Utility Maintenance Worker (Senior Maintenance Worker)

Fairfax County Government; Burke (VA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Signing bonus

Tuition reimbursement

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Fairfax County Government’s Wastewater Management Division seeks a Senior Maintenance Worker to perform routine inspections, preventive maintenance, and emergency response for the county’s wastewater collection infrastructure. The role offers outdoor work, skill development, and a team-focused environment dedicated to reliable service to residents.

Ideal candidates value safety, teamwork, adaptability, and customer service, with duties including operating varied vehicles, managing work orders

Qualifications

• Any combination of education, experience, and training to meet requirements.
• Two years of experience in maintenance, construction, or related field.
• CDL and related licenses may be required for position.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain wastewater collection infrastructure and equipment.
• Inspect sewer manholes and lines; identify defects and cleaning needs.
• Supervise maintenance workers and limited-term staff as needed.
• Operate fleet vehicles and specialized trucks; perform safety procedures.
• Use asset management and GIS systems to manage work orders.
• Respond to sanitary sewer emergencies and service calls.

Skills

Problem solving

Teamwork

Communication skills

Flexibility

Customer service

Tools

GIS

Asset management systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Announcement

$2,500 Signing Bonus*

Are you looking for a rewarding career where you can improve and protect the environment? Join Fairfax County's Wastewater Management Division and become part of a dedicated team responsible for maintaining the County's critical wastewater collection infrastructure.

The Wastewater Management Division is seeking a motivated Senior Maintenance Worker to perform routine inspections, preventive maintenance, emergency response, and operate specialized vehicles and equipment used to support the County's critical wastewater collection infrastructure. This position offers the opportunity to work outdoors, develop technical skills, and contribute to a team committed to providing reliable wastewater service to the community. Successful candidates demonstrate a strong commitment to safety, teamwork, customer service, adaptability, and continuous learning while supporting the County's wastewater operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Performs a variety of semi-skilled duties required in the operation and maintenance of the wastewater collections utility system.
• Performs visual inspections of sewer manholes and lines identifying defects and cleaning requirements.
• May supervise the work of Maintenance workers and limited-term employees involved in various functions.
• Operates and maintains a variety of small power equipment, fleet vehicles, large step vans, pick-up trucks, single-axle dump trucks with trailers attached.
• Engages in safe working practices and comply with Wastewater Management and DPWES safety programs and guidelines.
• Uses laptops and desktop computers to utilize asset management systems with County GIS to create, edit, and complete assigned work orders.
• Responds and assists to sanitary sewer emergencies, including backups, overflows, and other sewer‑related service calls.

This ideal candidate must have:

• Problem Solving and Teamwork: Collaborates effectively with individuals, groups, and departments engaged in routine sewer inspection, maintenance, and emergency response. Understands that active participation is essential to the team's success.
• Communication Skills: Able to understand and follow written and verbal instructions. Communicates positively with team members and listens respectfully to others' ideas and perspectives.
• Flexibility and Resilience: Able to adapt to stressful or challenging situations, including changes in work methods, workload, new information, and unexpected emergencies. Willing to adjust work hours as needed to ensure uninterrupted sewer service for residents.
• Customer Service: Delivers excellent customer service by ensuring all interactions with the public and county residents are positive, professional, and focused on providing high‑quality service.

Wastewater Management positions are responsible for providing uninterrupted sewer service to residents during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies. This position is designated as emergency service and is subject to 24‑hour on‑call and may be required to report to work during extreme inclement weather or other emergencies, including after‑hours and weekend work during emergency incidents to fulfill emergency service duties. Overtime may be mandated when emergencies occurred related to the health, welfare, or safety of either the public or employees.

Wastewater Management is part of the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), please visit us here to learn more about us.

DPWES is a diverse, nationally accredited and award‑winning public works agency with approximately 1,000 employees providing solid waste, capital facility development, wastewater, stormwater, urban forestry, and land acquisition management services for the most populous county in Virginia. Join our team to help us protect the environment and serve the people of Fairfax County by creating and preserving a sustainable community that is an ideal place to live, work, and play for everyone.

