Industrial Instrument Technician - South Treatment Plant

B Townblog; Renton (WA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division is seeking an Industrial Instrument Technician for South Treatment Plant in Renton, WA. The role focuses on construction, maintenance, and preventive programs for instrumentation and controls, including SCADA/PLC/DCS systems.

The position requires journey-level instrumentation experience, a strong grounding in physics/chemistry, and the ability to work with operations staff and contractors to ensure compliant and safe plant operation.

Qualifications

• Three years of journey-level industrial instrumentation experience.
• Knowledge of physics and chemistry techniques; understanding algebra, trig and geometry.
• Knowledge of analyzers/sensors, control system computers, PLCs, DCS/SCADA networking and protocols.
• Understanding of PID control loops and single loop controllers; soldering techniques.
• Ability to analyze industrial processes for design, modification, troubleshooting and repair of instrumentation.
• Proficiency with computer software (word processing, spreadsheets, databases) and PLC programming concepts.

Responsibilities

• Perform preventive maintenance, modifications, upgrades, analysis, and diagnostics on DCS/SCADA/PLC systems and associated instrumentation.
• Troubleshoot, repair, calibrate, and maintain electronic, pneumatic, and hydraulic instrumentation and control systems.
• Explain process function and procedures to operations staff and suppliers for new equipment.
• Inspect instrumentation installed by contractors; witness loop commissioning and update drawings to plant standards.
• Recommend spares and inventory needs for instrument equipment; review/process documentation.

Skills

Tech Savvy

Collaborates

Decision Quality

Values Differences

Communicates Effectively

Ensures Accountability

Racially Just

Job description

This position is open continuously until filled.

This recruitment will hire for 1 position. In addition to the current opening, this recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to fill future Industrial Instrument Technician at the South Treatment Plant Career Service vacancies within the Wastewater Treatment Division over the next 6 months.

Looking for a challenging, but rewarding, opportunity as an Industrial Instrument Technician? King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division has current openings at our South Treatment Plant. The Instrument Crew is an integral part of the maintenance group, and along with operations, our focus is the treatment of wastewater. We protect public health and enhance the environment by collecting and cleaning wastewater while recovering valuable resources for a healthy Puget Sound region.

About the Role

This position performs a variety of highly skilled journey-level work that is considered mission critical in the support of operations by constructing, troubleshooting, maintaining and conducting preventive maintenance programs on a wide variety of instrumentation and controls at a wastewater treatment facility, including all collection, pumping and regulating stations. This role, with a focus on SCADA programming and maintenance, works both independently and in collaboration with other instrument techs, skilled trades and plant operations staff. Our goal is to meet the NPDES, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, permit in the water treatment system. To ensure a safe work environment, our crew members use appropriate PPE and proper Lock-Out Tag Out procedures around electrical, mechanical, and environmental hazards. We also provide training in Permit-Required Confined Spaces. Our group supports many new Capital projects that update and replace our control systems and wastewater infrastructure.

About the Team

The Wastewater Treatment Division is committed to the principles of equity and social justice. We value diverse perspectives and life experiences in our workforce and are committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. WTD strives to provide equitable services to residents and businesses across King County. This is an opportunity to use your skills and expand your technical abilities working with a group of Instrument Techs and Electricians that support South Treatment plant, Carnation treatment plant, Vashon treatment plant as well as all the East section conveyance pump stations and regulators. We work in a fast-paced industrial environment with a large variety of systems and equipment that are critical to the success of our mission.

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice

King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As an Industrial Instrument Technician, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity

What You Will Be Doing:

• Perform preventative maintenance, modifications, upgrades, analysis, and diagnostics on DCS, SCADA, PLC’s, SLC’s, HMI’S, telemetry and networking with proprietary protocols. Apply electronic theory, digital electronics and PID control strategies.
• Troubleshoot, repair, calibrate, and maintain all electronic, pneumatic, and hydraulic instrumentation, control, and monitoring systems.
• Work with operations personnel, engineers, and suppliers to explain the function of processes and procedures needed for the operation of new equipment.
• Assist in inspection of instrumentation installed by contractors as well as witnessing and assessing loop commission testing. Review, modify and update drawings to conform with established plant standards.
• Make recommendations on purchasing spares and inventory requirements for all instrument related equipment.
• Review or modify shop drawings and process documentation to conform with established plant standards. Assistin inspection of instrumentation installed by contractors. Witness and assess loop commission testing.

Qualifications You Bring:

• Demonstrated work experience (three years) in a journey-level industrial instrumentation or related field.
• Knowledge of the application of physics and chemistry techniques and principles; Knowledge of the application of mathematical techniques and principles including algebra, trigonometry and geometry for performing duties of this classification.
• Knowledge of the installation, configuration, and maintenance of analyzers/sensors, control system computers, single loop controllers, signal converters, distributive and supervisory control systems, detection equipment/sensors, fuses, indicators, isolators, programmable logic controllers, pneumatic equipment, process control equipment, receivers, recorders, relays, rotameters, flow transmitters, level transmitters, pressure transmitters, temperature transmitters, signal conditioning equipment, small motors, switches, tachometer generator, thermocouples, Resistance Temperature Device (RTD’s), transformers, control valves, pneumatic and electric actuators and positioners.
• Knowledge of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) control loops including single loop controllers and configuration. Knowledge of soldering techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of the techniques necessary to analyze industrial processes for the design, modification, troubleshooting and repair of plant control instrumentation.
• Skill in utilizing a computer and associated software applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, single loop controller (SLC) and programmable logic controllers (PLC). Working knowledge of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and/or Distributed Control Systems (DCS) including networking and interconnect protocols.

Physical Requirement:

• Incumbents perform field work at a wastewater treatment plant and associated facilities and are required to lift and carry equipment weighing up to 50 pounds, use ladders.

Workplace Exposures:

• Outdoors environment during wet weather, confined space and maybe exposure to hazardous chemicals and noxious odors.

Competencies you bring:

• Tech Savvy: Anticipating and adopting innovations in business- building digital and technology applications.
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Decision Quality: Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Values Differences: Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Racially Just: Identify and replace racists systems and structures with anti-racists and pro-equity approaches.

Required Licenses:

• A valid, unencumbered Washington State Driver’s License.

It Would be Great if You Also Bring:

• Completion of a technical degree, apprenticeship, or equivalent training that clearly demonstrates journey-level instrumentation and control status
• Programming experience with Ovation DCS Controls
• Allen Bradley PLC and panel-view, programming experience
• Telemetry experience
• Device-NET experienceWastewater experience

Working Conditions:

• Work Location: South Treatment Plant, 1200 Monster Rd SW, Renton, WA 98057. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week with 4-10hr or 5-8hr schedule options available. This position is overtime eligible. This position requires the ability to work all shift schedules and to report to work during adverse and inclement weather conditions and be on a rotating call list upon completion of a 9-month probationary period. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by SEIU Local 925.
• Physical Requirement: Incumbents perform field work at a wastewater treatment plant and associated facilities and are required to lift and carry equipment weighing up to 50 pounds, use ladders, and there is exposure to hazardous chemicals and noxious odors. A pre-employment physical and reference checks will be conducted prior to any final job offer.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.