The Supervising Plant Operator is a supervisor level position that documents, organizes, and directs staff in the Plant Operator series. Positions in this class are expected to organize and supervise the daily activities to ensure regulatory, safety, and operational requirements are met. This position is required to organize the departments emergency response throughout the year along with ensuring each event is properly documented. The position also tracks and updates the asset management system to ensure maintenance and budgeting data is correct.
IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT
The ideal candidate will have good communication skills. The ideal candidate will have the ability to document, organize staff, coordinate work, perform staff development, assess emergencies and find resolutions, and understand the departments assets and the proper operations.
To plan, organize, assign, schedule, direct, review, and participate in the work of skilled and semi-skilled personnel involved in the operation of the City's drinking water treatment plants, wells, reservoirs and distribution system; combined wastewater control system, primary wastewater treatment plants and pumping stations.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
A Supervising Plant Operator assigned to water treatment plants, wells, reservoirs and the distribution system serves as Chief Operator and has responsibility for full supervision of the overall day-to-day operation. A Supervising Plant Operator assigned to the wastewater treatment plant, or sumps has responsibility for full supervision and the overall day-to-day operation of wastewater treatment facilities and pumping stations. This class is distinguished from the next higher class of Water and Sewer Superintendent in that the latter is an exempt management class responsible for a functional section in either the Plant Services or Field Services Divisions. This class is distinguished from the next lower class of Senior Plant Operator in that the latter is the lead operator level of the series assigned to a shift.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
Direction is provided by management personnel. Responsibilities include direct and indirect supervision over lower level plant personnel.Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Assign, schedule, direct, and review, through lead operators, the work of drinking water treatment or wastewater facility operations in accordance with Federal, state and local laws and regulations.
- Troubleshoot and resolve problems in plant and well performance and take appropriate corrective action.
- Provide technical assistance and advice on plant operations and related processes.
- Supervise the operation and maintenance and operate a wide variety of equipment, such as large capacity pumps, heavy duty motors and engines, compressors, generators, chemical feeders, large valves; specialized equipment such as residual chlorine analyzers, fluoride analyzers, auto-samplers, computer-based telemetry recorders and indicators, computer control systems, electrical equipment and various kinds of hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical and electrical systems.
- Inspect assigned facilities and make evaluations of work performed by subordinates and performance of equipment.
- Maintain surveillance of the operating efficiency and performance of all plant mechanical and electrical systems and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.
- Maintain inventory and written and/or computer-generated data including historic equipment records, facility condition, pumping rate, chemical usage and inventory, water quality reports, and equipment lubrication requirements.
- Assist in the design of and serve as system administrator of SCADA or computerized maintenance management systems.
- Interpret and make required adjustments to specialized instruments such as recorders, gauges, meters, charts, and dials.
- Survey facilities on a regular basis to insure that plants or stations and equipment are clean and in good operating condition.
- Perform water quality tests and direct necessary chemical dosage and related adjustments.
- Participate in the development and review of plans and specifications for water, wastewater, well, reservoir, pump and distribution/collection systems; suggest methods for improving plant efficiency.
- Order supplies and materials; prepare cost estimates, assist in development of equipment specifications and assist in the preparation and administration of operations and maintenance budgets.
- Maintain work time, equipment, and material records; make reports of work performed.
- Select, train, supervise, and evaluate subordinate personnel.
- Respond to emergencies on an on-call basis 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
- Work in confined spaces on temporary scaffolding and on high structures; using breathing apparatus and/or Level I Hazmat suits
- Other related duties may also be performed; not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual holding this classification.Knowledge of:
- Methods, principles, practices, construction techniques and standards of operation and maintenance of drinking water treatment or wastewater treatment and pumping facilities, or potable and non-potable water wells and pumping facilities.
- Equipment, supplies, and materials used in the combined wastewater control system, drinking water treatment plants, wells and outlying pumping stations and reservoirs.
- Control and measuring devices, gauges, meters and instruments necessary to properly evaluate and determine the status of the control systems.
- Principles of mathematics, algebra, chemistry and hydraulics as they apply to plant operations.
- Mechanical principles and practices relating to plant equipment and machinery.
- Occupational hazards and standard safety practices necessary in water and wastewater facilities.
- Hazardous materials related to plant operations and appropriate response and mitigation measures.
- Principles and practices of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
- Principles, theories and operation of process control SCADA and computerized maintenance management systems.
- Federal, state and local laws and regulations related to drinking water quality and treatment, wastewater treatment, plant operations and safety.
Ability to:
- Plan, assign, schedule, coordinate and direct the work of subordinates.
- Supervise, train, and evaluate subordinates.
- Identify system problems and/or potential problems and take effective corrective action in an efficient manner.
- Write and update standard operating procedures and manuals.
- Read and interpret plant diagrams, charts, blueprints, specifications and operations and maintenance manuals.
- Understand and apply the principles, theories, and operations of process control computers and serve as SCADA or computerized maintenance management system administrator.
- Prepare reports and develop and maintain accurate and up-to-date records and operation logs.
- Communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, peers and supervisors.
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:
Four years of progressively responsible experience in the operation of a drinking water treatment plant or wastewater facility, at least one year of which was in a lead operator capacity.
PROOF OF EDUCATION
Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.
An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Driver License
Possession of valid Class C California Driver License. Loss of the license is cause for discipline. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Certificate:
For assignments in surface water treatment plants, a T-5 water treatment operator certificate from the California Department of Health Services is required. Assignment to well operations requires a T-4 certificate. For assignments in wastewater, a T-2 certificate is desirable.
Respiratory Protective Equipment:
Work in this class may require wearing respiratory protective equipment at times. When assigned to such assignments, individuals must act in accordance with the regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.
 
 1. Application: (Pass/Fail) – All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted. 
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified: 
  • If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position. 
• If you’re requesting Veteran’s credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline. Information regarding the use of Veteran’s credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule 4.9C.
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.

2. Training and Experience Exam: (Weighted 100%) – The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam.Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted. 
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.

3. Eligibility: Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate’s eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Supervising Plant Operator examination.
4. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail)– All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.
 
5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.
 
QUESTIONS:
 For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/Home/ApplicationGuide for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process. 
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627. 
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at https://www.cityofsacramento.gov/HR/employment; 
• Send an email to employment@cityofsacramento.org; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726