PURPOSE AND ROLE

This position reports to the Water Resources Director and uses professional experience in utility management, project management, construction administration, and utility operations to assist with daily departmental operations, project coordination, staff oversight, regulatory compliance, emergency response, and long-range planning.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

In association with the Director and other members of the technical staff, the following duties and responsibilities are essential for this position.

Operations Management

•   Provides direct operational oversight for Water Quality, Distribution, Collection, and Wastewater Plant staff, under the direction of the Water Resources Director.

•   Coordinates with the Water Business Office (WBO) on matters involving capacity, customer service issues, service availability, account-related operational impacts, and citizen notifications.

•   Coordinates assessment and inventory of available transmission, distribution, collection, and treatment capacity between the Director, supervisors, plant managers, technical staff, and WBO.

•   Maintains inventory of allocated water and wastewater treatment capacity and reviews capacity availability for new and existing water or wastewater connections.

•   Reviews and approves water and wastewater treatment capacity allocations consistent with County policy, available system capacity, and direction from the Director.

•   Performs quality assurance checks for administrative, WBO, inspection, and field operations functions as needed.

•   Assists water and wastewater plant managers with permitting, compliance coordination, operational updates, and facility planning.

•   Oversees resolution of citizen complaints and citizen notifications, including boil advisories, service interruptions, and inquiries related to water and wastewater infrastructure.

•   Adheres to and ensures adherence to established safety procedures and County Safety Policies and Procedures; oversees use of safety equipment and monitors work environments to help ensure safety of employees and other individuals.

•   Stays current on new rules, regulations, and legislation pertaining to water and sewer operations.

•   Uses operational data, work order history, SCADA information, inspection reports, and field observations to evaluate system performance, identify maintenance needs, and recommend operational improvements.

•   Assists with preparation of data for the annual budget, Capital Improvements Plan, operational planning, and performance reporting.

Project Management:

•   Under the oversight of the Director, assists with planning, design, engineering, construction administration, and closeout associated with County infrastructure projects.

•   Identifies work activities and projects necessary to achieve annual, operational, and program objectives.

•   Assists the Director with long-range planning updates and coordination of capital project priorities.

•   Provides technical information to developers, engineers, and contractors relating to the construction, extension, and connection of water and wastewater facilities.

•   Monitors project progress to help ensure County resources and funds are used efficiently.

•   Coordinates the activities of other County departments, consultants, contractors, and outside agencies as needed to achieve project objectives.

•   Reviews construction plans, specifications, submittals, field reports, and project documentation as needed to support County operations and infrastructure decisions.

Personnel Oversight:

•   Oversees operations personnel, including Water Quality, Distribution, Collection, and Wastewater Plant staff.

•   Prepares annual performance evaluations for assigned staff and provides regular feedback regarding work performance, safety, training, and operational expectations.

•   Administers or makes recommendations for routine personnel matters affecting direct subordinates, including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, assigning, scheduling, granting leave, appraising, and disciplining, consistent with County policies.

•   Coordinates staff coverage, after-hours response, emergency response, and on-call needs with supervisors and the Director.

•   Promotes communication and coordination between field operations, treatment operations, inspection, engineering, and administrative functions.

Other Responsibilities

The candidate will be expected to possess a County mobile telephone and other digital equipment for Departmental use during work hours or on-call hours. The position requires the candidate to operate a County vehicle during performance of work tasks.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Associate degree in Water Resources, Environmental Science, Engineering Technology, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of education.

Experience:

A minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in utility operations, utility management, construction administration, project management, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position is preferred.

Licensure:

Must possess a State of Georgia Water and/or Wastewater Class I License, or be able to obtain the required license within a period determined by the County. Class I Water License is preferred. Candidate must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license.

PERFORMANCE APTITUDES

Data Utilization:  Requires strong knowledge of utility management, buried infrastructure, treatment plant operations, asset management, work order systems, and operational data. Knowledge of the principles and practices of construction contracts and administration is desired.

Human Interaction:  Requires the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with system customers, regulators, engineers, architects, developers, contractors, state and local officials, government employees, and the public.

Equipment and Tools:  Requires skills in the use and application of surveying equipment and instruments, smart devices, computers and associated software, utility locating tools, copiers, scanners, and other standard office and field equipment.

Technology:  Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with GIS, SCADA, work order systems, asset management systems, and utility billing or customer information systems is preferred.

Verbal:  Requires the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.

Functional Reasoning:  Requires the ability to review, understand, and interpret construction plans, specifications, permits, regulations, operational data, and technical reports.

Situational Reasoning:  Requires the ability to exercise independent judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

Physical Ability:  Must be physically able to drive County vehicles during a.m. or p.m. hours, during daylight or after dark. Must be able to lift and carry surveying, utility locating, and field equipment and tools over a minimum distance of one-half mile. For field access, candidate must be able to walk over uneven terrain and access utility easements, rights-of-way, and construction sites. Must be able to lift or exert up to fifty pounds of force.

Sensory Requirements:  Requires the ability to compare or judge the readily observable functional, structural, or compositional characteristics of data, people, or things.

Environmental Factors:  Must be physically able to work indoors in an office environment as well as outdoors in various weather conditions, including inclement weather, with exposure to adverse environmental conditions such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, and traffic hazards. Daily work may require outdoor tasks during the Georgia climate, including summer heat and humidity and winter cold.

Oconee County, Georgia, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.