Water Treatment Plant Operator

Enjoy working outdoors? Hate sitting behind a desk? If you take pleasure in practical tasks, enjoy outdoor environments, and seek variety in your work throughout the year, this position is perfect for you. At the Blackbird Mine site in Salmon, Idaho, you won’t just maintain the water treatment plant—you’ll be part of a tight‑knit team that keeps the entire site operating safely and efficiently.

From operating heavy equipment to managing environmental systems, every day will bring variety, purpose, and the satisfaction of real results.

As part of a small team supporting the operations, maintenance, and surveillance of the closed site, you’ll play a key role in keeping things running smoothly. Your main focus will be operating the water treatment plant, associated pump stations, and the dewatering basin. Depending on your qualifications, you will supervise or organize preventive maintenance on site infrastructure. You’ll also support environmental and site management systems and help identify, assess, and reduce potential risks.

• Follow site safety policies to ensure safe and efficient work practices, and take part in daily, weekly, and monthly safety meetings and related requirements;
• Operate and maintain the water treatment plant in accordance with operating manuals, standard procedures, and preventive maintenance schedules;
• Operate, inspect, maintain, and troubleshoot pump‑back and transfer systems to ensure reliable water movement and treatment performance;
• Perform mechanical maintenance on pumps, valves, pipelines, and treatment systems to support safe and continuous operations;
• Conduct HDPE pipe fusion and welding as required for repairs, modifications, and system integrity;
• Order reagents, parts, and consumables to maintain uninterrupted plant operations and maintenance activities;
• Supervise and coordinate maintenance contractors, ensuring work is completed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with site standards;
• Develop and maintain preventive maintenance schedules and accurate maintenance records for plant equipment and systems;
• Collect effluent, surface water, and groundwater samples in accordance with permit requirements and site procedures;
• Submit samples for laboratory analysis and track results as part of compliance monitoring;
• Complete daily, weekly, and monthly operational and compliance reporting as required;
• Conduct routine inspections of tailings dams and water retention dams in accordance with OMS and dam safety requirements;
• Support spill response and environmental incident response activities as required;
• Maintain accurate operational logs and compliance documentation for all treatment and monitoring activities;
• Interpret and apply site permits and regulatory requirements in daily operations;
• Communicate operational concerns, risks, and performance issues to the Site Manager in a timely manner.

• High school diploma required; a technical trade background (mechanical or electrical) is beneficial;
• Minimum 3 years of experience in mining, industrial, or water treatment environments, with solid knowledge of plumbing, mechanical systems, and heavy equipment (e.g., skid steer, forklift, backhoe);
• Deep familiarity with workplace safety standards and the capacity to contribute productively in a team setting;
• Able to perform work safely at remote sites and outdoors in varying weather, and able to handle daily manual labor;
• Experience in the construction and commissioning of medium‑to‑large‑scale projects considered a strong asset;
• Practical experience operating heavy equipment, including loaders, excavators, dozers, and forklifts;
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and smartphones for documentation and communication;
• Demonstrated reliability, adaptability, and a proactive approach to site operations and maintenance tasks;
• HAZWOPER certification required;
• MSHA training certification considered an asset.

• Valid driver’s license required;
• Ability to be scheduled on‑call 12 months of the year.

You have advanced proficiency in English (verbal and written).

This role is based at the Blackbird Mine site in Salmon, Idaho.

Only candidates with full working rights in the USA will be considered.

This posting reflects a current opening. All applications are reviewed by a member of our recruitment team — no automated screening. While we thank everyone for their application, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We provide and can arrange necessary support for applicants who may need assistance. ()