Operator - Relief Operator

Operator 2 (Relief Operator)

The City of Rochester is committed to a community where all members feel a sense of belonging. We commit to recognizing the diversity of our community members, listening to all voices and providing equitable services to create an inclusive place to live, play and work. Equity should be at the center of all our work. We strive to represent our community in our teammates, as we know that diverse and inclusive teams are more innovative, and have an empowering impact on the work, progress and culture of our community.

It takes us all working together.

The Water Reclamation Plant treats wastewater for the City's residents, industries, and numerous visitors, treating an average of 13 million gallons of wastewater per day, using a combination of physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove pollutants. The Water Reclamation Plant is staffed 24 hours per day and has 30 full-time employees. The site is situated on 32 acres with buildings covering 8 acres.

This position will be open until filled.

The Operator 2 is a skilled position assisting in the operation and maintenance of the Water Reclamation Plant, a municipal wastewater treatment facility. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, monitoring and controlling plant processes; inspecting, maintaining, and repairing plant mechanical and control equipment and remote lift stations; cleaning plant equipment and process areas as necessary; and assisting in the maintenance of plant buildings and grounds.

Operator 2's or Relief Operators spend approximately 2/3 of their time working in a standard day schedule and the remaining 1/3 working in a relief role for the Operator
1. Relief hours earn a higher level of pay and will include some nights, weekends, and holidays. This position relieves the Operator 1 position as assigned. When in the relief role, the operator oversees operations of the facility including identifying issues, making adjustments, and ensuring treatment of all processes.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, performing water quality testing; sample collection; instrumentation cleaning and calibration; adjusting pumping and chemical rates; cleaning plant equipment and process areas as necessary; assisting the Chief and Master Mechanics in equipment inspection and repair.

Pay:
The 2026 hiring range for this position is $30.57 to $39.06 per hour. This position is eligible for benefits offered by the City of Rochester. Please check out the benefits tab at the top of the page for more details.

To have your application considered in the first round of reviews, please apply before September 10, 2026 at 11:59pm CST. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

The City of Rochester will not sponsor or transfer visas for this position including F1 OPT STEM.

* Monitor and control plant processes

• Monitor process control computer data to stay current with the status of all plant processes. Make adjustments to control set points as necessary to keep control parameters within normal operating ranges.
• Conduct routine inspections of plant operations and the buildings and grounds. Read gauges and other monitoring equipment and make adjustments to the process control parameters as required.
• Start and stop plant equipment in the event of power outages or severe equipment failures. Make adjustments as necessary to the plant processes to minimize the upset to the process due to equipment failures.
• Provide operational assistance as needed or assigned.

* Relieve Operator 1's

• Perform all duties listed above.
• Make operational decisions without direct supervision on over 20 unique process systems that require mechanical, chemical, physical, and biological understanding
• Review technical documents and be able to apply to plant operations as needed
• Respond to process and equipment failures.
• Effectively communicate decisions and status of all process to other Operators and Plant Staff to ensure proper understand of each system for coworkers coming on shift
• Collect wastewater and sludge samples and perform laboratory tests.
• Perform calculations necessary to make adjustments to chemical feed rates.
• Record and document issues so that mechanical, electrical, and engineering staff can use notes to diagnose and resolve the matter
• Determine equipment repair needs and arrange for equipment repair as appropriate.

* Maintain equipment

• Perform sample collection; perform water quality testing and interpret results as directed.
• Perform preventative maintenance on equipment in accordance with a predefined maintenance schedule.
• Inspect equipment by reading temperature, pressure, flow, and other meters and make adjustments as necessary.
• Report equipment malfunctions. Assist in troubleshooting and in repair of equipment as necessary.
• Record work activities and parts used with Computer Maintenance Management Software (CMMS).
• Assist in maintenance and calibration of plant equipment.
• Complete operational projects as…