Distribution System Supervisor

H2O America; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 123,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

San Jose Water Company is seeking a Distribution System Supervisor in San Jose, CA. The role leads field crews responsible for operation, maintenance, construction, and repair of the water distribution system, ensuring safe and compliant operations while developing staff.

The supervisor will manage workforce planning, labor relations, emergency response, and budgeting to support company objectives, while promoting accountability and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Associate degree or equivalent experience directing union employees in construction and maintenance.
• California D1 license required with progress toward D2 within 6–12 months and D2 within one year of appointment.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise field employees and contractors, ensuring safety and quality.
• Lead development plans and succession opportunities for staff.
• Coordinate training, meetings, and performance feedback.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, safety, and adherence to SOPs.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Coaching

Communication

Safety leadership

Labor relations

Education

Bachelor’s or Associate degree

California D1 license progress toward D2

Job description

Distribution System Supervisor

Annual Salary: $123,000.00 - $151,000.00

Employment Type: Regular Full-Time Employee

Location: San Jose Water Company, Silicon Valley

Founded in 1866, San Jose Water Company is an investor-owned water company headquartered in Silicon Valley. With a service area of 140 square miles, it is one of the largest and most technically sophisticated urban water systems in the United States. We serve over 1 million people with high‑quality, life‑sustaining water, emphasizing exceptional customer service.

Position Summary

The Distribution System Supervisor provides leadership, direction, and oversight for crews responsible for the operation, maintenance, construction, and repair of the water distribution system. The Supervisor ensures safe, reliable, and regulatory‑compliant operations while developing employees, fostering a culture of accountability, employee engagement, and continuous improvement, and achieving operational, customer service, and financial objectives. The position is responsible for workforce planning, employee development, labor relations, emergency response, regulatory compliance, and the effective utilization of resources to support company goals.

Supervisor Responsibilities

• Directly supervise field employees, including Crew Leaders, Senior Utility Workers, Utility Workers, and/or contractors.
• Follow all safety rules and regulations and hold self and employees to the highest standards with regards to safety.
• Coach, mentor, and develop employees to build technical proficiency and leadership capability.
• Create development plans and succession opportunities for employees.
• Conduct regular one‑on‑one meetings to provide feedback, recognition, and guidance.
• Promote employee engagement and foster a respectful, inclusive, and accountable work environment.
• Implement corrective action plans when performance or conduct expectations are not met.
• Ensure maintenance work, including preventative and corrective, is completed as scheduled and to quality expectations while monitoring compliance to standards and specifications.
• Regularly visit work sites to monitor operations and records in accordance with company policy.
• Identify and react to complex field decisions, utilizing technical knowledge and experience to move forward quickly, considering cost, risk, safety, quality, and system impact.
• Effectively utilize resources by monitoring crew and individual productivity, ensuring time is charged appropriately for each maintenance task while monitoring unit cost and productivity.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, customer service, productivity, and operating efficiency, encouraging employee participation in process improvement initiatives.
• Be responsible for investigations related to safety incidents or work procedure errors within the department.
• Facilitate or lead weekly team meetings. Conduct training as needed.
• Takes action on Notice of Violation (NOV), and environmental compliance. Ensure compliance with all regulatory agency requirements.
• Create or update Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
• Ensure asset data is accurately captured and maintained to support regulatory reporting, capital planning, lifecycle management, and operational decision‑making.
• Proactively prepare for emergencies, support company efforts during emergencies, communicate deficiencies in emergency response/preparedness, and resolve issues quickly and efficiently using the correct resources.
• Ensure customer concerns are addressed professionally, promptly, and in accordance with company standards.
• Balance operational priorities with customer service expectations and community impact.
• Process invoices weekly and on time in the month received.

Prepare written reports, budgets, and analyses as required.

On‑call responsibilities as outlined in Standard Operating Procedures.

Ability to support on‑site emergency response as needed, including after hours, holidays, and weekends.

Workforce Planning Responsibilities

• Crew staffing plans.
• Overtime management.
• Vacation scheduling.
• Succession planning.
• Training coordination.
• Contractor utilization.

Leadership Competencies

• Leadership and team development.
• Conflict resolution.
• Coaching and mentoring.
• Employee engagement.
• Employee accountability.
• Decision making.
• Change management.
• Effective communication.
• Collaboration and relationship building.
• Emotional intelligence.
• Labor relations.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Good leadership ability. Understands how to motivate, develop, and direct teams as they work.
• Ability to understand, interpret, and communicate work procedures, work methods, standards, policies, and guidelines. Capabilities and limitations of various types of light and heavy construction equipment.
• Use and care of tools and equipment used in maintenance work and safety precautions pertaining to the work.
• Demonstrates ability to perform effectively under deadlines and in emergencies.
• Demonstrates skill in achieving cooperation from others to achieve a goal.
• Ability to analyze costs and develop and implement improved work procedures.
• Read and interpret plans, drawings and specifications.
• Analyze service and maintenance problems and develop and implement effective solutions.
• Use resourcefulness, initiative, and independent judgment, particularly in emergency situations.
• Organize and prioritize work to meet varied and changing operational needs.
• Utilize technology and current applications software programs.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Proactively works to develop collaborative relationship with union leadership.

Required Education & Experience

• Associate or bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience directing the work of union employees engaged in construction and maintenance activities, operation of transmission and distribution facilities and experience in water system inspection, field investigation, or construction of pipeline projects.
• Must possess a California D1 Distribution Operator’s License upon appointment, make satisfactory progress towards a California D2 Distribution Operator’s License within 6 months, and obtain a D2 within one year of appointment.

Other Requirements

• Must possess a valid California driver’s license and have a satisfactory driving record. Must be willing to be on call for emergency situations.

EEO Statement

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.