Treatment Plant Operator - Water & Wastewater

Southern Downs Regional Council – A Great Place to Work

What we do at SDRC is more than just a job to us. Whether it’s maintaining our clean water supply, keeping our parks and gardens beautiful, servicing our plant and vehicles, providing contemporary library services, responding to natural disasters or showcasing our region’s immense natural beauty and economic strength, every Council employee strives to make a real difference for our local community.

Few employers combine so many diverse disciplines (eg engineers, childcare workers, trades such as mechanics and plumbers, safety specialists, project managers, plant operators, finance experts, IT specialists and urban planners to name a few) in one organisation. At SDRC, we work together towards the same goal. By integrating a multi-disciplined workplace with collective ideas and skillsets, we provide unique opportunities for our people to develop and grow within their chosen career.

We are passionate about aligning business, community and government to achieve social, economic and environmental outcomes. We believe this is best realised when people are invested in the long-term outcomes of where they live and work. If this sounds like you too, then working in local government at SDRC may be right for you.

Our Values

SDRC recognises our people as our strength, and our five values guide how we work with each other, our actions, our decision making and how we serve our community.  Our values bring us all together and contribute to our employees having a meaningful and rewarding career, with opportunities to grow and thrive. To learn more about Council's Values, please click on the link in the "Further Information" section of this advertisement, or visit our website.

Job Description

About the Department

The Water Department works within the Infrastructure Directorate and reports directly to the Director Infrastructure with the directive to deliver on the water and wastewater obligations of Council, whilst providing a high level of customer service to the community.

Council’s Water Team delivers the essential services of water and wastewater (sewerage) to the Southern Downs community.  Water services starts at the source including the treatment and pumping of water, maintaining the network and providing water metering services. 

Wastewater services start with the property connection and includes maintaining the sewer network, managing pump stations and delivering wastewater treatment services at facilities across the region.

Your Opportunity

A great opportunity awaits you! Located in either Warwick or Stanthorpe in a permanent full-time capacity, our treatment plant operators provide an essential service to our community in the operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment plants.

Term:                         Permanent Full-time 

Hours of Work:         76  hours per fortnight

Pay Level:                 $2,498.22 - $2,571.33 per fortnight (Level 8-9), plus superannuation and annual leave loading.

In accordance with Council's Enterprise Agreement and the relevant Award. Pay rate dependent on relevant position (see vacancies below):

Vacancies:  

Primary Treatment Plant Operator - Wastewater focus - Warwick Based - Level 9
Senior Treatment Plant Operator - Water & Wastewater focus - Warwick Based - Level 9
Treatment Plant Operator - Water focus - Stanthorpe Based - Level 8
Treatment Plant Operator - Wastewater focus - Warwick Based - Level 8

Other Information:   You will be asked to nominate your preference of location and Water/Wastewater when completing your application. 

What You Will Do

For full details of this position, please ensure you download the Position Description below.

(Note: For applicants viewing this job vacancy through SEEK.com, you will be able to access the Position Description by clicking on the "Apply" button, or by visiting the job advertisement on our website at www.https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies).

The complete Key Responsibilities of this role can be found in the Position Description. These include (but are not limited to):  

• Work with the primary treatment plant operator and operate and maintain the treatment plants, reservoirs, recycled water assets and pump stations.
• Respond promptly to operational changes to ensure the plant is operating as intended to maintain regulatory compliance and keep the relevant supervisor informed of any changes and actions taken.
• Ensure that processing is frequently monitored, chemicals and dosing are maintained to required levels, and treatment equipment is appropriately adjusted.
• Carry out scheduled and reactionary testing, recording and reporting.
• Interpret data and act promptly to maintain process control.
• Promptly initiate repairs and adjustments and where required call for assistance from contractors or the Workshop and follow p to ensure timely completion.
• Keep the relevant Supervisor informed of deviations from normal processing and actions taken to correct them.
• Promptly inform the Supervisor of changes in treatment which may affect the quality of the output.

What We Offer

At Southern Downs Regional Council, we know that that our people are our strength. With this front of mind, we provide a wide range of benefits and a holistic approach to supporting our employees, including:

• Competitive wages, conditions and allowances
• Improved work-life balance opportunities, such as a 9-day work fortnight and consideration of other flexible work options
• Generous leave provisions and annual leave loading
• Access to a wide range of health and wellness initiatives, including comprehensive, professional and free Employee Assistance Program for staff and their families (24/7 access)
• Opportunities for on and off the job personal and professional development

To view comprehensive details of our employee value offering, please click HERE. (Note: For applicants viewing this job vacancy through SEEK.com, you will be able to access this link once by clicking on the "Apply" button, or by visiting the job advertisement on our website at www.https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies)

Desired Skills and Experience

What You Will Need

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Preparedness to work 24 hour on call on a rotational basis, weekends and flexible hours.
• Knowledge of workplace health and safety considerations relevant to the role and how to limit risks in the environment where this role operates.
• Demonstrated experience in operation, maintenance and replacement/refurbishment of water and sewage treatment plants, water reservoirs, recycled water assets, and pump stations.
• Sound literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills with the ability to undertake calculations, recording and prepare reports.
• Strong observation skills with proven ability to detect changes in water and sewage quality or processing and promptly adjust and correct.

Further Information

For further information about this role and working for Southern Downs Regional Council, please refer to the documents below:

(Note: where viewing this advertisement on SEEK.com, the links to information below will only be available once you click on the "Apply" button. Alternatively, you can access them via the job advertisement on our website at https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies).

• Position Description
• Join Southern Downs Regional Council (detailed employment information, including employee benefits)
• Our Values 
• Living on the Southern Downs

If you have any additional enquiries in relation to this position, please contact Stewart Mitchell, Acting Water & Wastewater Treatment Coordinator on 07 4661 6218  

Apply Now!

At SDRC, we believe that diversity enriches our workplace, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes. We welcome applications from qualified people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and abilities, who have applicable working rights in Australia. 

To apply for this opportunity, you will be asked to complete an online application form and provide: 

• Your current CV or Resume.

When you are ready to begin your application, please click on the "Apply" button below to be taken to our online application portal. Please ensure you provide all of the information requested and that your application is lodged by the closing date (as shown above). Should you have any difficulty lodging your application online, please contact our People & Culture team on ph 1300 697 372 for assistance. 

We look forward to receiving your application.

Pre-Employment Check Information

As part of our recruitment process, external preferred candidates will be required to undertake pre-employment checks in most instances, including:

• Right to work in Australia check
• National Criminal History Check
• Pathology drug and alcohol screening
• Reference Checks - we will request that preferred candidates nominate two referees who have knowledge of their capabilities, work performance and conduct within the previous two years (where possible). It is preferable to include current, immediate or past supervisors. 

Preferred candidates may also be subject to further checks prior to appointment, such as a functional capacity/fitness for work assessment, a formal qualifications check, Blue Card Working with Children Check, licence disqualification/traffic history checks and/or any other check that is reasonably required by SDRC to assess the candidate's ability to perform the inherent requirements of the role.