Career Opportunity

Stationary Engineer, Wastewater Treatment (Sewage Plant) - City and County of San Francisco (7372) - (U00014)

Recruitment: REF26791H

Published: July 05, 2023

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About:

Amended 6/22/2023 to update the certification rule. Amended 6/21/2023 to reflect changes to the minimum qualifications. Candidates who have already applied do not need to re-apply.

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

•    Application Opening: May 26, 2023
•    Application Filing Deadline: July 7, 2023
•    Annual Salary: $126,698
•    Recruitment ID: CBT-7372-U00014

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

Role description

Under general supervision, during an assigned shift, is responsible for operating and maintaining a wide variety of complex machinery and equipment in a sewage disposal plant or pumping station, following established plant operations, methods and procedures; maintaining and preparing routine plant operations records and reports; and performs related duties as assigned.

Essential duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Makes regular visual, audio, olfactory and tactile inspections and/or manual tests of all wastewater treatment facility machinery and equipment, including auxiliary equipment, in an assigned area or pumping station, maintaining logs and records of required maintenance, completed maintenance, equipment and work order history by taking periodic readings of gauges and meters to ensure that sewage plant is working safely, efficiently and properly; and to provide an accurate record of maintenance, preventive maintenance, equipment, and work order history.
• Performs a variety of manual tasks requiring the handling of equipment exposed to raw sewage; collects and performs simple assessments of raw sewage and chemical samples on prescribed schedule at specific locations by making chemical and physical assessments to assess the efficiency of the treatment processes and to ensure compliance with the NPDES Permit (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, Permit).
• Operates, inspects, maintains, overhauls and makes major and minor repairs to wide variety of pumping, heating, ventilating, process machinery and equipment in a wastewater treatment plant or pumping station, including pumps, bar racks, grit collectors, conveyors and washers, chlorinators, evaporators and storage tanks, sludge collectors, drive units, deodorizing equipment and a wide variety of metering and recording devices to assure the safety and efficiency of equipment and facilities; includes lubricating and greasing machinery and equipment; cleaning and maintaining machinery, equipment and facility to ensure safety and equipment reliability.
• Inspects sewage pipe lines, tanks and gates to check for the condition of equipment, for infiltration and blockage of debris and build-up of mineral deposits, etc., by draining tanks, by monitoring pressure and flow indicators and by visual inspection to determine any problem areas to ensure proper operation.
• Operates, inspects and maintains solids treatment and flocculating chemical systems by monitoring and adjusting flow indicators or controllers, by visual inspection and by analysis of samples to ensure optimum treatment.
• Operates, inspects and maintains disinfection and dechlorination systems by performing tests and analyzing sample to determine proper chemical dosages to ensure that effluent or final discharge meets Regional and State pollution control requirement.
• May assist in training and in supervising work of apprentices or other trainees by oral instruction and hands-on demonstration in the operation and maintenance of sewage treatment processes to ensure competent performance of required skills by apprentices and other trainees.
• Related duties as assigned

Nature of Work: physical effort in the operation, maintenance and repair of wastewater treatment facility machinery and equipment; driving vehicles; working in somewhat dirty, disagreeable and hazardous conditions, including the handling of raw sewage, confined space entry, and entry into tight crawl spaces; requires physical stamina to stand, stoop, lift, bend and climb ladders. May be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays, including work shifts of up to 12 hours.

How to qualify

1. Four years of verifiable journey level Stationary Engineer, Plant Operator and/or Plant Mechanic experience in the operation, maintenance, and repair of a variety of mechanical and electrical pumping, heating, air-conditioning, ventilating, and related plant machinery of wastewater treatment plant; government establishment; hospital; industrial, production, or commercial building; OR

2. Completion of a recognized four-year stationary engineer Apprenticeship Program; OR

3. Graduation from a recognized four-year Maritime Academy with a degree in Engineering or technology; OR

4. Possession of at least a 3rd Assistant Marine Engineer's License of any unrestricted horsepower (experience as an Oiler or Firetender will not be accepted as qualifying); OR

5. Possession of a FAA Airframe or Power Plant Certificate and four years verifiable experience in an Airframe or Powerplant mechanic or maintenance technician capacity that utilizes the certificate; AND

6. Possession of a valid driver's license.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Notes on Qualifying Experience and Education

