Chief Plant Operator - Wastewater Enterprise - SFPUC (0933) (155603)

• Application Opening:Friday, March 28, 2025
• Application Filing Deadline:Friday, May 9,2025, at 11:59 PM (PDT)
• Recruitment ID:PBT-0933-155603/ RTF0155602-01076939

Amended on 4/23/2025: The filing deadline has been extended to May 9, 2025 to broaden the qualified candidate pool. Applicants who have already applied to this recruitment do not need to re-apply.

This is a Position-Based Test conducted in accordance with CSC Rule 111A.

WHO ARE WE?

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

Headquartered in San Francisco, we have 2,300 employees operating across eight counties serving more than 2.7 million customers in the San Francisco Bay Area - 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Our Mission:To provide our customers with high quality, efficient, and reliable water, power, and wastewater services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.

Our Vision:We are an innovative utility leader, recognized for excellent results in service, safety, stewardship, and inclusiveness.

We are an award-winning and industry-leading utilities organization committed to our customers, community interests, and the environment. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website athttps://www.sfpuc.gov.

We are proud of our infrastructure and programs, but most importantly, we value our highly qualified and dedicated workforce which ensures that this vision becomes a reality.

To learn more about working at the SFPUC, visit our career site athttps://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/careers-sfpuc.

About Wastewater Enterprise

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Wastewater Enterprise (WWE) operates and maintains San Francisco's combined sewer system to protect public health and the environment. These services extend across eight urban watersheds, more than 1,000 miles of pipe, 24 miles of transport and storage facilities and benefit every resident and visitor of San Francisco.

WWE operates three all-weather wastewater treatment plants, one wet-weather facility, 28 pump stations, eight transport/storage facilities, and 34 combined sewer discharge structures to treat an estimated 34.6 billion gallons of wastewater in a typical year.

In addition to treating wastewater, WWE also produces biosolids, a nutrient-rich soil-like product used as a synthetic fertilizer-replacement and soil amendment across the Bay Area.

About the Position

Reporting to the Wastewater Operations Division Manager, this 0933 Manager V position will serve as the Chief Plant Operator (CPO) for one or multiple Class IV and V wastewater and water recycling treatment facilities. The CPO is responsible for directing the operational activities of complex wastewater and water recycling treatment facilities, manages compliance within the limits of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) permits among other regulatory standards, acts as the Legally Responsible Official (LRO) and certifies reports and correspondence, and performs technical and administrative work in connection with these responsibilities.

The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to:

1. Supervises, monitors, and evaluates wastewater system operations and maintenance, both physically and through evaluation of operating and laboratory reports, in order to evaluate facilities performance and to determine the need for changes in methods or processes.
2. Manages and supervises subordinates to improve performance, including providing advice and consultation, and coordinating with other divisions to prevent delays in required actions or to improve programs or services.
3. Plans and supervises special research projects and studies; reviews and evaluates results of such projects and studies and their application to system operations.
4. Initiates system conversion and alteration proposals and reviews related engineering plans and specifications.
5. Develops, analyzes, and implements procedures, administrative monitoring practices and controls to improve the wastewater system.
6. Participates in the preparation of system budgets and in the maintenance and analysis of records and preparation of operational reports, including directing the allocation of resources to achieve timely outcomes and measurable goals within budget.
7. Prepares and certifies monthly and annual regulatory filings.
8. Attends meetings to coordinate facilities operations and maintenance with various construction projects; may appear before various groups and entities to provide information about wastewater treatment operations; meets with local, state, and federal officials as necessary.
9. Assists in the identification, development and implementation of departmental goals, objectives, policies, and priorities.
10. Performs the Chief Plant Operator duties as defined by the State of California code of regulations Title 23.

The Chief Plant Operator (0933 Manager V) is required to perform other related duties as assigned.

Nature of work: The Chief Plant Operator will be required to work in an environment with potential exposure to raw sewage, caustic/toxic chemicals and other potential hazards, and be expected to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). May be required to work overtime, nights, weekends, and/or be on-call.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; AND

Experience: Five (5) years of verifiable professional experience as a certified operator in the operation of wastewater treatment plants, of which three (3) years must include supervisory experience; AND

License and Certification:

1. Possession of a current valid California driver's license; AND

2. Possession of current Grade V, Wastewater Treatment Certificate issued by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).

Substitution: Additional qualifying professional experience as described above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. Thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units equal one (1) year.

Note: 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 qualifications requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Verification of Experience and/or Education:

Every application is reviewed to ensure that you meet the minimum qualifications as listed in the job ad. Please review our articles onEmployment Application and Minimum QualificationsandVerification of Experience and/or Educationfor considerations taken when reviewing applications.

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 atHow to 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:

1. Minimum Qualification Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) (Weight: Qualifying):

Candidates will be required to complete a 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.

2. Management Test Battery (MTB) (Weight: 100%)-Candidates who meet the minimum qualications will be invited to participate in a computer-based examination designed to measure competencies in job-related areas which may include but are not limited to:Problem Solving; Leadership; Decision Making; Interpersonal skill; Human Resources Management; Team Building; Communication; Conflict Management and Process Improvement. For more information about this Management Test (and a suggested reading list) please visit:Management Test Battery.

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

Scores attained on the Management Test Battery will be valid and 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to take the Management Test Battery. The Management Test Battery may be used for many other classes; therefore, your test score may be applied to one or more of these classes if you choose to apply to future recruitments. If the selection process for the future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination and it includes the Management Test Battery, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement, However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the Management Test Battery. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which the Management Test Battery is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your retest score would become your official score since it is the most recent.

Note:A passing score must be achieved on the Management Test Battery (MTB)in order to continue in the selection process andbe placed/ranked 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 the final hiring decision.

NOTE:Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

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 ofsix (6) months, and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

To find Departments which use this classification, please seehere.

Certification:The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will beRule of the List.

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. Clerical errors may be corrected by the posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website athere.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 111A.35.1. The standard for the review of such appeals is 'abuse of discretion' or 'no rational basis' for establishing the position description, the minimum qualifications and/or the certification rule. Appeals must include a written statement of the item(s) being contested and the specific reason(s) why the cited item(s) constitute(s) abuse of discretion by the Human Resources Director. Appeals must be submitted directly to the Executive Officer of the Civil Service Commission within five business days of the announcement issuance date.

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 in Promotional Exams
• 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. Visithttps://careers.sf.govand 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 emailthat 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.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Vivian Yeung atVYeung@sfwater.org.

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.