Senior Wastewater Operations Manager

Arcadis•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Arcadis is seeking a highly experienced wastewater operations professional for a leadership role supporting a major municipal wastewater treatment facility in the San Diego region. The Senior Wastewater Operations Manager / Owner's Representative will serve as the primary operational liaison between the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and a third-party private wastewater treatment plant operator. The role is the technical and operational bridge between the facility operator and IBWC, helping ensure that operational performance, regulatory compliance, maintenance activities, and capital improvements are communicated transparently, coordinated effectively, and executed successfully. The position requires a practical, hands-on leader with extensive experience operating and managing municipal wastewater treatment plants and the credibility to engage operators, maintenance personnel, engineers, regulators, contractors, and agency leadership. The manager independently evaluates performance, identifies risks, communicates concerns, and facilitates solutions across treatment processes, staffing, maintenance, safety, compliance, budgeting, asset management, plant reliability, emergency response, and capital improvement planning.

Requirements

Operator certification in one or more states for water and/or wastewater.
At least 10 years of municipal water and/or wastewater operations experience.
A solid understanding of water and/or wastewater process equipment.
Familiarity with distribution or collection system assets.

Nice To Haves

Operator certification for both water and wastewater in one or more states.
Prior leadership or management experience in the operations and maintenance (O&M) of public utility systems.
Experience in asset management, Reliability Centered Maintenance, energy management, and/or emergency response training.
Ability to work effectively in a team, with strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills and excellent ability to build internal and client relationships.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary operational liaison between the wastewater treatment plant operator and IBWC leadership.
Provide independent review and oversight of plant operations, maintenance programs, safety practices, and regulatory compliance activities.
Promote timely, accurate, and transparent communication among the owner, operator, consultants, contractors, and other stakeholders.
Monitor treatment plant performance and evaluate operational effectiveness against contractual, regulatory, and performance requirements.
Review operating reports, compliance data, maintenance activities, staffing levels, process trends, and key performance indicators.
Lead and participate in operational meetings, plant reviews, inspections, audits, and stakeholder discussions.
Evaluate treatment processes, plant reliability, operator practices, maintenance strategies, laboratory functions, and training programs.
Identify operational risks early and recommend practical actions to protect compliance, safety, reliability, and continuity of service.
Support planning and coordination of major maintenance events, shutdowns, startups, commissioning activities, and capital improvement projects.
Prepare executive briefings, technical memoranda, operational assessments, and clear recommendations for agency leadership.
Serve as a trusted advisor on municipal wastewater operations and operational readiness.
Support a culture of safety, accountability, compliance, continuous improvement, and professional collaboration.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
401(k).
Short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), and life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Reward and recognition program.
Optional wellbeing benefits.
Adoption assistance.
Tuition reimbursement.
Nine paid holidays.
15 days of PTO accruing per year.