Salary: $74,898.00 - $119,983.00 Annually
Location : Annapolis
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number:Department: Water Treatment Plant
Opening Date: 11/09/2026
Closing Date: 11/30/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Job SummaryPerforms skilled supervisory work in the operation and maintenance of the City of Annapolis Water Supply and Treatment Facility (WSTF) and associated facilities. Work includes performing all duties of plant operators while assisting the Water Plant Superintendent with training new employees, overseeing the preventive maintenance program, scheduling work, and requisitioning supplies.
In the absence of the Water Plant Superintendent, the employee in this class is responsible for the continuing operation of the facility. The incumbent must frequently exercise independent judgment as the Superintendent is not always available. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Water Plant Superintendent.
Essential Job Functions Operations & Plant Inspection- Equipment Monitoring: Inspects plant frequently to make critical inspections of all equipment and makes technical recommendations to subordinate supervisors and others as required.
- Engineering Consultation: Confers with engineers on matters pertaining to recommended changes in the water treatment process.
- Acting Leadership: Directs plant operations and maintains facility continuity in the absence of the Water Plant Superintendent.
Personnel Administration & Training- Shift Scheduling: Prepares shift, vacation, and compensatory leave schedules, posts schedules, approves shift changes and leave requests, and assigns individual/special duties.
- Policy Enforcement: Enforces City, departmental, and plant rules, regulations, procedures, and policies while maintaining discipline among plant personnel.
- Staff Training: Plans and directs a comprehensive training program, establishes classroom procedures to be used in teaching personnel, and teaches classes or assigns instruction to others.
Maintenance, Budgeting & Public Relations- Maintenance Oversight: Supervises preventive and special maintenance work pertaining to buildings, grounds, stationary equipment, and other plant facilities.
- Fiscal Management: Prepares annual budget estimates pertaining to routine and special operational requirements and closely tracks expenditures to ensure efficient operation at reasonable cost.
- Community Engagement: Greets and confers with visitors, escorts visitors through the plant, and explains equipment functions as well as treatment stages and processes.
QualificationsKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities- Treatment Principles: Thorough knowledge of plant operation, maintenance, equipment, and the various processes and stages involved in water treatment.
- Mechanical & Electrical Systems: Considerable knowledge of maintenance requirements and repair methods for electric motors, pumps, and plant equipment; significant knowledge of hydraulics in fluid flow and principles/practices of electricity as a power source.
- Safety & Compliance: Considerable knowledge of hazards and applicable safety precautions in plant operations; thorough knowledge of Maryland State laws regulating water treatment.
- Supervisory Skill: Ability to plan, coordinate, and supervise the work of personnel directly or through subordinate supervisors.
- Technical Problem Solving: Ability to solve routine technical problems requiring knowledge of hydraulics and electricity; ability to perform routine laboratory tests.
- Instruction & Communication: Ability to plan, supervise, and participate in a training program; ability to understand written and oral communications; basic computer skills.
- Interpersonal Relations: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with officials, employees, and the public.
Minimum Qualifications- Education: Graduation from high school (or GED) AND a minimum of an Associate degree from a recognized community college in Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, or Business (supplemented by college-level coursework).
- Experience: Extensive experience in the operation and maintenance of a water plant.
- Equivalency: Any equivalent combination of experience and training providing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Special Qualifications & Requirements- Licensure: Possession of a valid Class "4" Water Treatment Plant Operator's license issued by the State of Maryland.
- Certification: Ability to gain and maintain a Superintendent's Certification as issued by the State of Maryland within six (6) months of hire or promotion.
- Drug Screening: Consent to chemical substance screening consistent with Federal, State, and City guidelines, including random drug/alcohol testing.
Employment Conditions Employment ConditionsPhysical/Mental Demands:- Physical Ability: Strength and agility sufficient to lift and maneuver heavy objects such as chemical bags, chlorine cylinders, heavy tools, and equipment; ability to climb up and down ladders and steps.
- Visual Ability: Sufficient visual capability to operate the plant during both day and night, observe unsafe roadway/plant conditions, and read/write reports and correspondence.
- Auditory & Speaking Ability: Hearing sufficient to understand radio transmissions and phone/in-person conversations; speaking ability sufficient to communicate effectively via radio, phone, or in person.
- Mental Acuity: Freedom from mental disorders that would interfere with the performance of described duties.
Do you currently hold a valid Class "4" Water Treatment Plant Operator's License issued by the State of Maryland?
How long have you held a valid Class "4" Water Treatment Plant Operator's License issued by the State of Maryland?
Rate your professional experience planning, scheduling, and supervising plant staff, including enforcing departmental regulations and overseeing shift schedules.
- Advanced: Extensive experience as a supervisor/lead managing plant shifts, leave approvals, and disciplinary/policy enforcement
- Intermediate: Experience supervising small crews or acting as lead operator in a water facility.
- Limited supervisory experience, primarily assisting senior operators.
- I do not have supervisory experience.
Which statement best reflects your technical knowledge in hydraulics, electrical systems, and preventive maintenance for electric motors and pumps in a water treatment setting?
- Comprehensive: Deep expertise in troubleshooting hydraulic/electrical failures, running lab tests, and managing facility-wide preventive maintenance programs.
- Moderate: Proficient in standard preventive maintenance, basic hydraulics, and routine laboratory testing.
- Basic: Familiar with motor/pump operations, but rely on senior engineers/superintendents for complex electrical or hydraulic troubleshooting.
- None: No technical experience with hydraulics or motor/pump maintenance.
Describe a scenario in which you had to step into a lead or supervisory role during an unexpected operational issue or system disruption at a water treatment plant. How did you diagnose the problem, coordinate personnel, and ensure regulatory standards were maintained?
Detail your experience developing or delivering training programs for water plant operators. How do you ensure entry-level personnel grasp critical safety rules, water chemistry/testing procedures, and Maryland regulatory compliance?
Required Question