Job Description

Under general direction the Chief Stationary Engineer, Water Treatment Plant Operator, is responsible for the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of machinery and equipment in large complex water treatment plant facility or a water distribution system. Positions in this Class may be located in any one of five (5) Bay Area counties.

The Ideal Candidate

We are seeking a confident, results-oriented leader who is passionate about public service. The ideal candidate will stay current with best practices and trends in water treatment operations and maintenance to ensure efficiency and so that department goals continue to be met. They will also enjoy working in a fast-paced, supportive environment where professionalism, teamwork, and an appreciation for fun are valued.

The Leadership Competency Model illustrates what it means to be successful for any leader at the SFPUC, supporting our commitment to organizational excellence. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record and ability to exercise the following competencies:

Accountability - Inspires trust by acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness. Defines and holds staff accountable for measurable, high quality, timely, and cost-effective results, as well as compliance with all rules, policies, and procedures.

Adaptability - Adjusts, perseveres, and succeeds in meeting objectives despite rapidly shifting environment, demands, and resources. Alters approaches to most effectively address different situations and people. Responds positively to tasks and situations outside of comfort zone.

Decision Making and Problem Solving - Takes ownership of problems and makes timely, responsible, transparent, and clear decisions. Designs and implements creative solutions utilizing functional expertise or perspective. Communicates with team to ensure all members clearly understand the problem to be solved.

Relationship Management - Leverages outstanding communication skills to build open, honest, and respectful relationships. Develops networks and lasting partnerships across boundaries to maintain strategic relationships and achieve common goals.

The essential job functions may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Assigning and directing the activities of subordinate personnel in a water treatment plant; instructing and supervising subordinate personnel in the operation and maintenance of water treatment equipment, including pumps, motors, chemical feeders, chemical feed pumps, mixing, clarification and solids handling equipment, instrumentation, backup power supplies and controls, valves and filters used to control the quality of water distributed for domestic use; supervising and reviewing personnel performing water quality analyses and plant and distribution operations to maintain water quality and proper chemical dosage in a water treatment plant and/or distribution system.

Reviewing and evaluating plant performance to ensure regulatory compliance with state and federal standards; reviewing plant operating logs, SCADA historian, and preparing operational reports.

Communicating with departmental personnel, regulatory agencies, outside vendors, other organizations and the public regarding operation and maintenance activities of the water treatment plants.

Making recommendations regarding operational and maintenance work procedures including employee training and safety; reviewing plant modification plans prepared by others and making recommendations to appropriate managerial personnel.

Planning, prioritizing, coordinating, and supervising the work to be performed by employees of other trades, crafts, divisions, and contractors; initiating preventative and corrective maintenance work orders, inspecting and reviewing completed work.

Nature of work: 

Some physical effort is required in the operation, repair and maintenance of machinery and equipment including kneeling, crouching, stooping, squatting and crawling in the performance of important and essential duties. This also includes exposure to working conditions where the performance of duties requires working outdoors and with chemicals.

Upon appointment to Class 7245, employees may be required to take a State mandated respirator medical examination (renewed annually) and be clean-shaven for respirator and self-contained breathing apparatus use. Employees may be required to pass CPR training annually and first aid training tri-annually.