Wastewater Process Supervisor

The Town of Ocean City, MD; Ocean City (MD); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Town of Ocean City, MD is seeking a Wastewater Plant Supervisor to oversee one major treatment process area while sharing accountability for the others. The role requires supervising four shift leaders, rotating between Primary, Secondary, and Bio‑solids processes, and ensuring regulatory compliance and reporting.

The supervisor will manage equipment operation, data collection, and coordination with regulatory agencies, with on‑call duties and a focus on safe, reliable plant operation.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED; chemistry/mechanics courses preferred.
• Minimum five years experience in wastewater/water treatment.
• Basic knowledge of mechanics.
• Education beyond minimum may substitute for some experience.

Responsibilities

• Supervises operation of equipment throughout the treatment plant.
• Makes operating and maintenance decisions for Primary, Secondary, or Bio‑solids areas.
• Rotates process area assignments as needed.
• Supervises pumps, valves, motors, chemical feed systems, clarifiers, and related equipment.
• Maintains readings, performs required laboratory tests, and records data.
• Leads weekly rotational on‑call duties and ensures continuous operation.
• Directly supervises four process shift leaders and oversees 16 other staff.
• Communicates results to Chief Plant Operator and regulatory agencies.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Leadership

Regulatory communication

Safety procedures

Education

High school diploma or GED

5+ years wastewater experience

Basic mechanics knowledge

Tools

Computer software

Job description

SUMMARY

Serves as a supervisor for one of the three major treatment processes in the wastewater treatment facility: 1) primary treatment, 2) secondary treatment, 3) bio‑solids process. Has direct accountability for the operation of one assigned process area and shares indirect accountability for the other two process areas with fellow process supervisors or in their absence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

include the following, other duties may be assigned.

• Supervises the operation of equipment throughout the treatment plant.
• Makes operational and maintenance decisions for either Primary, Secondary, or Bio‑solids process areas.
• Must maintain competency in all process areas and may rotate process area assignment and responsibilities.
• Supervises and maintains operation of pumps, valves, electric motors, chemical feed pumps (polymer, hypochlorite, bisulfite, magnesium hydroxide), clarifiers, sludge holding/thickening tanks, aeration basins, equalization tanks, oxygen generator, standby plant power generators, mechanical screens, rotary presses, sludge drying systems, dissolved air flotation units, disinfection equipment, and other relative wastewater process equipment.
• Works weekly rotational on call for plant operations throughout entire year.
• Makes visual inspections of wastewater through entire treatment process, includes Primary, Secondary, and Bio‑solids processing.
• Supervises four process shift leaders and assigns work/tasks to be accomplished during their shifts.
• Supervises the reading of meters and gauges and maintains records of readings; supervises or conducts required laboratory tests.
• Collect/compile data used for preparation of regulatory and operational reports.
• Reports results to the Chief Plant Operator.
• Communicate with regulatory agencies and personnel utilizing email, written, and verbal correspondence.
• Maintain continuing operation of plant under standby generator power during emergency power outages and utility provider load sharing.
• Has functional knowledge the appropriate use of lock‑out/tag‑out safety procedures, relevant occupational hazards and standard safety precautions
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITES

• Directly supervises four Process Shift Leaders.
• Indirectly supervises 16 other full‑time employees.
• Is responsible for overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of assigned process area (Primary, Secondary, Bio‑solids).
• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.
• Responsibilities include training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATIONS

- To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED) with or supplemented by courses in chemistry and mechanics.
• Minimum five (5) years experience working in a wastewater and/or water treatment plan.
• Basic knowledge of mechanics.
• Education completed beyond minimum requirements may be substituted for some experience.
• Prefer courses in water and wastewater technology at college level.
• With the approval of the Wastewater Chief Plant Operator, successfully pass the in house written/ practical examination within one year of hire.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Valid driver's license.
• Permanent Maryland State Class 5 Operator License.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one‑on‑one and small group situations to regulatory personnel, customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Thorough knowledge of wastewater treatment to include chlorination, pH control, aeration, coagulation, sedimentation, oxygen activated sludge processes, sludge drying and pasteurization, and maintenance practices. Ability to operate any machinery and equipment utilized in operation of wastewater treatment processing. Supervision of plant operations and personnel. Familiarity with computers and software used by the Town of Ocean City.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts. The employee frequently works in outside weather conditions and is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, and extreme heat. The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.