Wastewater Plant Superintendent

City of Burlington, NC

$67K — $107K *
Energy & Utilities
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • High school diploma or GED; 5-7 years of operational experience in a municipal wastewater treatment plant, including supervisory roles.
  • Valid North Carolina Driver's License.
  • Grade IV Wastewater Operator Certification.
  • Basic First Aid and CPR certification.
  • Extensive understanding of wastewater treatment principles, practices, and regulations.

Responsibilities

  • Supervise operations and maintenance of wastewater treatment plant.
  • Ensure compliance with NPDES regulations and operational permits.
  • Select, train, and manage staff activities for efficient plant operations.
  • Establish and update operational procedures; determine equipment operation steps.
  • Analyze plant performance and adjust processes as necessary.
  • Prepare comprehensive technical reports on plant operations and performance.
  • Develop a 5-year capital improvement plan and budget management.

Benefits

  • Paid vacation and sick leave.
  • Paid holidays for major national and state holidays.
  • Enrollment in the North Carolina State Retirement System.
  • Health and dental insurance for employee and eligible dependents.
  • Voluntary enrollment in a Flexible Spending Plan.
Full Job Description
Salary: $67,017.60 - $107,224.00 Annually
Location : East Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant, 225 Stone Quarry Rd., Haw River, NC
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number:
Department: Water Resources
Division: East Burlington WW Treatment Plant
Opening Date: 06/22/2026
Closing Date: 7/13/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Job Description
Ready to Lead? Become South Burlington's Next Wastewater Plant Superintendent

What you will do:
The employee in this role supervises the operations and maintenance of a wastewater treatment plant, focusing on equipment maintenance, process operations, and personnel management. Key responsibilities include selecting and training staff, managing public relations, collaborating with vendors, developing maintenance and replacement plans for equipment, and completing required reports for the City and state. The employee also makes operational decisions based on issues raised by wastewater plant operators, ensuring the smooth and compliant functioning of the plant.
Examples of Duties

  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensures the plant operates within NPDES regulations, maintaining compliance with the operating permit.
  • Team Supervision & Training: Supervises, trains, and plans for staff activities, ensuring efficient plant operations.
  • Operational Procedures: Establishes and updates plant operating procedures; determines equipment operation steps and tests new equipment.
  • Performance Monitoring: Analyzes plant performance, maintenance needs, and lab results, adjusting processes as necessary.
  • Technical Reporting: Prepares comprehensive technical reports detailing plant operations and performance.
  • Safety & Compliance: Ensures all operations adhere to OSHA and other relevant safety standards.
  • Budget & Planning: Develops a 5-year capital improvement plan, forecasts necessary funds, and manages staffing, equipment, and supply budgets.
  • Plant Inspections & Tours: Regularly inspects plant equipment and facilities, ensuring optimal function and efficiency; conducts plant tours to explain operations.
  • Inventory & Supply Management: Maintains chemical and supply inventory, monitors equipment lifespan, and orders necessary materials.
  • Staff Management: Oversees hiring, performance evaluations, timekeeping, and training for division staff.
  • Regulatory Reports: Completes and submits accurate regulatory reports within deadlines.
  • Safety Engagement: Actively participates in Department Safety Meetings and ensures safety standards are met.
  • Additional Duties: Performs other related tasks as required.

Qualifications

Knowledge & Skills in Wastewater Treatment:
  • Principles & Practices: Extensive understanding of the principles, practices, tools, and equipment used in wastewater treatment plant operations.
  • Plant Operations: In-depth knowledge of the operating characteristics, maintenance needs, and troubleshooting of wastewater treatment plant systems.
  • Engineering & Science: Proficient in hydraulic, chemical, and mechanical principles vital to effective wastewater treatment processes.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Comprehensive understanding of state and federal regulations governing sludge handling, effluent quality, discharge, and solids management.
  • Safety & Hazard Management: Well-versed in the occupational hazards specific to wastewater treatment, along with the essential safety measures to ensure a safe working environment.
  • Operational Expertise: Skilled in operating and maintaining all necessary plant equipment with efficiency.
  • Lab Testing & Analysis: Proven ability to conduct required laboratory tests for wastewater quality control and process optimization.
  • Facility Participation: Required participation on the facility Change Team for Process Safety Management (PSM) facilities to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.
Minimum Qualifications:
  • High School or GED equivalency, 5 - 7 years of extensive work experience operating a municipal wastewater treatment plant, prior supervisory experience, orequivalent combination of education, training and experience.
  • Valid North Carolina Driver's License
  • Grade IV Wastewater Operator Certification
  • Basic First Aid and CPR

Supplemental Information

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:
  • Work in this class is described as medium and frequently requires physical exertion to complete tasks and move objects.
  • Work typically involves the ability to physically perform the basic life operational functions of climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, walking, pushing, pulling, fingering, grasping, and feeling.
  • Employee must have the visual acuity to operate equipment such as trucks, forklifts, cranes, and other equipment.
  • Employee is subject to hazards, including a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, exposure to chemicals, oils, noise, and atmospheric conditions and is required to wear a respirator when needed.
  • The employee is subject to both inside and outside environmental conditions.
FLSA Status: Exempt
Inclement Weather Classification: Essential

This job description in no way implies that the duties listed are the only ones the employee may be required to perform.
Benefits for full-time employees of the City of Burlington (with the exception of full-time sworn police officers) are as follows:
  • Paid vacation and sick leave
  • Ability to transfer North Carolina local government earned sick leave.
  • Paid holidays for New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
  • Enrollment in the Local Government branch of the North Carolina State Retirement System
  • Enrollment in Empower 401k
  • Health and dental insurance coverage for employee and children; spouses may be added to the policy if they are not offered coverage at their own place of employment
  • Voluntary enrollment in a Flexible Spending Plan
  • Life insurance
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Other voluntary insurances and deferred compensation plans

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