Job Details

Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District (FSSD) is currently seeking a candidate to fill a full-time position as a Wastewater Plant Operator Lead.

If you are an experienced operator looking to work in a great team environment with opportunities to learn and grow, this is a great opportunity for you. We are looking for someone with wastewater plant operations experience that can take on more advanced level work and responsibility.

The Ideal Candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills in order to work in an effective manner with all levels of employees. The desirable knowledge, skills, and competencies include, but are not limited to:

• Knowledge of water or wastewater utility systems.
• Work independently as well as part of a team, depending on assignments.
• Willingness to work outside of normal work hours to support various projects or assignments.
• Willingness to work off-shift, weekend, and shift coverage schedules.

The Wastewater Plant Operator Lead is a journey technical position that operates, inspects, and maintains the District's wastewater collection system and treatment plant, including biological nutrient removal (BNR), anaerobic digestion, and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection processes. This position leads the shift operations in ensuring completion of daily duties and proper operation and maintenance of treatment processes, implements optimization efforts, maintains discharge compliancy, provides management with potential improvements and/or solutions to issues, and provides field training to less experienced staff.

This is the journey level position in the Wastewater Plant Operator series that has a higher level of competency in performing the full range of duties. Incumbents work under direction and can operate the plant independently. Incumbents in this class have advanced knowledge of plant operations and can troubleshoot complex failures. Incumbents may advance to the higher-level class after gaining the knowledge, skills, experience, and certifications that meet the qualifications for, and demonstrate the ability to perform the work of, the higher-level class.

To review the complete job description, click HERE.

Education:
A high school diploma or equivalent; an Associates degree or higher is desirable.

AND

Experience:
Four (4) years of experience in a Class 1, 2, or 3 wastewater treatment plant, including two (2) years in a journey equivalent position, or two (2) years of experience in a Class 4 or 5 wastewater treatment plant. Knowledge of BNR, UV, and anaerobic digestion is preferred.

OR

An equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that has provided the employee with the required knowledge, skills/abilities, and attributes to be able to perform the work (with reasonable accommodation, if needed).

License/Certificate:

• Possession of a Grade III California Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator certificate is required.
• Possession of a CWEA Mechanical Technologist, Electrical & Instrumentation Technologist, Lab Analyst, Collection System Maintenance, or other relevant certificate is desirable.
• Possession of a valid California Class C driver's license and a safe driving record is required.

Failure to possess and maintain the required license(s) and/or certificate(s) may be cause for discipline up to and including termination.

• Mobility and Dexterity: Positions in this class typically require frequent stooping, kneeling, reaching, standing, walking, fingering, grasping, feeling (i.e., sense of touch), and repetitive motion.
• Lifting, Carrying, Pushing, and Pulling: Employees in this class will be exerting up to 75 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
• Vision: Positions in this class require the employee to have close visual acuity, with or without correction, to prepare and analyze data and figures, transcribe, view a computer terminal, read, etc. Positions in this class also require employees to have depth perception to operate a motor vehicle.
• Hearing/Talking: Positions in this class require the employee to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and have the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication. Positions in this class require the employee to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word.
• Working Conditions: While some work will be in an office setting, visits to outdoor worksites will require an employee in this class to work outside and be subject to a variety of weather conditions, walking on uneven terrain, and working around vehicles in operation and around machinery with moving parts. Employees in this class may be required to operate a vehicle and thus will be subject to traffic hazards while driving.
• Work in a Wastewater Treatment Facility: Employees in this class will be working in a wastewater treatment facility and thus will be subject to exposure to chemicals, toxic agents, blood and other bodily fluids, and communicable diseases. There may also be occasional exposure to extreme temperatures, inadequate lighting, and a workspace that restricts movement. Employees in this class may be required to work in an industrial area and outdoors and thus will be subject to exposure to moving mechanical parts, electrical currents, fuel, oil, gases, smoke, fumes, odors, pollens, dust, vibrations, and intense noises as well as field conditions including rainy, windy, cold, or hot weather.
• Working at Heights: Employees in this class may be required to work at heights of 15 feet or more above the ground on equipment and structures.

Some of these requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations, absent undue hardship.

• Background Checks: The District may conduct a background check and a reference check on candidates prior to appointment to a position within this class.
• Independent Travel: Incumbents are required to travel independently, for example, to perform work at other work sites, to attend meetings with other District employees, to attend meetings with community organizations, etc.
• Hours of Work: Incumbents may be required to work weekends, holidays, irregular hours, and after normal business hours.

09/23/2025 - Date for hiring interviews.

Responses to supplemental questions may be used as screening and testing mechanisms and will be used to assess an applicant's ability to advance in the process; as such, responses to supplemental questions should be treated as test examination responses.

A completed FSSD employment application and supplemental questionnaire must be submitted. This recruitment will close at 5:00 pm on Monday, September 1, 2025.

IMPORTANT: Contact with candidates will primarily be via email. Make sure you list a current email that you check regularly with your application.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application packet.

Applicants receiving a conditional offer of employment must successfully complete the pre-employment process for this position before a final offer will be extended. Pre-employment assessments for this position include a background check, a pre-employment physical, and a pre-employment drug screen.