Wastewater Control Systems Technician

Job DescriptionJob Description

About Us

AlexRenew is one of the most advanced wastewater utilities in the United States, serving over 300,000 customers in Alexandria, VA, and parts of Fairfax County. Each year, our facility processes and treats approximately 13 billion gallons of wastewater received from area homes, schools, and businesses to protect public health and the environment. If you are interested in working for a leader in the wastewater industry, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Control Systems Technician / Wastewater Electrician and Instrumentation position.

What we do and how we do it is driven by our five Goals:

• Operational Excellence: Taking proactive steps to meet current and future challenges.
• Thriving Workforce: Investing in our staff and fostering a culture of belonging.
• Strategic Partnerships: Promoting watershed-level thinking.
• Environmental Sustainability: Being good stewards of our resources to minimize our impact.
• Commitment to the Community: Strengthening connections with the public and providing affordable service.

The Position

The Control Systems Technician will provide expertise in the maintenance and repair of instrumentation, electrical, and control systems for AlexRenew. The work is average difficulty, involving troubleshooting complex problems in instrumentation and control systems, electrical equipment, and networking systems, that must comply with strict regulatory requirements and SOPs. Work under general direction of Maintenance Supervisor. Assignments are of moderate difficulty involving working individually and in a team environment and require considerable initiative and independent judgment in reviewing system designs and recommending changes in plant electrical, instrumentation, and control systems. Designated as emergency personnel and must report to work in order to maintain the continuous operation of the wastewater treatment plant. Responsible for the prevention and/or mitigation of any environmental impact associated with job-related tasks, accidents and emergency situations or conditions.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Read blueprints, wiring diagrams, schematic drawings, and engineering instructions for assembling electronic units, applying knowledge of electronic theory and components.
• Test electronic units, using standard test equipment, and analyze results to evaluate performance and determine the need for adjustment.
• Perform preventative maintenance and calibration of equipment and systems.
• Assemble, test, and maintain circuitry or electronic components according to engineering instructions and/or technical manuals.
• Adjust and replace defective or improperly functioning circuitry and electronic components.
• Maintain system logs and manuals to document testing and operation of equipment.
• Calibrate magnetic flow meters, level, temperature, DO (dissolved oxygen) & pH meters.
• Troubleshoot variable frequency drives and corrects internal problems such as changing IGBTs (integrated gate board transistors), gate driver boards, processor boards, displays, fuses, cooling fans etc.
• Replace magnetic starter, overload block, auxiliary, switches, breakers, CTs and other electrical components within the motor control centers.
• Troubleshoot, maintain, repair and calibrate various microprocessor based electronic equipment.
• Replace PLC (programmable logic controllers) input/output cards, PLC power supplies and adjacent components within field panels as required.
• Upload/Download PLC programs as needed.
• Maintain and repair individual instruments used to monitor and control flow, pressure, level, and temperature in gas and liquid media.
• Calibrate gas detection equipment, change sensors and transmitters, set operating parameters, and make necessary repairs throughout plant and the pumping stations.
• Troubleshoot fire detection equipment and replace components as needed.
• Sets operation parameters on field components such as flow meters, pressure transmitters, temperature transmitters, and ultrasonic level transmitters.
• Maintain, test, and troubleshoot emergency generator, motors, HVAC and lighting equipment.
• Install lighting fixtures, ballast, photocells, timers, relays, surge suppressors, uninterruptible power supplies, and other electrical components as needed.
• Attend all electrical safety courses including lock out/ tag out and arc flash protection.
• Ability to measure and run conduit for new installations and the repair of the old ones.
• Troubleshoot HVAC network problems and SCADA network problems down to the associated field components.
• Review products, specifications, and system designs pertaining to wastewater treatment equipment.
• Perform operability reviews of processes, products, and plant procedures.
• Attend plant expansion and modification meetings.
• Perform major repair and replacement of I&C (instrument and control) and electrical equipment.
• Make recommendations for changes in plant I&C (instrument and control) and electrical systems.
• Provide on-the-job training to other staff as needed.
• Actively promotes safe behaviors and health awareness at all times in the execution of daily tasks.
• Other duties as required.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Key Competencies:

• Accountability
• Communication
• Dependability
• Decision Making
• Initiative
• Safety Awareness
• Teamwork

Education and/or Experience:

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) equivalent required.
• Valid Virginia Journeyman electrical license or ability to obtain with two years of continuous employment required.
• Five (5) years’ experience in wastewater treatment plants or industrial facility; or one year as Control System Technician I at AlexRenew preferred.
• Possess and maintain valid drivers license.
• Knowledge of control system communication platforms such as Allen Bradley PLC 5s, SLC 500 controllers, RS 232, Ethernet, and ControlNet.
• Ability to read technical prints and drawings.
• Ability to perform basic troubleshooting on various types of equipment associated with control systems such as electrical panels, programmable logic controllers I/O, I/O devices, and pneumatic operated equipment.
• Ability to recognize and identify trends in instrumentation and control systems as needed to identify and recommend more efficient and effective replacement equipment.
• Ability to perform and calculate arithmetic and algebra, and apply them to operations.
• Ability to use computer software programs (i.e., MS Outlook, MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, Op10, Avantis, SCADA, CMMS, Intranet, Internet, Rslinx,Rslogic)
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Knowledge of Lighting Management Systems and Building Automations Systems.
• Knowledge of switchgears, transformers, transfer switches, motor control centers.
• Ability to use hand held test equipment (meters, pressure calibrators, current simulators, hand held smart devices).

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee may perform on an occasional to regular basis while performing functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform these functions. A detailed Physical Demands Analysis is available in Human Resources and a copy will be provided to all incumbents in this position. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to walk and stand for nine hours a day. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 40 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 69 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include depth perception, near and far acuity, color and field of vision. The employee would be required to constantly communicate with management and coworkers, and to listen for emergency sirens and alarms.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Environmental conditions necessitate following strict safety guidelines and use of Personal Protective Equipment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee performs work indoors in a climate controlled environment, with outdoor trips between building and some outdoor work required. Some areas of the plant are hot and humid at times.

Disclaimer:

The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

How To Apply

To apply for this position or get more information, click here. AlexRenew employees have access to a comprehensive benefit and compensation plan, we also provide wellness programs to support our employees in balancing a successful career with a healthy lifestyle. Learn more about our full benefits package here.

Full time, 40 hours per week
Fixed schedule, 10 hour work days, 5:00 a.m. til 3:30 p.m.
Two week rotation, first week Monday through Thursday; second week Tuesday through Friday

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