, repair, and installation work in the City’s wastewater facilities; reviews and controls quality of work; troubleshoots and performs the more complex operations, maintenance and repair activities.
• Plans, schedules, prioritizes, and assigns operations, maintenance and repair work in consultation with supervisor; communicates status of assigned tasks to appropriate personnel, coordinates assigned services of operations with those of other divisions and outside agencies, working cooperatively to schedule assigned tasks in accordance with established and special operational priorities; instructs staff in work procedures.
• Provides performance related feedback to division supervisor as requested.
• Trains employees in process control, work methods, use of tools and equipment, and relevant safety precautions.
• Operates and adjusts controls on wastewater treatment facility equipment and machinery such as valves, pumps, chemical feed pumps, electric motors, filters, programmable control systems, and other plant equipment to ensure all equipment is running at optimal performance; checks and calibrates chemical feed equipment and analyzers.
• Visually inspects all plant processes and equipment; troubleshoots and resolves causes of plant upsets, plant equipment problems, or when permit limitations are exceeded.
• Operates the City’s wastewater treatment system using the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer control system; corrects routine and complex system faults and alarms; monitors trends using SCADA regarding flows, pump and valve operation, chemical residual and supply levels, whether equipment is running effectively, and if chemicals are being utilized properly.
• Safely handles, transports, stores, monitors,…