Senior Operator - Treatment Technology

Banana Shire Council; Australia; Remote; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Banana Shire Council seeks an experienced Senior Treatment Plant Operator to lead the water and wastewater treatment teams and coordinate with contractors. You will mentor staff, oversee daily operations, ensure compliance with environmental and health guidelines, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across facilities.

The role requires extensive practical knowledge, supervisory capability, and strong communication skills to respond to inquiries and maintain reporting standards.

Qualifications

• Queensland C class manual driver’s licence (minimum requirement – provisional licence)
• Certificate III in Water/Wastewater Treatment Operations, or relevant equivalent qualification
• General Construction Induction Card

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor staff to promote exceptional work ethic and interactive learning
• Ensure effective daily and afterhours operation and monitoring of treatment facilities
• Coordinate work to operate water and wastewater plants in compliance with guidelines
• Implement work procedures to ensure continuity of service
• Assist in development of planned operational and maintenance schedules
• Respond to customer enquiries promptly and professionally
• Maintain log sheets, asset records and monthly reports
• Update SWIMs with tasks and test results
• Respond to unplanned breakdowns and ensure regulatory compliance
• Audit tasks and verify completion to standard
• Follow SOPs and contribute to procedures
• Utilise SCADA/Telemetry to monitor parameters and respond to alarms
• Assist in data gathering and reporting for regulatory obligations
• Liaise with procurement for chemicals and equipment
• Ensure safe storage of dangerous goods
• Undertake condition assessments of assets
• Promote council image and public relations
• Liaise with clients and staff to provide information
• Undertake routine administrative tasks
• Participate in training and disaster response
• Undertake other duties as directed

Skills

Exceptional work ethic

Supervisory and organisational skills

Mentoring others

Knowledge of water/wastewater systems

Troubleshooting treatment processes

SCADA/Telemetry systems

MS Office

Interpersonal and writtenCommunication

Customer service

EEO and WHS compliance

Education

Certificate III in Water/Wastewater Treatment Operations

Certificate IV in Water/Wastewater Treatment Operations

General Construction Induction Card

Tools

ClearSCADA

Citect

Forklift licence

Job description

GENERAL POSITION INFORMATION

Under the direction of the Supervisor Treatment Technology, the Senior Treatment Plant Operator will utilise their extensive knowledge and experience to direct and work together with the treatment team and contractors to undertake operational and maintenance activities at the water and wastewater treatment plants and associated facilities. This role will provide a high level of mentoring and impart a strong work ethic to the treatment team and undertaking of operations. The role includes job planning, job safety and risk assessments, quality monitoring and reporting, identifying and reporting failures, causes and remedies, and actioning customer requests as directed.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and mentor staff (Operators, ATPOs, Trainees) to promote an environment of exceptional work ethic and a high level of interactive learning and development
• Ensure effective daily and afterhours operation and monitoring of treatment facilities, including regular reporting. This includes staff supervision tasks and manual works as required
• Co-ordinate work to operate council’s water and wastewater treatment plants and facilities to ensure compliance with Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, Council’s Drinking Water Quality Management Plan, Recycled Water Management Plans and DES Environmental Authority conditions
• Implement and follow work procedures to ensure continuity of service of treatment plants and associated facilities to achieve level of service and compliance
• Assist in the development, review and Implementation of planned operational and maintenance schedules with the aim to ensure efficient and effective operations and reduce responsive maintenance and unplanned breakdowns
• Respond to enquiries from internal and external customers promptly and professionally
• Maintain log sheets, asset records and monthly reports
• Update Council’s state-wide water information management system (SWIMs) with operational tasks and test results, etc
• Respond to unplanned breakdowns and overflows, etc to ensure legislative requirements are met
• Audit work tasks including SWIMs tasks and sampling and analysis to verify completion to appropriate standard
• Ensure all tasks are completed in compliance with the relevant Standard Operating Procedure
• Review and compile Standard Operating Procedures on a regular basis
• Utilise the SCADA/Telemetry network and associated equipment to monitor key operational parameters and respond to alarms / exceedances accordingly and ensure regular calibration of equipment and meters is carried out
• Assist with gathering data and preparation of reports to meet statutory reporting obligations of the Water Supply Regulator and QLD Health
• Liaise with Council’s procurement team to source chemicals, materials and equipment from suppliers
• Ensure safe use and storage of dangerous goods (e.g. Chlorine, hydrochloric acid)
• Undertake condition assessments for water and sewerage treatment related assets
• Contribute to the promotion of the image of the Council and the maximisation of good public relations
• Liaise with clients, other Council staff, the public, consultants, utility and government authorities in the performance of duties, including providing and obtaining information
• Undertake routine administrative tasks as required by the position, e.g. timesheets
• Assist senior staff to continuously improve work processes and develop new practices, as required
• Participate in training, exercises and response to disaster management and recovery as required
• Undertake other relevant duties as directed, consistent with skills, competence and training.

QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION AND LICENCE REQUIREMENTS

Compulsory

• Queensland ‘C’ class manual driver’s licence (minimum requirement – provisional licence)
• Certificate III in Water/Wastewater Treatment Operations, or relevant equivalent qualification
• General Construction Induction Card.

Desirable

• Certificate IV, or Diploma in Water/Wastewater Treatment Operations, or relevant equivalent qualification.

ABILITIES, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

Compulsory

• Demonstrated exceptional work ethic
• High level knowledge and extensive experience in the field of municipal water and wastewater treatment operations
• Demonstrated ability to mentor others and work as part of a team
• Knowledge of relevant treatment operation legislative requirements
• Demonstrated supervisory and organisational skills
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve treatment process issues
• Chlorine Gas Training and Breathing Apparatus Training
• Strong Computer skills (e.g. MS Office and SCADA/Telemetry systems)
• High level of interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Customer service skills and experience
• Sound understanding of and commitment to EEO and WHS principles and practices.

Desirable

• Demonstrated experience using ClearSCADA and/or Citect.
• Confined Space Ticket
• Forklift licence
• Experience in local government treatment operation and environment.

CORPORATE OBLIGATIONS

The employee agrees to comply with the following:

• Workplace Health and Safety policies and procedures
• Customer service standards
• Council’s Code of Conduct
• Environment and Sustainability policy and procedure
• Anti-discrimination legislation, actively promoting its principles in all activities
• Human Resources policies and procedures
• Financial Management policies and procedures
• Records Management policies and procedures
• Disaster Management policies and procedures.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS/REQUIREMENTS

• The employee acknowledges that this role requires them to hold and maintain a class ‘C’ manual driver’s licence and that the loss of licence may jeopardise employment with Council
• The employee agrees to be available for work on weekends and public holidays as required
• The employee agrees to participate in an on call roster
• The employee acknowledges that this role has been identified as working in an ‘at risk work location’ and/or is an ‘at risk worker’ and subsequently agrees to be protected by the relevant immunisations in accordance with Council’s Staff Immunisation Program and will participate in required health monitoring in accordance with the guidelines set out by council and relevant legislation and industry standards
• The employee acknowledges this role is physically demanding and requires an adequate level of fitness to be held and maintained in order to successfully undertake manual labouring tasks.