Water Resource Recovery Facility Maintenance Technician (SBP)

City-of-SAN-Luis-Obispo-; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

City of San Luis Obispo seeks a Water Resource Recovery Facility Maintenance Technician to support a state-of-the-art WRRF. You’ll troubleshoot, repair, and install equipment across mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems, helping shift maintenance from reactive to predictive with data-driven planning.

The role emphasizes problem-solving, safety, and collaboration with operations, with opportunities to advance through a skills-based pay progression and

Qualifications

• High school graduation or GED with specialized maintenance training.
• Two years of work experience in maintenance/repair of pumps, motors, valves, instrumentation or related facilities.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience accepted.
• CW A Grade II Mechanical/Electrical Instrumentation certifications desirable.

Responsibilities

• Perform skilled maintenance on electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems at the WRRF.
• Direct and participate in maintenance of pumps, motors, chemical feeders, valves, and related equipment.
• Inspect equipment to determine maintenance needs and ensure preventive, corrective, and forced maintenance.
• Maintain computerized preventive and inventory records and assist with purchasing parts.
• May supervise a maintenance crew on larger or safety-sensitive projects.
• Coordinate maintenance work with WRRF operations staff and safety procedures.
• Operate and calibrate instruments and flow/treatment monitoring equipment.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Electrical maintenance

Instrumentation knowledge

Troubleshooting

Safety compliance

Read blueprints

Education

High school diploma or GED

Trade school maintenance training

CW EA Grade II desirable

2 years industrial maintenance experience

Tools

Telemetry systems

Job description

The City of San Luis Obispo is looking for a Water Resource Recovery Facility Maintenance Technician (SBP) who is ready to support the operation and ongoing evolution of the region’s most advanced Water Resource Recovery Facility.

About the Facility

San Luis Obispo's Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) is the industry's most technically sophisticated operation on the Central Coast – and it's still evolving. A recently completed upgrade brought state-of-the-art process controls, advanced instrumentation, and integrated data systems to a facility that directly protects the region's watershed.

About the Work

Keeping this facility running is the work of our maintenance team. You will troubleshoot, repair, and install equipment across mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems, coordinating closely with operations around a process that never stops. We are also building something. Our goal is to move from a maintenance program that reacts to failures toward one that anticipates them – expanding the data we collect on our equipment, putting it to work in how we plan and prioritize, and adding predictive testing that flags a machine before it fails. That shift is underway now, and the person in this role will help shape it.

The Successful Candidate

The strongest candidate is someone who works the problem. When a machine goes down, we are less interested in a thorough description of what is broken than in the next three things worth checking. That instinct matters more to us than a particular background. We are looking for real mechanical aptitude and a mind built for troubleshooting, and we are glad to train the right person on the rest. We want someone who wants to know why the equipment failed, not just how to replace it. Understanding how a single piece of equipment affects the overall treatment process is what separates a repair from an improvement. You should be comfortable working alongside the crew on larger jobs as well as independently. The ability to prioritize workloads will be important, with safety always coming first This is a skills-based-pay position with clear benchmarks for advancement – your compensation grows as your competency and certification do. Candidates should be willing to pursue their Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certification, and the City is committed to supporting your professional development along the way.

JOB SUMMARY:

To perform a variety of responsible and complex maintenance duties at the City's Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF). Employees in this job class perform a wide variety of maintenance and repair tasks from the semi-skilled and skilled level to professional journey level. Employees in this classification must be available to work on any assigned shift that may include working on holidays and weekends. This job class includes responsibility for the performance of the full range of the classification's tasks and duties, ultimately performing at a journey level of classification. Appointment to a level in this job class is based upon achieving and maintaining a specified level of competence, professionalism and performance as defined through a skills-based-pay rating.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS:

This classification is a "Skills Based Pay" advancement series. Employees in this classification who are part of a series shall have the opportunity to advance within the series to the highest working class. Such advancement shall be based on their attainment and demonstrated performance of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities, and/or required certification, and the recommendation of the department head.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:

Employees in this classification receive supervision from the Water Resource Recovery Facility Chief Maintenance Technician and Water Resource Recovery Facility Supervisor within a framework of standard policies and procedures.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

(Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all tasks that may be found in positions of this class.)

