Water/Wastewater Operations Manager

This role is eligible for a $10,000 sign-on bonus, subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's sign-on bonus program.

Your Responsibilities as a Water/Wastewater Operations Manager:

The Water/Wastewater Operations Manager will provide day-to-day leadership, technical guidance, and compliance-focused oversight for Apex’s water and wastewater operations and maintenance services. This role will supervise certified and non-certified operations staff serving as circuit riders for municipal, commercial, and private treatment systems, while collaborating with project managers, engineers, clients, and regulatory agencies to support safe, compliant, and efficient system operations.

Responsibilities include:

• Supervise, schedule, coach, and support water and wastewater operations and maintenance staff performing circuit-rider services at multiple client facilities.
• Oversee daily and weekly staffing assignments to ensure proper operator coverage, site visits, sampling, maintenance activities, and emergency response support.
• Travel to client facilities to review water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, lift stations, and related infrastructure.
• Review treatment operations, maintenance activities, process controls, field observations, and operating data with Apex operators, project managers, and engineering staff.
• Serve as, or coordinate with, the assigned operator-in-responsible-charge where required and where properly licensed/certified.
• Direct and review procedures for collecting water and wastewater samples, field measurements, operational readings, and related compliance data.
• Review laboratory analytical data, sampling results, maintenance logs, operator reports, and facility records for completeness, accuracy, and operational significance.
• Support regulatory reporting, permit compliance, and client communication related to water and wastewater system operations.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and help resolve operational, mechanical, process, maintenance, and compliance-related issues at client facilities.
• Recommend operational, maintenance, process-control, and compliance improvements to improve system performance, reliability, safety, and regulatory compliance.
• Support project managers at the local, state, and regional level on water and wastewater projects requiring operations, maintenance, startup, commissioning, or compliance input.
• Collaborate with project managers and engineers to support proposal development, scope definition, project delivery, client meetings, change management, and account coordination.
• Assist with startup and commissioning planning for new or modified water and wastewater treatment facilities, including coordination with contractors, engineers, clients, and operations staff.
• Participate in startup and commissioning activities to help confirm that new equipment, processes, and systems function properly before turnover to operations staff.
• Conduct formal and informal training for Apex staff and client personnel on treatment operations, maintenance practices, sampling, safety, documentation, and troubleshooting.
• Monitor field work for compliance with Apex safety policies, regulatory requirements, client expectations, and standard operating procedures.
• Lead or support safety meetings, tailgate discussions, and field coaching to reinforce safe work practices and continuous improvement.
• Evaluate employee performance, identify training needs, counsel staff on work-related issues, and help employees correct job-skill deficiencies.
• Mentor and develop operators by identifying skill gaps, supporting certification progress, and helping employees improve their technical and professional capabilities.
• Maintain constructive working relationships with operators, project managers, engineers, clients, subcontractors, laboratories, vendors, and regulatory representatives.
• Provide technical consultation and practical operations advice to management, clients, project teams, and field staff on treatment systems, process performance, maintenance needs, and compliance concerns.
• Perform administrative duties related to staff supervision, scheduling, documentation, reporting, training, performance management, and project support.
• Support delivery of operations and maintenance projects for municipal, commercial, and private clients, including client coordination, regulatory reporting support, personnel coordination, subcontractor coordination, and maintenance planning.
• Perform other duties as required.

What we're looking for:

• Prior experience supervising water or wastewater operators, field staff, maintenance staff, or circuit-rider teams preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of water and/or wastewater treatment operations, including treatment processes, pump stations, lift stations, sampling, maintenance, troubleshooting, and regulatory compliance.
• Current high-level water and/or wastewater operator certification with relevant subclasses preferred. Professional Engineer license or other relevant technical credentials may also be considered depending on experience and role responsibilities.
• Experience serving as an operator-in-responsible-charge, lead operator, chief operator, operations supervisor, compliance lead, or similar technical operations role preferred.
• Ability to lead field staff while also providing practical technical direction on treatment operations, process controls, sampling, maintenance, and compliance issues.
• Ability to interpret permits, operating requirements, engineering plans, specifications, process data, laboratory results, maintenance logs, and regulatory correspondence.
• Familiarity with DEP reporting, sampling requirements, compliance documentation, and regulatory expectations for water and wastewater systems.
• Practical knowledge of water sampling, wastewater sampling, pump operation, pump repair, plumbing systems, electrical troubleshooting, controls, mechanical systems, and facility maintenance.
• Ability to troubleshoot operational problems under pressure and recommend effective corrective actions.
• Ability to recognize system deficiencies, maintenance needs, process issues, safety concerns, and potential compliance risks.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues clearly to operators, project managers, engineers, clients, contractors, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and develop operations staff, including certified operators, non-certified operators, and employees working toward certification.
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage schedules, documentation, reporting deadlines, staff assignments, client needs, and multiple facilities at the same time.
• Ability to work collaboratively with project managers and engineering staff while maintaining appropriate technical and compliance standards.
• Comfort working on a variety of treatment technologies across multiple water and wastewater facilities.
• Strong commitment to safety, regulatory compliance, client service, operational reliability, and practical problem-solving.
• Ability to travel to client sites as needed.

Why You'll Love Working for Us

• Company-subsidized medical and dental insurance.
• Company-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurance.
• 401(k) match and tuition assistance.
• Cross-training and opportunities to work on a variety of environmental projects.
• Performance-based bonuses and other incentives.
• Opportunities for continued technical and professional development.
• The opportunity to work alongside some of the best and brightest professionals in the environmental industry.
• Join a 2,000+ employee national firm with 70+ locations across the United States.

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Req ID: 11767