Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III; Continuous

San Mateo is a city of more than 100,000 residents located in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula. One of the City’s strengths is its diversity, both in the ethnic makeup and the physical development of the community. San Mateo has a vibrant business and retail environment with national and international businesses, two major shopping centers and an active downtown.

You would be joining over 500 people whose mission it is to serve the San Mateo community with a collaborative, innovative and professional spirit. We are looking for someone who embodies our shared values of respect, creativity, inclusivity, transparency, and integrity in their words and actions.

This job opportunity is continuous and application reviews are performed periodically.

The Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a 15.7 MDG sub-regional facility that serves an estimated 164,545 customers administering the annual operation and maintenance budget over $12.8 million with a staff of 34 professional and technical personnel. The City of San Mateo is building a team tasked with the safe and continuous operation of the current expansion of this conventional activated sludge plant by introducing new facilities including;

preliminary treatment, primary treatment, enhanced biological nutrient removal/membrane bioreactors (BNR/M ), biological and chemically enhanced treatment (BioACTIFLO), and additional upgrades to existing process equipment. A vital and instrumental member of this team is the WWTP Operator III.

The Position

This position will receive general direction from the Chief Plant Operator and instruction from their Shift Supervisor to provide daily guidance to lower level operators and trainees. The WWTP Operator III will be responsible for supporting these efforts to guide, develop and mentor staff on their assigned shift, act in a supervisory capacity in the absence of the Shift Supervisor, and is the assigned lead in getting both scheduled and unscheduled work completed.

Those who have prepared themselves and are ready for the challenge to use their skills as a journey-level wastewater professional should seriously consider this opportunity.

This position is assigned rotating shifts working nights, weekends, and holidays with on-call emergency response 24 hours per day. However, along with this challenge is the benefit of working a 12-hour shift that results in a very favorable work/life balance and requires the minimum commuting days as compared to other standard 8-hour shifts.

The Duties

Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Operate wastewater treatment facilities to control flow and processing of wastewater, sludge and effluent; monitor gauges, meters and control panels; observe variation in operating conditions, interpreting meter and gauge readings and test results to determine process requirements.
• Operate valves and gates; start and stop pumps, engines and electric motors to control and adjust flow and treatment processes; operate and maintain boilers; perform routine maintenance work on valves, tanks, related equipment and facilities to optimize performance.
• Maintain appropriate plant records to support water quality goals.
• Perform the duties of the Designated Operator-in-Charge when required in accordance with State regulations.
• Operate rolling vehicles and stationary machinery as required to perform essential job functions.
• Foster and maintain good working relationships and provide excellent customer service in the course of their work.
• Assist in the inventory, requisition, and purchase of supplies and materials.
• Supervise and train less experienced operators on assigned shift.

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge skill and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

• Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade.
• Three years of progressively responsible experience in the operation of a wastewater treatment plant.
• Possession of a valid Grade III WWTP Operator Certificate issued by the State of…