Chief Water Plant Operator

City of West Melbourne, FL; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of West Melbourne, FL is seeking a Chief Operator to manage the RO Water Treatment Plant, ensuring a safe and reliable public water supply through supervision of staff and adherence to regulatory guidelines.

Under the Water Plant Director, this role oversees administrative, supervisory and technical operations, coordinates maintenance, monitors water quality, and responds to emergencies, with occasional after-hours work as needed.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of RO plant operation and maintenance experience, including three years in a supervisory role.
• Valid Florida Level B Water Treatment Plant Operator license or reciprocal with Florida acceptance.
• Knowledge of FDEP, EPA, FDOH, and SJRWMD rules and reporting requirements.

Responsibilities

• Supervise water production activities at the RO plant and enforce standards.
• Review plans, assign staffing, monitor progress and ensure specifications compliance.
• Oversee personnel matters including scheduling, timekeeping, and performance evaluations.
• Develop equipment specifications and monitor expenditures.
• Maintain records and prepare performance and compliance reports.
• Coordinate with Water Distribution to ensure proper residuals and pressures.
• Provide guidance on site development projects and inspect systems.
• Respond to emergencies and SCADA alarms; be available for after-hours as required.

Skills

SCADA proficiency

Leadership / supervision

Communication skills

Policy compliance

Microsoft Excel

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Florida Level B Water Treatment Plant Operator License

SEDA MOC certification (within 6 months)

Tools

SCADA systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Under the direction of the Water Plant Director, this position is responsible for the administrative, supervisory and technical oversight of the City’s RO Water Treatment Plant operations. The Chief Operator plans, organizes, and directs the work of skilled and semi-skilled staff in the operation and maintenance of R.O. water treatment equipment to ensure a safe and reliable public water supply. The role requires a high degree of independent judgement and decision-making within established policies, rules, and regulatory guidelines. Evening, weekend, holiday and occasional unscheduled overtime may be required to maintain continuous water service.

• Supervises, assigns, and directs water production activities related to the operation, maintenance, and repair of the City's RO Water Plant; establishes and enforces policies, procedures, and standards; instructs and advises staff as needed.
• Reviews project plans to ensure compliance with procedures; communicates work plans and objectives; assigns appropriate staffing and resources; monitors progress and inspects completed work for compliance with specifications and established standards.
• Administers or makes recommendations on personnel matters including training, safety, work assignments, scheduling, leave requests, performance evaluations, and discipline; reviews and approves timesheets and activity logs.
• Assesses department needs; develops specifications for equipment and contractual services; monitors expenditures and assists with requisitioning of equipment, supplies, and materials.
• Maintains accurate records of Division activities; compiles data and prepares performance and compliance reports for submission to the Water PlantDirector.
• Management, maintenance, testing and reporting related to production and monitoring wells
• Collaborates with the Water Distribution Supervisor to ensure proper chemical residuals and distribution system pressures during flushing and routine checks.
• Provides technical guidance and conducts system inspections for builders and contractors on site development projects.
• Reviews laboratory reports, treatment parameters, and chemical dosages requirements with operations staff to ensure regulatory compliance and water achievement of water quality goals.
• Assists with investigations of water quality issues and implements corrective actions as needed.
• Communicates regularly with management regarding water quality status, operational issues, and corrective measures.
• Responds to water plant emergencies, SCADA alarms, and after-hour incidents; carries and answers a City-issued cell phone on nights, weekends, and holidays as required.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

High school diploma or equivalent; minimum of five (5) years of experience in the operation, repair, maintenance of an RO plant, of which three (3) years of experience at the supervisory level. A minimum Level “B” Water Treatment Plant Operators License as issued by FDEP is required.(License may be considered of an approved reciprocal State via the State of Florida Operation Certification Board and then issued by Florida).

Special Qualifications:

• Valid State of Florida Class E Driver’s License. Applicants who possess a valid out of state driver’s license must obtain the Florida driver’s license by the start date.
• SEDA MOC certification or obtain within 6 months of employment
• May require evening and weekend hours. Required at times to work unscheduled hours in order to restore water service.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of all FDEP, EPA, FDOH and SJRWMD rules and regulations for water use, sampling and reporting.
• Knowledge of standard practices and procedures as well as regulatory requirements involved in the planning, operation, and maintenance of an RO water treatment plant.
• Skill in effective communication both verbally and in writing.
• Skill in the use of computers and applicable software programs.
• Ability to understand and interpret complex written and oral instructions.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, City Staff members, and the general public.
• Ability to plan, assign, and supervise work.
• Ability to interpret and carry out written and oral instructions to maintain records, and to prepare accurate reports.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with employees and the public.
• Proficiency in operation of SCADA systems.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office with strong ability in navigating Excel and modifying/creating spreadsheets.
• Experience and efficiency in writing SOP’s
• Ability to effectively supervise subordinates.
• Ability to instruct staff in the use of tools, equipment, and the occupational hazards of the work.

The work is medium work, which requires standing or sitting for sustained periods of time; walking or moving from one work site to another; manual dexterity to pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work primarily with fingers; mental acuity including the ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes; hearing to receive detailed information and to make the discrimination in sound; and the ability to express ideas by means of the spoken word and have close visual acuity. Additionally, the following physical abilities may be required:

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces.
• Ability to carry, push, and pull items weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Work is typically performed in an environment with machinery where the employee is exposed to bodily harm to self, co-workers, and/or others.