Senior Water & Wastewater Maintenance Specialist (MS5)

State of Washington; Spokane (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid leave

Tuition assistance

Healthcare benefits

Job summary

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) seeks a Senior Water & Wastewater Maintenance Specialist to provide statewide expertise for drinking water and wastewater systems. You will interpret rules, develop statewide practices, monitor performance, and train staff across regions to ensure safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.

The role involves on-call duties, travel across eastern Washington, and collaboration with regional partners to support capital projects and

Qualifications

• Cross-Connection Specialist (CCS) certification required.
• WWTP Operator (WWTPO) certification required.
• Ability to obtain Water Distribution Manager Level 2 (WDM2) within 6 months.
• Experience with water and wastewater regulations and compliance.
• Experience developing statewide procedures and schedules.
• Strong data analysis and reporting capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Interpret and apply health and ecology regulations to WSDOT systems.
• Develop statewide procedures, schedules and compliance strategies.
• Monitor system performance and provide technical guidance to regional staff.
• Maintain records per Records and Information Management requirements.
• Collaborate on capital planning priorities and corrective maintenance.

Skills

CCS certification

WWTPO certification

WDM2 readiness

Regulatory interpretation

Data analysis

Communication

Training & knowledge sharing

Safety mindset

People-first attitude

Growth mindset

Collaboration

Tools

CMMS

HATS

Microsoft Office

SCADA logs

Job description

About WSDOT

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. Our dedicated workforce plans, designs, builds, and operates an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 20,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT leads an award-winning Active Transportation Plan, manages the world’s longest floating bridge, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation!

The Opportunity

WSDOT is currently seeking a Senior Water & Wastewater Maintenance Specialist to provide statewide technical expertise and consultation for WSDOT-owned drinking water and wastewater systems. In this role, you will help ensure these systems remain safe, compliant, and operational by interpreting and applying state and federal regulations, developing consistent statewide practices, monitoring system performance, and addressing emerging compliance needs. You will collaborate with regional partners, support maintenance and capital project planning, provide technical guidance and training, and use operational data to inform program decisions. This position plays an important role in advancing safe facilities, excellent customer service, data-driven decision making, collaboration, and continuous improvement across WSDOT’s Safety Rest Area Program.

What to Expect

WSDOT operates 47 Safety Rest Areas supported by multiple water and wastewater systems, and this role may be on-call, as needed, on a 24-hour basis to support urgent system needs. Additionally, travel is an expectation of this position and may be required on a regular, sporadic or as needed basis.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, you will:

• Interpret and apply Washington State Department of Health and Department of Ecology regulations and federal drinking water and wastewater requirements to WSDOT systems.
• Serve as a statewide subject matter expert on drinking water laws and their application to WSDOT-owned systems and provide technical oversight of wastewater LOSS and lagoon systems as needed.
• Develop statewide procedures, methods, schedules, and compliance strategies and prepare required regulatory reports and documentation.
• Monitor system performance data, identify trends and emerging compliance needs, and provide technical assistance, guidance, and operational resources to regional staff.
• Communicate regulatory updates and recommend process adjustments while maintaining accurate records in accordance with WSDOT Records and Information Management requirements.
• Partner with regional staff to identify corrective and preventive maintenance needs and assist with prioritizing capital projects and emergent needs.
• Review plans, specifications, and contract documents and participate in inspections involving drinking water and wastewater systems.
• Support statewide training by developing and delivering technical content, adapting information for diverse audiences using plain language, and creating online training materials.
• Collect, organize, and analyze operational, performance, and maintenance data using CMMS, HATS, Microsoft Office, and other tools to identify trends and support program decisions.
• Contribute to dashboards, performance metrics, summaries, visuals, and reports that inform program decisions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity, the following competencies are required:

• Certifications:
  • Cross-Connection Specialist (CCS) certification
  • Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator (WWTPO) certification
  • Ability to obtain a Water Distribution Manager Level 2 (WDM2) certification within 6 months of hire.
• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated experience working with water and wastewater systems, and doing sanitary surveys, running sampling programs, and preparing compliance documents; Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply Department of Health and Department of Ecology drinking water and wastewater regulations to support statewide system compliance.
• Program Leadership & Coordination: Demonstrated ability to develop procedures, schedules, and compliance strategies while coordinating statewide operational needs and sharing information on capital planning priorities.
• Values-Based & Customer-Service Orientation: Commitment to safety, people-first service, professionalism, respect, integrity, and continuous improvement in support of WSDOT’s mission.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to collect, manage, analyze, and report operational data using CMMS, HATS, Microsoft Office, sampling records, SCADA logs, flow meters, and other tools.
• Project & System Support: Partner with regional staff to identify maintenance needs, review technical documents, participate in inspections, and support work that meets regulatory and operational standards.
• Planning & Organization: Analyze complex issues, establish priorities, and coordinate multiple projects and work activities effectively.
• Technology Proficiency: Mastery use with Microsoft Office, Teams, SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, browser-based mapping tools, and other digital platforms, with the ability to adapt to emerging technologies.
• Communication & Collaboration: Clearly communicate technical information, prepare regulatory reports, actively listen, synthesize information, and collaborate effectively with internal and external partners.
• Training & Knowledge Sharing: Develop and facilitate training, adapt technical information for diverse audiences using plain language, and reinforce consistent statewide practices.
• People First: Ability to prioritize and adapt work to ensure decisions are made that matter to people.
• Safety Always: Promote employee and public safety through safety planning and practices.
• Growth Mindset: Actively demonstrates a commitment to learning and growth.
• Service-Oriented: Takes action to meet the needs of others.

The following qualifications are also required:

• A valid driver's license and the ability to operate state-owned vehicles.
• Ability to maneuver and transport various materials and/or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.
• The ability to respond 24 hours a day to emergent drinking water and wastewater system situations when necessary.
• The ability to travel on a regular, sporadic, or as needed basis.

It is preferred that qualified candidates also demonstrate:

• Meeting Facilitation: Plan, lead, and facilitate multidisciplinary meetings that encourage inclusive participation and actionable outcomes.

• Facility & Asset Management: Conduct facility inspections and perform complex repairs and corrective maintenance prioritization involving lagoons, tanks, treatment equipment, and related systems.

Important Notes

• This recruitment may also be used to fill additional positions per business needs.
• This position is not eligible for remote work.
• The duty station for this position may be located in Spokane, Cle Elum, Wenatchee, or Ritzville. This position serves eastern Washington and requires travel throughout the region. Travel may occur on a regular, sporadic, or as-needed basis and may include multiple consecutive overnight stays. Overnight travel may be required up to 60% of the time. Travel may occur in a variety of weather conditions.
• In addition to base salary, employees may be entitled to other forms of compensation depending on the type, duties, or location of the position. For union-represented positions, more information on other forms of compensation can be found in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements. Information on other compensation types for non-represented positions can be found in Chapter 357-28 of the Washington Administrative Code.
• WSDOT does not use the E-Verify system, therefore we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Why WSDOT

• Work-Life Balance – We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals’ lifestyle.
• Paid Leave – In addition to 12 paid holidays, full-time employees may earn up to 25 paid vacation days per year!
• Tuition Assistance – Permanent employees have several options for assistance with education expenses, including tuition reimbursement programs, government discounts at participating colleges throughout the state, and eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.
• Plan For Your Future – WSDOT offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a variety of healthcare options. Employees also have their choice of state retirement programs, and much more. Go to State Benefits for more information.

Contact Us

For inquiries about this posting, you may contact the assigned Recruiter at [e-mail]. Please be sure to reference 26DOT-HQ-04987 in the subject line.