• Performs skilled work in the areas of electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, hydraulic, pneumatic and related facilities' maintenance at the City's WRRF.
• Directs and participates in the maintenance of a variety of equipment used at the WRRF including pumps, motors, chemical feeders, hydraulic/pneumatic systems, chlorinators, sulfonators, residual analyzers, transducers, screens, filters, pressure vessels, grinders, IC engine generators, valves, turntables, compressors, blowers, etc.
• Inspects WRRF equipment and structures to determine maintenance needs, and confirm proper preventive, corrective and forced maintenance.
• Directs and maintains accurate computerized preventive, forced and corrective maintenance activities and parts inventory records.
• Responsible for ordering/purchasing parts, spare parts, materials and supplies required to perform required WRRF maintenance.
• Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all tasks that may be found in positions of the class.
• May schedule, assign, direct, train and monitor the work of a maintenance crew in the safe and proper maintenance of the WRRF.
• Responsible for maintaining computerized maintenance and inventory records; may generate work orders, reports, etc. as necessary.
• Responsible for the maintenance of chemical feed facilities for sodium hypochlorite, sodium bisulfite, sodium hydroxide, ferrous chloride, anionic/cationic polymers, etc.
• Responsible for coordinating maintenance activities with WRRF operations staff.
• Operates a variety of equipment, hand and power tools, trucks, light crane, welders, loader, backhoe, presses, etc.
• Assist WRRF Supervisor and Deputy Director of Utilities/Wastewater in the development of capital projects, major equipment repairs and replacement and in coordinating capital projects with Utilities and Public Works engineering staff.
• Responsible for the performance of preventative maintenance on facility equipment; troubleshoots, repairs, rebuilds, cleans, lubricates, and adjusts equipment; operates welders, various electric and pneumatic tools, measuring devices and other plant equipment and machinery.
• Calibrates and maintains instruments associated with daily flow and treatment including chlorinators, sulfonators, residual analyzers, transducers, etc.
• Responsible for the performance of work in a safe and proper manner of an assigned shift; conducts safety training for employees; trains new employees in proper and safe work methods and WRRF maintenance.
• Performs related duties similar to the above in scope and function as required.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of:

• Advanced maintenance and repair principles of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and instrumentation systems commonly used in wastewater treatment systems.
• State and Federal standards and requirements related to water and resource recovery facility operations and maintenance.
• Proper repair, maintenance and adjustment of water resource recovery facility equipment.
• The maintenance requirements of pumps, motors, valves, blowers, electrical motor control centers, hydraulic/pneumatic systems, and electronic instrumentation systems.
• Methods and procedures for the safe and proper handling of chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, sodium bisulfite, sodium hydroxide, ferrous chloride and cationic/anionic polymers.
• Safe work practices such as confined entry procedures, personal safety equipment, etc.
• General record keeping procedures and systems including database and computer applications.
• Basic supervisory skills.

Ability to:

• Safely and effectively perform complex and skilled maintenance functions related to wastewater treatment plant operations, process and general equipment on assigned shifts.
• Troubleshoot and diagnose a variety of maintenance and equipment problems and make complex adjustments and repairs.
• Read blue prints and drawings.
• Perform manual labor in an unpleasant and potentially hazardous environment.
• Work any assigned shift.
• Obtain California Water Environment Association Grade II Plant Maintenance Mechanical Technologist certification within 5 years of appointment.
• Wear self contained breathing apparatus and other safety equipment as required, and conform to the City's facial hair requirements for use of respiratory equipment.
• Meet the physical requirements necessary to safely and effectively perform required duties, including annual respiratory capacity physical examination.
• Use applicable computer software programs and equipment including a telemetry system to maintain and update logs, records, charts, and preventive maintenance.
• Express ideas clearly and concisely in written and oral form with good command and use of the English language.
• Provide excellent customer service and establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with co-workers, management, members of the public, the community and agency representatives.
• Recognize problems and make decisions, use tact, good judgment, resourcefulness and diplomacy in resolving conflict situations.
• Lift fifty pounds during the course of a normal workday.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

High school graduation or G.E.D. supplemented by specialized training related to maintenance technologies such as systems design and maintenance, electrical systems maintenance, maintenance of wastewater systems, maintenance of prime movers, instrumentation maintenance, chemical feed technology;

or

Two years of work experience in the actual maintenance and repair of pumps, motors, valves, chemical feeders, instrumentation systems, electrical systems and facilities associated with a water resource recovery facility or comparable industrial maintenance experience;

or

An equivalent combination of education and experience.

POSSESSION AND MAINTENANCE OF:

• A valid class "C" driver's license.
• A minimum Grade II Mechanical Technologist and minimum Grade II Electrical/Instrumentation Technologist from California Water Environment Association is highly desirable.

THIS POSITION WILL BE REQUIRED TO:

• Pre-employment Physical
• Livescan Fingerprinting (DOJ)

CHECK IF APPLY