Benefits:

Fairfax County Government is committed to our employees, and offers comprehensive benefits, including a defined‑benefit retirement plan; medical, life and disability insurance; paid leave; tuition reimbursement; and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Through our LiveWell Program and the County Benefits Division, we endeavor to cultivate a culture of wellbeing that empowers, educates, and engages employees and retirees to make life‑long choices that promote a holistic approach to their physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial wellness. Please review our awesome benefits:

• Benefit
• Retirement

Note: The appointee to this position is subject to emergency callback 24 hours a day/seven days a week (24/7) to respond to snow, flood, and other designated emergencies requiring division resources, on an as‑needed basis.

In 2026, all Wastewater Collection Division assignments will be permanently located at the new Water Resources and Infrastructure building, located at 6000 Freds Oak Road, Burke, VA 22015. Position may require traveling to multiple Fairfax County sites.

* A $2,500 signing bonus is available to new county employees hired in a position that requires a CDL. Applicants must possess a valid CDL at time of application submission to be eligible.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to completion of the tenth grade; plus two years of experience in maintenance, construction, or a related field.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

• A valid motor vehicle driver's license.
• Commercial driver's license (CDL) Class "B".
• Tanker Endorsement within 3 months of hire.
• DOT Medical Card.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check, a pre-employment physical examination, and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

The appointee to this position will be required to be available twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week (24/7) to respond to snow, flooding, and other designated emergencies on an as needed basis.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: A minimum of two (2) years of experience in the following:

• Performing maintenance, cleaning, inspection, repair, or construction activities related to wastewater collection systems, sanitary sewer systems, stormwater systems, underground utilities, or similar infrastructure.
• Operating hand tools, power tools, traffic control devices, and wastewater‑related tools and equipment.
• Operating fleet vehicles and equipment, including pick‑up trucks, box trucks, dump trucks, tank trucks, tractor trailers, trailer‑mounted crash cushions, or other Commercial Driver's License (CDL) vehicles.
• Following workplace safety practices and procedures, including compliance with OSHA standards, VDOT Work Zone Safety and Flagging guidelines, confined space entry procedures, or similar state and federal safety regulations.
• Using computer systems and software such as Microsoft Office, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), computerized asset management systems, electronic work order systems, or other job‑related applications.

Possession of any combination of the following certifications:

• VDOT Basic Work Zone Traffic Control Certification
• Confined Space Entry Certification
• Virginia Flagger Certification

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to lift/ slide up to 90 lbs. with assistance. This includes lifting, carrying, and pulling hoses, climbing on to the unit (12' high) for set up and minor maintenance, standing, kneeling or bending for long periods of time. Ability to set up and operate Vacuum Flusher truck equipment units (Under supervision). Ability to work around and in contact with raw sewage. Effectively communicate both oral and in writing. Must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment and use other automated technology to input, access and retrieve information from a laptop or desktop. Visual acuity is required to read data on computer monitors such as GIS maps. Must be able to physically negotiate rough terrain on uneven ground such as hills, wooded and marshy areas. Must be capable of pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, stooping, walking, and climbing/crouching to enter permitted confined spaces such as in and out of catch basins and manholes. Per safety requirements, confined spaces may not be entered by people who weigh 310lbs. or more. Must be physically fit to perform manual labor in all types of environments. This requires the ability to endure variable and extreme weather conditions such as hot, cold, during rain, noisy environments, etc. Requires the ability to stand, stoop, bend, reach, walk, climb, sit, kneel, crawl, lift, as well as work in strenuous and uncomfortable positions for long periods of time to manipulate materials with manual dexterity, use of hoses, and operate units up to 12 feet tall to set up and perform maintenance. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Panel interview and may include exercise.

BONUS ELIGIBILITY

Positions within this classification that require a CDL that are general merit may be eligible for a one‑time hiring incentive bonus for new county employees only. This bonus program requires a signed payback agreement between the department and employee. Must have CDL at time of hire.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo‑European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. [e-mail] EEO/AA/TTY.

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