Wastewater Technician

Opportunity Stanislaus is helping Rizo Lopez Foods, Inc. recruit a Wastewater Technician to join their team! 

The Wastewater Technician controls, monitors, and maintains the equipment and treatment processes in the facility wastewater system in order to remove or neutralize the chemicals, solid materials, and organisms in wastewater so that the water is not polluted when it is returned to the city sewer system.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

1. Comply with company, local, and governmental regulatory requirements related to wastewater management.
2. Understand and operate all equipment/processes related to wastewater treatment.
3. Take samples and monitor storm drains per regulatory requirements related to storm water management.  Report findings to Maintenance Manager.
4. Take samples and monitor wastewater system and record daily readings; treat water accordingly and report discrepancies to Maintenance Manager.
5. Maintain accurate and complete records of operation.
6. Perform routine maintenance, and housekeeping tasks for wastewater and boiler room systems.
7. Operate a forklift to load and unload hazardous chemicals.
8. Responsible for keeping wastewater and surrounding areas clean.
9. Promote improvement efforts in wastewater management.
10. Responsible for hazardous waste and inventory reporting to management and city environmental agency.
11. Assist maintenance technicians performing minor maintenance work as necessary.
12. Assist with outside parts storage as required by management.

Additional Responsibilities

1. May perform additional responsibilities directed from management.
2. Promote and follow Rizo Lopez policies and procedures.
3. Recognize the importance of safety in the workplace, follow safety rules, practice safe work habits, utilize appropriate safety equipment and report unsafe conditions, and incidents to the appropriate administrator.
4. Place a high priority on food safety and sanitation protocols and report observations and improvement opportunities to appropriate leadership promptly.

Knowledge and Skills Requirements

1. Understanding of root cause analysis and corrective/preventative actions.
2. Ability to communicate effectively both in writing and verbally.
3. Skilled in reading, comprehending, interpreting and executing simple instructions, short correspondence and memos.
4. Skilled in writing simple correspondence.
5. Proficient Word and Excel Software skills.
6. Skilled in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing using whole numbers
7. Good autonomy and organizational skills.
8. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
9. Working knowledge of proper waste water pluming methods and techniques.
10. Working knowledge of minor equipment maintenance and repair; skill operating a variety of hand tools.
11. Ability to operate forklift.
12. Ability to work in adverse weather conditions (heat and cold) and odors.
13. Required to work with caustic chemicals to execute some job functions.
14. Required to work day, swing or graveyard shifts.
15. Required to climb ladders and inspect the tops of tanks.

Certification and License

1. Valid forklift certification.
2. A current, valid, and class C driver's license is required; driving record must, for a period of three years immediately preceding employment or any date during employment thereafter, be free of any major violations and no more than three (3) minor violations. (See Drive Acceptability Matrix for details)
3. Grade I California Wastewater Plan Operator Certification or higher preferred.

Education and Experience

1. High school diploma or GED, or equivalent years of experience.
2. Minimum of 1 year related experience in a food production environment.
3. Knowledge of food safety systems.
4. Working knowledge of the principles, practices and procedures of operating wastewater treatment operation preferred.

Work Schedule
The typical work schedule is 8.00 hours per day 5 days per week; exact schedules and shifts are assigned by management.  It is the attendance standard of the employer that employee be present and on time each shift they are scheduled to work.  Full or partial absence during any scheduled shift, arriving late, or leaving early, for whatever reason, may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination or employment.  Time off may be approved if allowed by applicable policies covering illness, injury, or other personal emergency.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit and climb or balance. The employee must regularly lift and/or move objects up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move objects up to 50 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move objects that weigh more than 100 pounds with assistance of pallet jack, forklift or other device. The employee must frequently use computer and other special operating equipment.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment & Conditions

Work is normally performed outside exposed to environmental elements where the temperature varies depending on weather and season.  The employee is frequently exposed to wet or humid conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, outside weather conditions, extreme heat and risk of electrical shock. Employee should read the warning labels for information and instructions.  Rizo Lopez maintains Safety Data Sheets (SDS) as required by law on hazardous products.  SDS’s are kept at the office for review by employees.