Senior Operations Technician - Automation & Electrical

At Western Municipal Water District (“Western Water”) we believe in a one-team mindset and prioritize collaboration within the department and throughout the agency (across people, processes, resources) — no silos here. Together, we work to understand and anticipate Western Water’s needs.

Who we are

Western Water is one of the largest public agencies in Riverside County providing water and wastewater (sewer) services to nearly one million people across 527-square-miles of inland southern California. Our customers are an essential partner in ensuring long-term water resiliency for our region. Together, the Western Water team is focused on being the definitive leader in water and wastewater (sewer) services, upholding the highest level of stakeholder trust, and ensuring an exceptional customer experience.

Western’s values include:

• Service Excellence
• Efficiency 
• Water Supply Reliability
• Fiscal Responsibility and Value
• Public Trust, Accountability and Transparency
• Environmental Stewardship
• Employee Empowerment
• Innovation

Are you looking to take your career to the next level at an agency committed to the vision and values above? Are you an experienced SCADA or electrical/instrumentation professional with progressive experience supporting a team dedicated to the maintenance of water and wastewater facilities? If you have skills focusing on the following areas, we invite you to submit your interest to be considered for this position:

• Strong knowledge of principles and practices related to the assigned functional areas of electrical/instrumentation services or SCADA. 
• Ability to lead a team to operate and maintain the electrical functions within water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Strong ability to lead the performance of a wide variety of electrical service and repair tasks to machinery, equipment, and electrical systems associated with the day-to-day operations and maintenance of water and wastewater systems and facilities. 
• Extensive use of modern office equipment including computer software applications related to the field of work.
• Utilize exceptional customer service and communication skills both verbally and in writing, with the ability to cultivate professional business partnerships and inspire team collaboration.
• Read and interpret blueprints, construction designs and drawings and hydraulic/pneumatic schematics.

The Ideal Candidate

We’re looking for a field level lead who knows the ins and outs of supporting and developing a high functioning team tasked with maintaining the automation and electrical instrumentation functions throughout the agency. We need someone who isn’t afraid of hard work, brings their “A-game” when it comes to supporting a team of professionals but can also elevate service delivery through the development and implementation of process improvements, training, and leadership of a service-focused team.

Providing superior service is one of Western’s top priorities, and we do that by pairing the consistent delivery of safe, reliable drinking water with outstanding customer service. You must be responsive, collaborative, and accountable to our customers and agency partners, which means exemplifying effective oral presentation and communications skills.

Strong organizational skills will be critical to your success, as are the abilities to support, coordinate, and assist leading programs, projects, and a small, agile team. Highly qualified candidates must be able to work effectively both independently and as a collaborative team in support of Western Water’s Operations Priorities.

If you are ready to join a results-oriented, fast-paced team, able to see the bigger picture, have a heightened sense of emotional intelligence, and are aware of automation and electrical services operational needs — we’d love to hear from you.

Individuals within the Senior Operations Technician series can expect to perform complex duties related to power and controls systems in support of District water and wastewater facilities. Seniors utilize their leadership skills to assign, plan, and review the work of team members in partnership with Operations supervisors.

District employees are expected to work overtime, weekends, evenings and holidays as required to accommodate Western Water’s needs, in addition to responding as a Disaster Emergency Service Worker.

Examples of Duties:

The Senior Operations Technician I is the advanced journey-level class in the series. Incumbents within the series assume a high level of complex duties including the use of independent judgment, decision-making, and workload planning, while providing technical and functional direction over department personnel. Incumbents at this level are required to fully understand departmental procedures.

The Senior Operations Technician II is the highest level in the series. Incumbents serve in the capacity of a crew leader. Incumbents perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned within this series, including providing technical and functional direction over department personnel. Employees at this level have or will take extensive leadership training courses in preparation for supervisory responsibilities. 

Selected candidate will be placed into the level of position commensurate with experience. Incumbents within the Senior Operations Technician series report to the Operations Field Supervisor or Manager and provide direction to Operations Technicians I-IV employees.

 ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this classification.

