Wastewater Maintenance Specialist, Mechanical - Treatment Plant Program

Why It's a great opportunity: As a mechanical maintenance professional, you will support the maintenance and repair of machinery, equipment and systems at our Industrial wastewater facilities Your efforts will support the Chambers Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Cascadia Wastewater Treatment Plant, and pump stations across the County. This is a great opportunity to work with equipment, systems, and facilities that are relatively new and state of the art. Your work is essential to our customers and keeps Pierce County healthy and clean. 

Why It's a great department: PPW stewards a healthy and vibrant community by collaboratively planning and investing in our people, infrastructure, systems, and policies. PPW’s team has more than 800 members that collaborate, innovate and inspire in performing essential services to the community. The department is responsible for the County road and levee systems, sewer systems, airports, ferries, building permits, environmental review, sustainability, community planning, and code enforcement - just to name a few!

Learn more about Planning and Public Works here. 

How to be successful in the role: Your success will come from performing journey level mechanical maintenance work where you will work daily with your teammates, other trades, maintenance, and operations personnel to complete scheduled tasks, repairs and projects. Honest, concise, and frequent communication is important in building a positive relationship with our stakeholders and customers.  Being a flexible team player, collaborative, and sharing knowledge with others will further ensure your success. 

Your future in this role: This is a great opportunity to be part of an organization that is a leader in the wastewater industry working with a group of professionals who take their work seriously and provide professional products. This position has multiple career growth and promotional opportunities in Pierce County to build on a great career. 

Core daily responsibilities:

• Perform regular checks on various machinery throughout the plant or collection system. Checks oil levels, conveyor belts for proper tension, drive belts for wear and cracks, chain drive links, sheaves and sprocket integrity and checks bearings for proper lubrication. Cleans gear boxes and where required, change oil filters. 
• Perform safety checks on overhead cranes, cable collectors, railways and drum integrity. Removes or replaces work parts as required. 
• Perform maintenance and ensures safety checks on various portable equipment such as emergency generators, compressors, and hydraulic pumping units. 
• Prepare and initiate necessary work orders; schedule maintenance on a periodic basis; and write reports and purchase orders for parts and equipment. 
• Initiate major overhaul of all types of pumps, meters, compressors, motors, gear boxes, chlorinators and major valve assemblies. 
• Maintain and repair boilers by cleaning fire sides and linings; inspect safety equipment and related equipment to ensure proper operation. 
• Uses gas, electric and heliarc welding systems, as needed, to cut, heat, braze or weld in the repair, construction or modification of plant equipment and systems. 
• Perform fabrication work assignments to include milling, grinding and machining work. 
• Review plan specifications, drawings and sketches of plant and/or sewer collections equipment or machinery.

A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found here.

• A combination of education/experience which clearly demonstrates ability to perform the duties of this classification may be substituted for education and formal training. 
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in the maintenance and repair of mechanical, pumping, or collection system is required. 
• High school diploma or GED, and two years of apprenticeship training from a recognized vocational technical school or training program. 
• A resume is required for this position. 

Special qualifications:

• Must have a valid Washington State Driver’s License. 
• Within the first twelve months, individuals must have the ability to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class “A” (Tank Vehicle) endorsement and Wastewater Collections Specialist Certification. 
• Forklift Operation Certification, First Aid/CPR Training, Confined Space, and Electrical Safety Training and Traffic Control Certification is required within the first six months of employment. 

Prefered qualificaitons:

• Wastewater Collections or Water Distribution Wastewater Operator 1 Certification, Water Distribution Certification, Washington State Herbicide Chemical Application License, NASSCO Pipeline Assembly Certification, Water Backflow Assembly or Electrical License (EL07) Certification are desired.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

To be considered for this opportunity please:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting “APPLY” above or visiting www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs.
• If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at [email protected] and include the job number and title.
• Individuals who need accommodation in the application or interview process may contact Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.

Our Recruitment Practices: This is a competitive and meritorious selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the position. Pierce County understands applicants may use AI tools when preparing application materials. We recognize these tools can make the process easier; however, we ask that everything you submit genuinely reflects your own experience, skills, knowledge, and writing style.

During the interview process, you may be asked to demonstrate your skills, including writing and subject knowledge, and to speak to your experience in your own voice. Applicants should be prepared to respond to interview questions without relying on AI-generated responses or reading prepared answers from a screen. Any misrepresentation may result in disqualification or separation.

Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County’s needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews.

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.

Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment: Pierce County is committed to fostering a Welcoming Workplace where employees are supported, respected, and able to thrive. We believe a strong public workforce is representative of the community it serves and that fair and just access to opportunity strengthens public service.

Guided by the County Executive’s Forward Together mission, Pierce County works to build communities that are safe, welcoming, and connected. This same commitment shapes how we recruit, develop, and retain our employees. County employees make a direct and visible impact in the lives of residents every day, and we invite you to join us in helping keep Pierce County a place people are proud to call home.