Wastewater Plant Safety Officer

King County Water and Land Resources Division -WA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

King County Water and Land Resources Division -WA is seeking a Wastewater Plant Safety Officer. The role focuses on advancing safety across wastewater projects, implementing hazardous materials controls, and guiding emergency response programs.

The position requires deep regulatory knowledge, strong leadership, and the ability to train staff and coordinate complex safety initiatives across multiple facilities in Seattle, WA. This is an exempt, full-time executive career service role.

Qualifications

• Experience in wastewater safety; or any combination of experience and education which provides the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the key roles and responsibilities of the position.
• Advanced knowledge of federal, state, and local industrial safety and health regulations and applicable national consensus standards, including the Washington Administrative Code, NFPA, ANSI and DHS.
• Knowledge of safety program development, implementation, management, evaluation practices, and skill in project management.
• Knowledge of Emergency Response, emergency management, disaster preparedness operations, and techniques.
• Knowledge of accident and incident investigation practices, procedures, protocols, and hazard analysis.
• Knowledge of training principles and adult learning styles.
• Knowledge of Permit-Required Confined Space Entry programs, hazard assessment, permit procedures, training, equipment, and emergency response & rescue.
• Knowledge of Chemical Safety programs, hazard assessment, storage and use procedures.
• Knowledge of Fall Protection programs, hazard assessment, procedures, training, equipment, and emergency response & rescue.
• Knowledge of Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemical System programs, procedure elements, management of change, process hazard analysis, pre-start-up safety review and hot work operations.
• Knowledge of Personal Protection Equipment programs, hazard assessments, procedures, training, and equipment.
• Knowledge of Hazardous Energy Control Programs, hazard assessment, procedures, training, equipment.
• Knowledge of Accident Prevention Programs and site-specific Contractor HASPs.
• Knowledge of occupational health risks and interventions.
• Skill in reviewing, assessing, developing and implementing policies and procedures.
• Skill in verbal and written communication and public speaking.
• Ability to work weekends, evenings, holidays, and on-call 24-hour emergency response.
• Ability to effectively engage in and sustain relationships with people from diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the daily onsite implementation and compliance of all safety-related operations and procedures; direct and enforce safe work plans and practices onsite with employees, contractors, and visitors.
• Participate in ensuring safety protocol and personal protection equipment (PPE) compliance with all plant staff while working at any Wastewater Treatment facility.
• Conduct onsite and structure-specific compliance inspections and hazard assessments.
• Identify and eliminate hazards in the work environment which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to onsite staff.
• Coordinate the training and certification of equipment such as overhead cranes, aerial lifts, forklifts, trucks, backhoes, and other onsite heavy equipment.
• Authorize or suspend work due to unsafe conditions or failure to comply with required safety requirements.
• Manage all onsite safety and emergency response elements of the Wastewater Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Life Safety Management (LSM) Program.
• Review safety-related work orders; coordinate with O&M staff to ensure safe work associated with scheduled preventive maintenance assignments and plant system outages.
• Provide site-specific training and health & safety information to employees.

Skills

Safety leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Project management

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Wastewater Plant Safety Officer

Salary
$119,465.01 - $151,428.99 Annually

Location
King Street Center - 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA

Job Type
Career Service (Exec)

Job Number
2026-26847

Department
DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks

Division
Wastewater Treatment

FLSA
Exempt

Bargaining Unit
A2 : SEIU L925-Wastewater

Full- or Part-Time
Full Time

Hours/Week
40 hours/week

Summary
This is a competitive posting, and the position is open to all qualified candidates.

About the Role:

In this role, you will have the exciting and continuously challenging opportunity to gain and demonstrate highly unique experience directed towards addressing a myriad of advanced wastewater & combined-system conveyance, treatment and construction project safety, hazardous material and emergency program subjects.

This position provides an excellent opportunity to apply safety, hazardous materials, training and emergency response skills and knowledge toward assisting WTD staff with a wide variety of technical issues and advanced safety issues, problems, questions, concerns, issues, national consensus standards and regulatory requirements. Such assistance often requires innovative problem-solving, brainstorming and decision making along with rewarding and sometimes challenging interactions with WTD staff, consultants and construction workers. The position will be working in a team with a dedicated team of high-performing safety staff targeting innovative approaches aimed at troubleshooting problems and pursuing solutions through a variety of approaches.

