Wastewater Treatment Operator - Days

Dawn Foods Ltd.; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 59,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Pay

401(K) + company match

10 Paid Company Holidays

Paid Time Off

Professional training

Family-owned business over 100 years

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

Dawn Foods Ltd. is looking for a Wastewater Treatment Coordinator to operate and optimize the facility’s wastewater system at our Louisville, KY site.

You'll monitor, test, and maintain processes to meet permits, safety, and quality standards in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment. This role requires hands-on lab testing, preventive maintenance, and collaboration with Maintenance, Production, Quality, and EHS teams.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s degree in Environmental Science, Biology, Engineering Technology, or related field preferred.
• At least 2 years of experience operating industrial wastewater treatment systems.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, and equipment manuals.
• Proficient with computers, EHS programs, and Microsoft Office programs.
• Food and beverage manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Must be able to work independently in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
• Ability to work and engage with all levels of stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Operate and optimize the wastewater treatment process and related equipment.
• Collect samples and perform laboratory analyses for process optimization.
• Monitor SCADA/control systems, respond to alarms, and adjust conditions.
• Inspect and perform routine maintenance on pumps, motors, valves, and instrumentation.
• Coordinate preventative and corrective maintenance with Maintenance.
• Maintain chemical inventories and safely receive, store, and dose treatment chemicals.
• Complete daily operation logs, laboratory records, discharge reports, and permit documentation.
• Support compliance with wastewater permits, environmental regulations, and OSHA requirements.
• Maintain a safe work environment and participate in continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Wastewater treatment

Laboratory testing

SCADA monitoring

Preventive maintenance

P&IDs interpretation

Instrumentation overlap

Microsoft Office

Education

High School diploma or GED

Associate’s degree in Environmental Science or related field

Tools

SCADA systems

Laboratory equipment

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Title: Wastewater Treatment Operator - Days

Location: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Workplace Type: Onsite

Dawn Foods is a global leader in bakery manufacturing and ingredients distribution. As the partner of choice for inspiring bakery success, we helpcustomers grow their business through meaningful partnerships, research-driven insights and innovations, and products and expertise they can depend on. As a family-owned company, our commitments to our people, products, customers, and corporate values, are all part of our recipe for success.

Why work for Dawn Foods? PEOPLE. PRODUCTS. CUSTOMERS. Why should you apply? We invest in you!

• Competitive Pay
• 401(K) + company match
• 10 Paid Company Holidays
• Paid Time Off
• Professional training
• Family-owned business over 100 years in service
• An opportunity for career advancement, working as part of an empowering workforce

Job Purpose and Overview

The Wastewater Treatment Coordinator is responsible for the safe operation, monitoring, optimization, and maintenance of the facility’s industrial wastewater treatment system supporting a high-strength, 24-hour food manufacturing operation. The coordinator ensures compliance with wastewater discharge permits and environmental regulations while maximizing treatment efficiency, equipment reliability, and safe operations. The role requires laboratory testing, process control, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and collaboration with Maintenance, Production, Quality, and EHS teams.

Shift Schedule:

Day shift, Monday - Friday, starting at 6:00 AM. Typically working 8-hour shifts, with flexibility required based on business needs and operational demands. On-call and emergency support may be required outside of normal working hours.

What will you do as a Wastewater Treatment Coordinator at Dawn Foods?

• Operate and optimize the wastewater treatment process, including equalization tank, DAF systems, biological treatment (MBBR technology), pumps, blowers, chemical feed systems, sludge handling, and other associated equipment.
• Collect representative samples and perform laboratory analysis as necessary for treatment optimization (pH, COD, BOD, TSS, FOG, and other permit parameters)
• Monitor SCADA/control systems, review trends, respond to alarms, and adjust process conditions.
• Inspect, troubleshoot, and perform routine maintenance on pumps, motors, valves, instrumentation, sensors, diffusers, and piping.
• Coordinate preventative and corrective maintenance with the Maintenance Department.
• Maintain chemical inventories and safely receive, store, and dose treatment chemicals.
• Complete daily operation logs, laboratory records, calibration records, discharge reports, and other permit documentation.
• Support compliance with wastewater permits, environmental regulations, food safety requirements, and OSHA requirements.
• Maintain housekeeping and a safe work environment around the wastewater treatment facility.
• Participate in root cause investigations and continuous improvement initiatives to improve treatment performance and operating costs.
• Train maintenance personnel on alarm response during unmanned shift hours.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What Does It Take to be a Wastewater Treatment Coordinator at Dawn Foods?

Below are the minimum qualifications to be a fit for this job.

• High School diploma or GED required
• Associate’s degree in Environmental Science, Biology, Engineering Technology, or related field preferred
• At least 2 years of experience operating industrial wastewater treatment systems
• Strong demonstrated experience maintaining pumps, motors, valves, systems, and instrumentation
• Working knowledge of alert and notification systems, laboratory testing procedures, and wastewater chemistry
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and commitment to regulatory compliance
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, and equipment manuals
• Proficient with computers, EHS programs, and Microsoft Office programs
• Food and beverage manufacturing experience strongly preferred
• Must be able to work independently in a 24/7 manufacturing environment
• Ability to work and engage with all levels of stakeholders

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member 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; use hands to grasp, move, or utilize objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear.
• The employee is frequently required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and frequently lift and/or move 35 pounds.
• Must be able to wear required PPE.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus.
• Temperature fluctuates with the season – colder during the winter/warmer during the summer
• Working around heavy machinery – hearing protection required in production area
• Must be able to tolerate potential allergens: peanut products, egg, dairy, gluten, wheat, and soy

Note:The level of physical effort may vary from site to site and in some cases be greater or lesser than documented here.

About Our Benefits

Dawn is proud to employ the top talent in the baking industry, and we reward our people with comprehensive health and well-being coverage, competitive compensation packages, and award-winning benefit offerings. We also help protect your future financial health with a generous 401(k) matching program that provides additional retirement funds and many tools and resources on financial wellness. Dawn encourages professional growth through tuition assistance and educational programs, and we are always searching for ways to improve our industry-leading services and benefits.

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $59,470-$89,210 with bonus eligibility.

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other status or condition that is protected by applicable law.