•  Develop schedules and methods to accomplish assignments ensuring department work is completed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Provide feedback on team evaluations, recommending improvements and/or modifications.
• Ensure services comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and strategic direction.
• Develop, implement, and monitor short and long-term plans, goals, and objectives.
• Assist in the development of assigned department operating and capital improvement budgets, in addition, monitor the implementation of adopted budgets.
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of plans, programs, projects, and systems.
• Ensures adherence to safety policies and procedures, while identifying appropriate safety precautions and equipment are utilized.
• Provide and ensure new employees have proper training to perform work for their department.
• Attend meetings to provide updates on productivity, assignments, and planned projects.
• Provide field oversight and technical assistance to assigned department functions.
• Inspect, operate, calibrate, and maintain light/heavy equipment linked to department functions.
• Perform inspections and maintenance of District facilities, equipment, tools, and vehicles.
• Monitor and utilizes the District’s SCADA system as required by department or call team roles.
• Coordination and purchase of department supplies or equipment.
• Utilize and maintain detailed records for use in the Computerized Work Management System, ensures work orders are developed and completed accurately.
• Maintain accurate and legible records for timesheets, workload planning, and related documents in accordance with state and federal laws, regulations, and District policies and procedures.
• Utilize leadership skills with the ability to inspire and influence with a high level of energy, enthusiasm, and creativity coupled with a positive attitude.
• Develop and maintain systems to track and report key performance indicators.
• Ensure the District maintains compliance with all regulatory agencies.
• Call Teams: Contingent upon meeting certification and experience requirements, employees may be assigned to the after hour response team to provide continuous operational services in accordance with the California Municipal Water District Act of 1911.
• Assist with SOP development.
• Must maintain a valid California Driver License.

Automation Services Team:

Working hours and schedules may change with operational need.

The Automation Services team is responsible for the maintenance for all Western Water automation control systems process information networks, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Control System (SCADA) and process control applications. Communication Systems including SCADA, radio telemetry systems, industrial control Ethernet networks, modems, Human Machine Interface, Operator Interface Terminals, fiberoptics, and other communication devices. The department provides timely and cost-effective testing, repair, maintenance, modification and installation of automation services, programmable logic controller or microwave data systems. Senior Operation Technicians are expected to exercise their leadership skills in the areas noted below:

• Perform preventative and predictive maintenance of district Supervisory and Data Acquisition and automation systems.
• Perform a wide variety of advanced journey-level service, tasks to Districts communication systems.
• Generate CWMS reports, conduct staff training, update assets, create templates, schedule routines, and work order flow development.
• Assist with research, writing, and maintaining Process Control (SOPs) for automation control systems program. 
• Prepare detailed reports, summarizing Western Water’s automation maintenance functions including labor, work performed, and materials used.
• Programs and upgrades central SCADA Server Software. 
• Performs design and software programming of the SCADA system.
• Determines communication protocols and provides network and telecom support for SCADA equipment.
• Reviews and develops process and instrumentation diagrams, including Ladder Logic.
• Develops process control logic for instrumentation to support control functions.
• Documents change to programming and process control.
• Programs, designs, and configures Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) 
• Ensures supervisory control and data acquisition system and automatic process control systems are available, secure, and functioning at optimal levels; reviews and responds to hardware, communication, and application failures; manages data recovery activities.
• Coordinates, evaluates, and participates in the maintenance and enhancement of process automation and network functionality; engineers, installs, upgrades, configures, integrates, and maintains process automation and information networks across multiple platforms, including PLCs, SCADA, I/O networks, HMIs, servers, virtual machines, web servers, workstations, printers, and routers.
• Assist with the design, installation, or modification of existing programs in programmable logic controllers as required. Maintain and update SCADA documentation as required. Assignment to Call Team may be required.

Typical Qualifications:

• Know and understand District personnel rules, policies and labor contract provisions with the ability to exercise sound independent judgment within general policy guidelines.
• Perform a variety of manual tasks for extended periods of time.
• Independently oversee and direct crews during after-hour activities and emergency response.
• Utilize exceptional customer service and communication skills both verbally and in writing, with the ability to cultivate professional business partnerships and inspire team collaboration.
• Think creatively and seek alternative solutions in order to produce results that benefit Western Water, its internal and external customers, while clearly articulating options to management and policy makers.
• Use modern office equipment including basic computer software applications, and those related to the field of work.
• Define and explain key processes and business requirements within the department.
• Make effective and engaging oral presentations clearly, logically and persuasively.
• Highly motivated professional who is a self-starter, resourceful and able to work independently with minimum supervision.

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