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Job Description

THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA IS EXCITED TO WELCOME APPLICATIONS FOR SENIOR WASTEWATER PLANT OPERATOR!

Join a knowledgeable and motivated team who take pride in doing quality work!  
The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply. 

THE BENEFITS OF CITY EMPLOYMENT:

• 12 paid holidays annually, plus 1 to 3 'floating holidays' per year, depending on start date and years of service
• 4% cost of living increase approved for July 2025 and July 2026
• $500 annually for wellness
• Unlimited free bus rides on CityBus and Sonoma County Transit
• The City is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifying employer
• Paid Family Leave

In addition to offering a rewarding work environment, opportunity for career growth, and excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave accrual package, your choice of three health plans, and top of the line employer paid vision and dental coverage.  More information regarding benefits associated with this position can be found on our Miscellaneous Employee Benefits Page.  

THE POSITION: The City of Santa Rosa, located in the North San Francisco Bay, is looking for a motivated, journey-level individual to join the water department team at the Laguna Treatment Plant, a 21.3 MGD tertiary treatment plant serving 230,000 customers.  The Senior Wastewater Plant Operator assists in the supervision, planning, distribution, and review of operations and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant on an assigned shift. They assist with and perform a variety of skilled and semi-skilled tasks in the operation of the plant. Operations staff assigned to the plant are responsible for managing advanced systems, including computerized controls and SCADA, preliminary and primary treatment, activated sludge with BNR, filtration, ultraviolet disinfection, solids treatment, and co-generation.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:
The ideal candidate would be detail-oriented and self-motivating, possessing a strong work ethic in conjunction with the following:

• Considerable experience operating a sophisticated wastewater treatment facility that meets Title 22 standards.
• Experience supervising and managing a team.
• Substantial knowledge of safe work practices
• The ability to effectively communicate and problem solve.
• The ability to form and maintain strong working relationships.

Please note: This is a 24-hour per day, 7-day per week operation and requires the willingness and ability to work shifts as assigned. 

HOW TO APPLY:
Please complete a thoughtful, thorough Supplemental Questionnaire submission. As part of the selection process, your responses to these questions will be scored using criteria specific to this position. Incomplete responses, or responses such as "See Resume" can result in disqualification from the selection process.  

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. 

THE SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection process will include a minimum qualification assessment and may also include an application and supplemental questionnaire review, followed by department selection interviews.  

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Duties: The following duties are considered essential for this job classification:

• Assist in the supervision of the operations of the City's treatment plants, monitor process control and laboratory data, and determine necessary adjustments;
• supervise, train, and provide technical assistance to subordinate personnel;
• adjust or alter chemical treatment of the plant as necessary;
• ensure that subordinate personnel adhere to departmental safety policies;
• check equipment such as pumps, valves, and motors for proper operation;
• read charts and gauges and maintain a log of plant operations during an assigned shift;
• receive, investigate, and dispose of complaints from the public.

Additional Duties: In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties Section, each employee in this classification may perform the following duties. Any single position may not be assigned all duties listed below, nor do the examples cover all duties which may be assigned.

• Assist in scheduling of subordinates and determining work assignments;
• assist in periodic routine maintenance work, including disassembly and repair;
• check sewage and sludge samples;
• take samples of sewage and perform basic laboratory tests and analyses;
• assist in the preparation of weekly, monthly, annual, and special reports on wastewater operations;
• conduct facility tours for interested parties.

Required Qualifications

Knowledge of: Activated sludge, anaerobic digestion, and chemical treatment processes used in a wastewater treatment plant; administrative procedures of a wastewater treatment plant; various chemicals associated with the operation of a wastewater treatment plant; relevant Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, and policies; maintenance and operation of equipment commonly found in a wastewater treatment plant; record keeping and reporting procedures. Ability to: Supervise an individual or a crew in the operation and maintenance of a wastewater treatment plant; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; understand and use basic arithmetic and geometry; keep records and prepare reports; read basic blue prints and plans; operate motors, pumps, valves, and electronic instrumentation used in wastewater treatment plant maintenance and operations; perform laboratory tests; respond to emergency situations; schedule personnel and make work assignments; establish effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers, and the public. Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience -Sufficient years of increasingly responsible experience in the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities, including lead worker or supervisory experience, to demonstrate the possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above. Education - Specialized training in wastewater treatment, plant operations, and maintenance.

LICENSE AND CERTIFICATE:
State of California Wastewater Treatment Grade III Certification (or higher) is required.

Additional Information

Senior Wastewater Operators observe and monitor people, data, and objects in plant and office environments to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards. While making these observations, incumbents walk over rocky and uneven ground, climb stairs and ladders, and work in a variety of weather conditions with exposure to the elements. Weekend, holiday, and day or night shift work is routine. Incumbents comprehend and make inferences from written materials, and learn in an on-the-job setting. Computer data entry, report writing, and computer monitoring of plant processes require repetitive hand motions. Senior Wastewater Operators must be able to hear and respond to audible alarms indicating equipment malfunctions or chemical leaks. While training for or responding to chemical leaks or maintenance, they walk for short distances while wearing a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus weighing about 20 pounds, and perform finely controlled hand movements.

SANTA ROSA - A WONDERFUL CITY TO CALL HOME: 
The City of Santa Rosa is nestled in the center of famous Sonoma Wine Country, located just 55 miles north of San Francisco and 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, with a population of approximately 180,000. Santa Rosa serves as the County seat and the center of trade, government, commerce, and medical facilities for the North Bay. The surrounding area is home to over a hundred wineries and vineyards, and many beautiful parks and recreational facilities, including golf courses. Santa Rosa is in the center of a nationally recognized cycling area. We boast many attractions associated with large cities, including a symphony, performing arts center, theater productions, and internationally recognized restaurants, yet still retain the warmth and small-town feel of decades past. Santa Rosa has been named one of the 50 greenest cities in the United States, with one of the top five mid-sized downtowns in California. 

The City of Santa Rosa is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. 

The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment. Requests for reasonable accommodations needed to participate in the recruitment process may be made by submitting a Request for Reasonable Accommodation Form within five (5) business days of being noticed that an event requiring accommodation is occurring.

Special Instructions

Please mention you found this employment opportunity on the CareersInGovernment.com job board.