1. In addition to the above Minimum Qualifications, all positions in the Operations Division at the PUC will require at least a Grade Level I Wastewater Treatment Operator Certificate or an Operator-in-Training Certificate issued by the State of California Water Resources Control Board, https://www.waterboards.ca.gov, upon appointment to a position.
2. If an operator is hired with an OIT (Operator-in-Training) Certificate, upon expiration of the OIT Certificate, the Operator must have a California Grade I Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate; within two (2) years of obtaining a California Grade I Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate, the Operator is required to obtain a California Grade II Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate. If an Operator is hired with a California Grade I Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate, within two (2) years of appointment, the Operator is required to obtain a California Grade II Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate.
3. Employees assigned to positions at the Maintenance Section of the PUC who do not fulfill the requirement in Note 2 above, will be required to obtain a California Water Environment Association Grade I Mechanical Technology Certificate within two (2) years of hire.
4. Failure to meet the requirements set forth in either Note 2 or Note 3 may be the basis for termination or dismissal from employment. 
5. Passing the exam to obtain a California Grade III Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate within six (6) years of appointment is highly encouraged.
6. Upon appointment to employment, and then on an annual basis, employees will be required to pass a State-mandated Respirator Medical Examination and be clean-shaven as required for use, and at least annually for respirator and self-contained breathing apparatus fitting.
7. For Operator positions, candidates are required to obtain six educational points as defined by State of California Water Resources Control Board. For details, please see attached link (Sections: 3685–3687) http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/operator_certification/docs/ocr_clean.pdf

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring:

• Possession of a Grade 1 or higher California Water Treatment Operator Certificate or a Grade 1 or higher California Water Distribution Operator Certificate is desirable for certain positions
• Verifiable experience with drinking water treatment

Verification: Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications. 

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. 

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Selection Procedures: After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following: 

Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (Weight: Qualifying): Candidates will be required to complete a Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) as part of the employment application at a later time. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQ) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

Multiple-Choice Examination (Weight: 100%): Candidates meeting the minimum qualifications will be invited to a multiple-choice exam designed to measure knowledge, skills and/or abilities in job-related areas which may include but are not limited to: knowledge of sewage plant operation requirements, knowledge of maintenance and repair requirements of wastewater treatment facilities, ability to interact effectively, tactfully, and courteously with staff, departmental personnel, external organizations, and the general public, knowledge of safety practices and procedures, communication skills, technical knowledge and skill to conduct bacteriological and chemical tests of various stages of the sewage treatment processes.

This is a standardized examination and, therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review.

A passing score must be achieved on the Multiple-Choice Examination in order to continue in the selection process and be placed on the eligible list. Candidates will be placed on the eligible list in rank order according to their final score.

Candidate scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.

The department may administer additional position-specific selection procedures to make final hiring decisions.

What else should I know?

Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission. 

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of 12 months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights: Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/.]

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Clearance:  Candidates for employment with the San Francisco Airport Commission are required to undergo a criminal history record check, including FBI fingerprints, and Security Threat Assessment in order to determine eligibility for security clearance and may be required to undergo drug/alcohol screening. Per Civil Service Commission Rule Section 110.9.1, every applicant for an examination must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for the examination. Failure to obtain and maintain security clearance may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission.

Customs Clearance:  Positions with the San Francisco Airport Commission require that the incumbent be qualified for unescorted access to the San Francisco International Airport U.S. Customs Security Area. An application for a U.S. Custom Access Seal may be submitted to Customs ONLY after employment has commenced. Employment in this position requires that the incumbent submit an application for, successfully acquire and maintain a Customs Access Seal. Per Civil Service Commission Rule 110.9.1, every applicant must possess and maintain the qualifications required by law and by the examination announcement for this examination. Failure to acquire or maintain customs access, a requirement for this position, may be basis for termination from employment with the Airport Commission. Customs Access Seal requirements and procedures are located in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 19, Part 122, Sections 181 or 189.

Medical Examination: Some departments may require candidates to pass a medical examination to determine his/her ability to perform the essential functions of the job and/or the ability to meet the physical minimum requirements prior to appointment.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Seniority Credit
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.sf.gov and begin the application process. 

•    Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen 

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com). 

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received. 

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Stefanie Lim, at SMLim@sfwater.org or 415-916-6632.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.