Wastewater Maintenance Worker

Salary : $28.85 - $33.42 Hourly

Location : Tacoma, WA

Job Type : Career Service - Full Time

Job Number : 25-00039

Department : Planning and Public Works

Division : PPW WWTP Operations

Opening Date : 01 / 16 / 2025

Closing Date : 1 / 30 / 2025 11 : 00 PM Pacific

Description

Position Summary

Why It's a Great Opportunity : Start your career with Pierce County as a Wastewater Maintenance Worker! YOU are an integral part of the Maintenance & Operations Team performing various maintenance functions across Pierce County. Some of those tasks include flagging, building maintenance, painting, cleaning, landscaping, inventory management, construction work around manholes, concrete work, bagging fertilizer, and driving a forklift. This position has it all - both variety and stability.

Why It's a Great Department : PPW is a diverse and fast-moving department filled with motivated professionals working to ensure Pierce County is positioned to handle growth while building, operating, and maintaining reliable infrastructure to support livable communities. PPW is responsible for a broad and complex portfolio of services that provides unique opportunities to collaborate, innovate, and inspire. We are 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 at

The Sewer division is fun and filled with intelligent, hardworking people. We have high expectations, and they strive to meet them consistently. Everyone takes pride in what they do - meeting customer's needs, protecting our environment and preserving it for our community. As a maintenance worker you will enjoy a regular schedule Monday - Friday 7 : 00 - 3 : 30 with occasional overtime. You can count on Pierce County to provide uniforms, boots, tools and a safe place to work. Both facilities that you would be reporting to in Puyallup and University Place have ample parking, a small workout room, nice size kitchen and break room and convenient location off 512 and South Hill and Chambers Bay.

How to be Successful in the Role : We are looking for people who show up on time, care about the quality of the work you do, like to learn and grow their skills, love a challenge, and have great attention to detail in everything you do. This is a physical job in all kinds of weather, so it takes strength and commitment to be successful. This position requires daily driving of a Pierce County vehicle therefore a SAFE driving record is a must.

Your Future in this Role : Pierce County cares about your career and personal development. After your six-month probationary period is over, if you don't already have it, in compliance with the minimum job qualifications, you will be enrolled in a commercial driving school to get your class A CDL license with Tanker endorsement paid for by the County. You will also become a certified flagger, be trained in First Aid / CPR, and have your forklift certification. You will rotate throughout various locations in the County working and learning at various work sites. Pierce County offers professional development through the Leadership Certification program, robust online learning, and other training opportunities throughout your career to ensure your success. This position has multiple career growth and promotional opportunities in Pierce County to build on a great career. Pierce County offers fantastic full-time benefits including medical, dental, pension, commuter assistance and many of well-being benefits.

Core Daily Responsibilities :

• Perform routine pump station inspections, making repairs.
• Assist in treatment plant cleaning by hosing roto-strainers, weirs, clarifiers, digesters, dumpster areas and walkways.
• Perform routine facility maintenance duties to include but not limited to emergency cleanup, hanging bulletin boards, replacing light bulbs, lamps and lenses.
• Perform duties related to working in the Fertilizer Manufacturing Facility (SoundGRO) including bagging, loading pallets, maintaining inventory, maintain appropriate documentation, operating forklifts, and assisting SoundGRO customers with loading of fertilizer products.
• Maintain regular, predictable, and punctual attendance during regularly scheduled work hours at assigned worksite.
• Perform septic tank cleaning, flushing and related duties to maintain drains, sewers, and culverts; remove debris and other refuse from clogged sewer lines and drains, using specialized equipment.
• Control traffic at work sites by setting up warning signs and flagging to guide traffic through work areas.
• Assist employees of higher classification in the repair and maintenance of sewer lines and pump stations.
• Under supervision, operate heavy and specialized equipment.
• Operate T.V. inspection van to visually locate problem areas in sewer lines.
• Work with chemical grouting equipment.
• Install, replace, or repair sewer lines.
• Lift, carry, or move parts or equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

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

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications :

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.

Supplemental Information

To be considered for this opportunity please :

This is a competitive selection process. Your application will be reviewed and evaluated for the quality and quantity of education / experience in the areas listed. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status normally occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes which may include assessments, phone screen, and interviews.

At Pierce County, diversity, equity, and inclusion means commitment, not a single step. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that supports equitable access to opportunities throughout your career. We want to recruit, develop, and maintain a talented workforce from various backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives, committed to our vision. Employees of the County have local, direct, and visible impact in our diverse community. Will you join us in keeping Pierce County a place people are proud to call home?

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our , and a County Book Club.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of and , , staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Our benefits :

Vacation (Annual Leave)

After approximately six months, employees receive six days of vacation leave.

Since we value your experience, the amount of vacation you can accrue increases the longer you work with us. Vacation accrues on a bi-weekly basis for full-time employees as follows :

Vacation Accruals :

During years 1-3, 12 Days

During years 4-7, 16 Days

During years 8-13, 20 Days

During years 14-18, 23 Days

During years 19, 24 Days

During years 20, 25 Days

During years 21, 26 Days

During years 22, 27 Days

During years 23, 28 Days

During years 24, 29 Days

During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days

A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next.

Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.

Military Leave :

Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.

Holidays :

Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows :

New Year's Day - January 1

Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January

President's Day - Third Monday in February

Memorial Day - Last Monday in May

Juneteenth - June 19

Independence Day - July 4

Labor Day - First Monday in September

Veteran's Day - November 11

Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after

Christmas Day - December 25

Personal Holidays :

Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.

Furlough :

Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.

Sick Leave :

Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.

Insurance Benefits :

Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the website.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation :

Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to enroll in one of many programs DRS offers. For additional information, check out the web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plan. This is a supplemental retirement savings program that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security :

All Pierce County employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The county and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Miscellaneous Benefits :

Please visit website for more information.

Telework / Remote Options :

Some departments allow for telework or work-from-home options dependent on the body of work. Learn more about our telework policy

Salary : $29 - $33