Water Quality Laboratory Supervisor at City of Pittsburg, CA

About the Department

Are you passionate about water quality and laboratory excellence?   Join our team of water professionals!!  The City of Pittsburg, CA is seeking a skilled and motivated Water Quality Lab Supervisor to lead our laboratory operations, ensuring that our community receives clean, safe, and compliant water every day.

Under general direction, the Water Quality Lab Supervisor supervises, evaluates, and participates in the daily activities of laboratory staff responsible for water quality operations. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and City regulations, maintains laboratory certification, and upholds high standards of data accuracy and quality.  This critical role is responsible for ensuring water quality standards are met and maintaining the City’s compliance with county, state, and federal regulations governing water production and safety.

Ideal candidates will demonstrate:

• Extensive skills in interpreting and applying state and local laws, rules, and regulations related to water quality testing and standards

• Strong knowledge of laboratory terminology, equipment, materials, and procedures, including fundamental chemistry and biology lab methods

• Experience performing standardized laboratory tests with high precision and accuracy, along with maintaining a clean, sterile, and safe lab environment

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to work under deadlines and handle time-sensitive situations

• Current or previous supervisory or lead experience in a lab setting

• Effective interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across City departments, governmental agencies, community organizations, and the public

• Ability to interpret complex technical data and provide clear recommendations

• Skill in preparing detailed, concise, and accurate reports and written documentation

• Proficiency with computer applications, including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• High ethical standards and professionalism

• Ability to collaborate with internal departments, regulatory agencies, and community stakeholders

• Ability to represent the City effectively in interactions with other agencies and community groups

If you are dedicated to maintaining high standards of water quality and compliance, and you thrive in a collaborative, detail-oriented environment, we encourage you to apply.

Pittsburg Water oversees a citywide collection of water treatment and distribution systems that keep the daily activities of Pittsburg flowing. Our community depends on us to provide safe water services, so you can focus on life’s other priorities.  We partner with our neighboring agencies to ensure that our water supply continues to meet our customers’ needs in conjunction with the local water treatment plant and two wells we manage. Pittsburg Water manages its own local treatment plant where we treat and conduct rigorous testing every four hours to ensure the quality and safety of our water. Every year, we treat, test and deliver almost 3.3 billion gallons of safe water each year, which is enough water for 546 million dishwasher cycles.  

About Pittsburg
The City of Pittsburg is a culturally rich and diverse community of over 76,000 residents and expected to grow to 90,000 in the next 20 years.  Pittsburg is located in the Bay Area Region of Northern California and is perfectly situated for easy access to San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sacramento, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Lake Tahoe.  Pittsburg City Hall is also conveniently located a short walk from the Pittsburg Center Station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), making a commute from cities throughout the Bay Area very easy.  Pittsburg has waterfront homes, a performing arts theater, a variety of seasonal events, an extensive park system, a large public-school system, and a variety of shopping centers.   The recently renovated Marina is also an ideal place to visit and is located within steps of the Old Town shopping district and downtown living, with nearly 600 boat slips, a free public boat launch, fuel dock, café, bait shop, and the Pittsburg Yacht Club. Pittsburg has featured such events as the Seafood and Music Festival, car shows, movies in the park, kayaking, and fishing derbies.  With its commitment to a quality community environment, Pittsburg is an ideal city in which to live, work and recreate.

 
The City of Pittsburg is a full-service city following the council-manager form of government. The City has approximately 300 full time employees and at times, up to 350 employees total (depending on the season).  Pittsburg is currently organized into the following departments: City Management, Community and Economic Development (Building, Economic Development, Code Enforcement, and Planning), Community Services (Housing Authority, Pittsburg Power Company, and the Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency, CDBG/Housing Rehabilitation, Environmental Services, Waterfront Administration, and Property Management), Recreation, Human Resources, Finance, Police, and Public Works (Engineering, Operations/Maintenance, Utilities, Facilities, Parks, and Water Treatment).
  

Position Duties

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Plan, coordinate, prioritize, monitor, review, evaluate, and participate in the work of staff responsible for water quality standards and the City’s compliance with county, state and federal codes and regulations pertaining to water production and quality.   Plan, evaluate and participate in the development and maintenance of policies and procedures including quality manuals, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and other documents for City laboratory compliance; ensure lab work is completed safely, ethically, with high data integrity, within documented procedural compliance and City and regulatory requirements. 
• Develop schedules and methods for performing assigned duties; maintain appropriate work records and documents which may include time sheets and work orders; prepare statistical and/or analytical reports.
• Participate in the selection and training of water lab personnel; assume responsibility for motivating and evaluating assigned personnel; provide necessary lab training and certify employees on lab tests and proper procedures; initiate discipline procedures as is appropriate.
• Direct the preparation and timely submission of a variety of written and electronic correspondences, reports, procedures, and other materials; determine need for special reports; review and analyze reports, sheets, logs, and data on operations as necessary for compliance.
• Supervise and participate in tasks related to the operation of the laboratory, equipment, and related systems; oversee and participate in ordering and storing chemicals, supplies and materials used in the laboratory.
• Perform internal audits of the laboratory, including both technical and quality systems audits; implement and maintain quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) processes; participate in water studies; oversee research in water analyses and recommend changes in methods based on findings; prepare audit reports for internal and external audits; assist in inspections by state and local agencies as necessary.
• Monitor changes in laws, regulations and technology that may affect laboratory or department operations; implement changes to policies and procedures as warranted.
• Respond to and resolve difficult and sensitive inquiries and complaints in an efficient and timely manner; coordinate assigned activities with those of other divisions and outside agencies.
• Perform physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses of raw and portable water; evaluate and interpret test results and establish test priorities.
• May collect and preserve source, water treatment plant, and distribution system water samples; make arrangement with outside laboratories for analyses not routinely performed by the water plant laboratory.
• May set up, calibrate, operate and perform minor maintenance on a variety of laboratory equipment and instruments; arrange for outside services if required.
• Participate in departmental budget preparation and budget administration. 
• Represent the City with dignity, integrity, and the spirit of cooperation in all relations with staff and the public. 
• Foster an environment that embraces integrity, service, inclusion, and collaboration.
• Be an integral team player, which involves flexibility, cooperation, and communication.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Any combination of education, experience, and training that would provide the best qualified candidates. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:

The equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in chemical, environmental, biological sciences, physical sciences, or engineering, with at least twenty-four (24) college semester credit hours in chemistry. A master’s or doctoral degree in one of the above disciplines is desirable.

Experience:

Three (3) years of experience working in an analytical laboratory setting performing water analyses including two (2) years in water treatment or the performance of related work, and one (1) year which is in a lead capacity. 

Special Requirements:

Possession at the time of hire and continued maintenance of a valid class C California driver’s license is required.  

Possession of a Grade II Water Quality Analyst certificate from the American Water Works Association California/Nevada Section is required. 

Other Requirements:

Physically and mentally capable of performing the functions of the job, including but not limited to those summarized in Example of Duties.

Knowledge of:

• Operations, services and activities of a water quality laboratory; principles, practices, methods, requirements and standards for drinking water.
• Principles and practices of chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis as applied to water quality sampling.
• Safety practices and safe work methods.
• Principles and practices of leadership, motivation, team building and conflict resolution; practices of supervision, training and personnel management.
• Standard methods for the examination of water; ethical practices and principles of managing a water quality laboratory; written and electronic reporting formats and requirements for state, local and other federal codes and regulations.
• Basic principles of budget monitoring.
• Modern office practices, methods, and computer equipment including relevant software programs.
• Oral and written communication skills; business English including vocabulary, spelling, and correct grammatical usage and punctuation.
• Principles and practices of excellent customer service.

Ability to:

• Plan, organize, and direct water quality laboratory operations and activities; schedule, supervise train staff; and review activities of assigned staff.
• Safely apply large doses of chemicals and perform test with residual test kits.
• Analyze and interpret laboratory and plant operating data, reach sound conclusions and make appropriate recommendations, prepare justifications and support documentation.
• Understand and carry out oral and written instructions and prioritize workload to meet deadlines.
• Read, write and comprehend the English language at a level necessary for effective job performance exercising correct English usage, vocabulary, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Compile budget requests for the laboratory and coordinate services for laboratory.
• Serve as technical resource to other City departments or contract services on matters related to water quality issues.
• Communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
• Develop laboratory goals, objectives, policies and administrative details.
• Analyze complex research problems, interpret laboratory, and plant operations data, reach sound conclusions, make appropriate recommendations.
• Develop new methods of analysis or adapt existing methods to new or unusual problems.
• Conduct and evaluate process control and laboratory quality assurance programs.
• Monitor and operate computer equipment and related monitoring programs and software in an effective manner.

Other Qualifications

Applications may be submitted online at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pittsburg. The City of Pittsburg utilizes a merit-based selection system. Such a system is competitive and based on broad outreach efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to take part in a process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Although, a resume and cover letter provide helpful added detail in reviewing qualifications, the job application may be rejected if the sections are considered to be incomplete. You will be notified of the next steps in the process via email! In the meantime, Let’s stay in touch through social media. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.   

What Happens Next? 

• We will review your application and all supplemental materials to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process. Screening will include a review of qualifications, application appraisal rating of education, training and experience and relevance of background qualifications related to the target job as well as supplemental questions if applicable.
• Applicants selected to move forward in the process may be asked to participate in any combination of the following (at any phase of the selection process): a written examination, job related exercise, physical test or job simulation, phone interview, in-person or video interview(s), and/or web-based testing.
• All offers of employment are conditional and new hires are subject to complete a pre-employment background screening that will consist of reference checks, livescan/fingerprint check and a civil check.  Some positions require a medical examination, psychological examination, credit check, polygraph, drug testing, and full background investigation depending on the job characteristics.  All new hires are required to show that they are eligible to work in the United States.   All of these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins.
• The final phase of the selection process is the probationary period, which in most cases is twelve months.

Reasonable Accommodations:
The City of Pittsburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws in its employment actions, decisions, policies and practices.
 
The City of Pittsburg Human Resources Department will make reasonable efforts in the selection process to accommodate disabled applicants. Individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation in the process must inform the Human Resources Department by the final filing date.

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