Lead Plant Operator

City of Loveland•Loveland, CO

10h•$42 - $61

About The Position

The Lead Water Treatment Operator performs technical functions required for the overall operations of the water treatment plant and provides leadership and direction for the plant operations and maintenance. Responsible for all technical operations of the water treatment plant to meet required and established levels of service. This position is a full-time position typically working four 10-hour shifts of Sunday - Wednesday; or Wednesday - Saturday. The salary range for this position is $41.94 - $60.82 per hour with a hiring range of $41.94 - $51.38 , depending on qualifications and experience. This opportunity will be available to applicants until Friday January 23, 2026, 12:00 P.M. M.S.T. A current resume is required, and a cover letter is preferred. Please view our video Working at Loveland to learn more about our exceptional Loveland community and the benefits of working for the City.

Requirements

High School or GED
7 Years of water operation experience.
"A" Certification in Water Treatment from the State of Colorado.
Valid US driver's license.
Computer skills - SCADA, trends, graphs, outlook, data, work orders, WIMS.
Mechanical skills - Highly knowledgeable and understanding of equipment, unit processes, and theories involved in the operation of a water treatment facility.
Knowledge and practical understanding of mathematics.
Considerable knowledge and understanding of equipment, unit processes, procedures, and theories involved in the operation of a water treatment facility.
Laboratory skills - all day-to-day lab testing, accurately record results.
Mentoring and training of new employees.
Foundational knowledge of treatment, basic chemistry, math and data analysis.
Prepare accurate records.
Data Interpretation.
Responsive to process and employee problems in a timely manner.
Safety driven.
Light to moderate physical effort that includes frequent standing or walking or maintaining arms and hands in the same position for repetitive tasks.
Frequently works with light objects and light hand tools.
Incumbent is subject to call-back work and must be capable of responding to emergency situations upon short notice.
Mandatory duty rotation will include after-hour, and weekend work and incumbent must be able to make competent decisions while on duty.
May be required to be available by cellular phone 7 days a week.
Incumbent must be able to respond within 45-minutes to the water treatment plant at 3152 N County Rd 29 when called.

Nice To Haves

3 Years "A" Certified operator experience.
1 Year experience as a Lead Operator.

Responsibilities

Maintain the position of ORC (Operator In Responsible Charge) for the WTP facility.
Oversee that all State and EPA regulations and permits are in compliance in regard to the Water Treatment Plant.
Manage parameters, flows and equipment.
React to impending process problems in a timely and proper manner.
Ensure all testing and sampling schedules are accomplished with accepted techniques and at scheduled times and interprets test results.
Provide training and assists other operators with observation and interpretation of gauge, meter and control panel readings and test results.
Generate reports on energy usage, pending emergency conditions and other subjects.
Keep all records of parameters and results up to date and orderly.
Monitor operational changes, observations and completed jobs daily.
Order and maintain chemical inventories.
Verify safe, efficient and effective operations.
Responsible for scheduling of work hours and vacation leave to ensure adequate plant coverage and operations.
Establish treatment goals and parameters and ensures all members of operations team have good understanding of efforts towards meeting these goals.
Work closely with Water Treatment Manager and Tech Services in implementing all repairs, replacements, upgrades, and preventative maintenance activities for all equipment at the plant.
Submit forms to CDPHE.
Schedule plant and plant processes shutdowns and cleaning of plant processes.
Handle emergency and after-hours calls.
Required to be available by cellular phone 7 days a week for On-Call.
Must be able to respond within 45 minutes to the Water Treatment Plant.
Works with Treatment Manager for performing annual performance reviews for staff.
Works with Treatment Manager to improve treatment operations including risk analysis and mitigation.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Two (2) Medical plans, Dental, Vision (for self/ spouse/ children)
A Dedicated, exclusive Employee Health and Wellness Center
Discounted Chilson Center passes
Paid vacation, holidays, floating holidays, and medical leave
Flexible spending including Dependent Care
Life Insurance, AD&D, Short-term and Long-term disability, and voluntary Critical Illness Coverage
Retirement 401a, 457, Roth (pre-& post tax) and company match
A Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program
Voluntary 529 College Invest program
Tuition Reimbursement
Employee Referral Program
Personal and Professional Development opportunities
Employee Recognition Program
Exceptional work-life balance
Market based pay & regular performance reviews
Local Government employment is eligible for Public Loan Forgiveness Program
Continuous Floating Holiday