The position also provides an opportunity to become a recognized subject matter expert, overseeing the development and implementation of safety management systems and specific technical programs. Essential technical assistance in the ongoing development and updates of division-specific safety programs and procedures, including but not limited to:
Permit-Required Confined Space Entry
Hazardous Energy Control
Fall Protection and Prevention
Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals
Life Safety Management
Wastewater Emergency Response Programs
Personal Protective Equipment Program
Support the entire Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) and occasionally represent the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) in countywide efforts to ensure safe workplaces for employees. Assist in the DNRP Emergency Support Function 3 and the WTD Emergency Response and Resiliency Program. Ensure proper reporting of near-misses, employee injury accidents, and vehicle accidents. Conduct after-action reviews and implement necessary corrective actions to promote safe work practices.

Provide leadership to the Division Safety Committees and WTD Project Teams, comprising members representing all sections of WTD. Foster effective working relationships across a diverse division. Develop instructional materials, presentations, and conduct training sessions and program orientation tours. Conduct Emergency Response Drills & Exercises, as well as regular and required safety training classes.

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 a Wastewater Plant Safety Officer, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

Job Duties

What You Will Be Doing:

• Oversee the daily onsite implementation and compliance of all safety-related operations and procedures; direct and enforce safe work plans and practices onsite with employees, contractors, and visitors.
• Participate in ensuring safety protocol and personal protection equipment (PPE) compliance with all plant staff while working at any Wastewater Treatment facility.
• Conduct onsite and structure-specific compliance inspections and hazard assessments.
• Identify and eliminate hazards in the work environment which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to onsite staff.
• Coordinate the training and certification of equipment such as overhead cranes, aerial lifts, forklifts, trucks, backhoes, and other onsite heavy equipment.
• Authorize or suspend work due to unsafe conditions or failure to comply with required safety requirements.
• Manage all onsite safety and emergency response elements of the Wastewater Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Life Safety Management (LSM) Program.
• Review safety-related work orders; coordinate with O&M staff to ensure safe work associated with scheduled preventive maintenance assignments and plant system outages.
• Provide site-specific training and health & safety information to employees.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Experience in wastewater safety; or any combination of experience and education which provides the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the key roles and responsibilities of the position.
• Advanced knowledge of federal, state, and local industrial safety and health regulations and applicable national consensus standards, including the Washington Administrative Code, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), American National Safety Institute (ANSI) and Department of Homeland Security.
• Knowledge of safety program development, implementation, management, evaluation practices, and skill in project management.
• Knowledge of Emergency Response, emergency management, disaster preparedness operations, and techniques.
• Knowledge of accident and incident investigation practices, procedures, protocols, and hazard analysis.
• Knowledge of training principles and adult learning styles.
• Knowledge of Permit-Required Confined Space Entry programs, hazard assessment, permit procedures, training, equipment, and emergency response & rescue.
• Knowledge of Chemical Safety programs, hazard assessment, storage and use procedures.
• Knowledge of Fall Protection programs, hazard assessment, procedures, training, equipment, and emergency response & rescue.
• Knowledge of Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemical System programs, procedure elements, management of change, process hazard analysis, pre-start-up safety review and hot work operations.
• Knowledge of Personal Protection Equipment programs, hazard assessments, procedures, training, and equipment.
• Knowledge of Hazardous Energy Control Programs, hazard assessment, procedures, training, equipment.
• Knowledge of Accident Prevention Programs and site‑specific/ project‑specific Contractor Health and Safety Plans (HASPs).
• Knowledge of occupational health risks and interventions.
• Skill in reviewing, assessing, developing and implementing policies and procedures.
• Skill in verbal and written communication and public speaking.
• Ability to work weekends, evenings, holidays, and on‑call 24‑hour emergency response.
• Ability to effectively engage in and sustain relationships with people from diverse cultures and socio‑economic backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Demonstrated proficiency with business applications, such as Microsoft Office suite.

Competencies You Bring:

• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer‑centric solutions.
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Manages Ambiguity - Operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.
• Decision Quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.

Required Licenses:

• Washington State Driver's License.
• Ability to drive County vehicle to various job sites each day.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• CSP, CIH, CHMM, WDOE Wastewater Certification
• Documented training certification: Permit-Required Confined Space Entry, Fall Protection, Hazardous Energy Control, and First Aid/CPR/AED.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:

• Onsite Work Details: The primary onsite location is the Collaboration space at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104 and King County Treatment Plants. Employees in this role will report onsite at the treatment plants beginning at the West Point treatment plant, later many of the forecasted capital projects, will begin at South Treatment plant and the report to location will be onsite at South Treatment Plant. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104) and treatment plant facilities.
• Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to King County worksites to meet onsite reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by Service Employee International Union (SEIU), Wastewater Local 925.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. 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.