BARSTOW | City of Barstow (CA)
Deputy Director of Wastewater Treatment Plant
Class Spec Code DEPDIRWASTEWTR Established Date 09/01/2026 Last Revised Date 09/01/2026 Salary Range $64.65 - $82.51 Hourly
$5,171.61 -
$6,600.43 Biweekly
$11,205.16 -
$14,300.94 Monthly
$134,461.92 -
$171,611.28 Annually
Bargaining Unit N/A EEO EEO1-
Executive/Senior
Level Officials and
Managers
Occupational N/A FLSA Exempt
Group
Benefit Code 6 Physical Class CITY
PURPOSE STATEMENT
Under administrative direction, plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the City's wastewater utility, including treatment, collection systems, industrial pretreatment, fats, oils and grease control, groundwater monitoring, laboratory services, regulatory compliance, asset management, and capital improvement activities. The Deputy Director provides executive and technical leadership; develops policy, budgets, rates, and long-range plans; represents the City before regulatory agencies and community partners; and provides highly responsible assistance to the Assistant City Manager or designee. The incumbent exercises significant independent judgment and may act for the assigned department head on wastewater matters.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICSThis is an executive-management classification with responsibility for the overall performance and regulatory compliance of the City's wastewater utility. It is distinguished from the Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent by its broader accountability for division-wide strategy, policy, financial planning, intergovernmental relations, capital delivery, organizational performance, and supervision through subordinate managers and supervisors. The classification is at-will and serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority, if designated by City policy or employment agreement.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
Receives direction from: Assistant City Manager, City Manager, or other assigned administrator.
Exercises supervision over: Wastewater managers, superintendents, supervisors, professional, technical, operations, maintenance, laboratory, and administrative staff, directly or through subordinate supervisors.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The following duties are typical of this classification. Incumbents may not perform every duty listed and may perform other related duties to meet City needs and changing business practices.
• Provides executive leadership and direction for wastewater treatment, collection systems, industrial pretreatment, fats, oils and grease control, groundwater monitoring, laboratory services, biosolids management, recycled-water activities, and related utility programs. • Develops and implements division goals, service standards, performance measures, policies, procedures, work plans, and business-continuity strategies consistent with City priorities and regulatory requirements. • Directs, through subordinate managers and supervisors, the selection, training, scheduling, development, evaluation, recognition, and discipline of assigned employees; promotes accountability, succession planning, teamwork, and a strong safety culture.
• Ensures continuous, safe, efficient, and compliant operation of treatment, pumping, collection, control, electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, SCADA, laboratory, and emergency-response systems.
• Serves as the City's senior technical and management resource for wastewater compliance; interprets and implements federal, state, regional, and local requirements, permits, orders, reporting obligations, and enforcement provisions.
• Maintains effective working relationships with the State Water Resources Control Board, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, environmental and public-health agencies, consultants, laboratories, utility partners, and other governmental entities.
• Leads preparation, administration, and monitoring of the division operating and capital budgets; develops expenditure and revenue forecasts; recommends utility rates, connection fees, reserves, cost-recovery methods, and financial strategies.
• Develops and updates master plans, asset-management plans, condition assessments, capital improvement programs, equipment replacement schedules, and long-range facility and capacity plans.
• Directs planning, design, permitting, procurement, construction, and commissioning of wastewater capital projects; administers consultant, construction, maintenance, and professional-services contracts and ensures projects meet scope, schedule, budget, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Prepares and presents staff reports, agenda items, resolutions, technical findings, budget requests, and recommendations to the City Manager, City Council, boards, committees, regulatory agencies, and community groups. • Oversees industrial-user and pretreatment permitting, inspections, monitoring, enforcement, case files, annual audits, sewer unit calculations, connection-fee support, and fats, oils and grease compliance activities. • Directs preparation and quality assurance of operating records, discharge monitoring reports, compliance reports, environmental documents, laboratory data, inventories, work orders, maintenance histories, and regulatory submittals.
• Leads response to sanitary sewer overflows, treatment-process upsets, hazardous conditions, equipment failures, power outages, natural disasters, and other emergencies; ensures timely notification, mitigation, documentation, corrective action, and after-action review. • Evaluates operational trends, energy and chemical use, staffing levels, technology, cybersecurity risks to operational systems, and maintenance performance; implements improvements that enhance reliability, efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.
• Coordinates wastewater activities with Public Works, Community Development, Finance, Human Resources, Risk Management, Information Technology, Police, Fire, legal counsel, developers, businesses, and the public.
• Responds to complex complaints, inquiries, compliance matters, claims, and service issues; explains City requirements and resolves sensitive or controversial matters in a professional and equitable manner. • Monitors legislation, regulations, technical standards, grant and loan opportunities, and industry practices; recommends and implements policy, program, and infrastructure changes.
• May serve as the legally designated Chief Plant Operator when properly certified and formally assigned; otherwise ensures that a qualified Chief Plant Operator is designated and supported in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Acts for the assigned department head on wastewater matters and represents the City at meetings, negotiations, hearings, professional associations, and interagency working groups.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIESKnowledge of:
• Principles and practices of executive leadership, public administration, organizational development, employee supervision, performance management, and labor relations in a municipal environment. • Advanced principles, processes, and equipment used in wastewater treatment, collection systems, pumping, industrial pretreatment, groundwater monitoring, laboratory analysis, biosolids handling, odor control, and recycled-water systems.
• Federal and California laws, regulations, permits, orders, and reporting requirements applicable to wastewater utilities, water quality, environmental protection, workplace safety, public contracting, and records management.
• Utility financial management, rate and fee development, operating and capital budgeting, cost control, procurement, contract administration, grant and loan funding, and long-range financial planning.
• Capital project planning and delivery, engineering plans and specifications, construction methods, asset management, reliability-centered maintenance, and quality-control practices.
• SCADA, instrumentation, process control, electrical and mechanical systems, operational technology, data management, and cybersecurity principles relevant to critical infrastructure.
• Emergency management, sanitary sewer overflow prevention and response, risk management, safety programs, and continuity of operations. • Methods of preparing and presenting clear technical, administrative, financial, and policy reports to decision-makers and the public.
Ability to:
• Lead a complex, highly regulated wastewater utility and translate City policy into measurable operational and capital priorities. • Analyze complex operational, engineering, regulatory, financial, personnel, and community issues; evaluate alternatives; and make sound, defensible recommendations.
• Develop and administer budgets, rates, contracts, capital programs, performance measures, and regulatory compliance systems. • Select, develop, motivate, and evaluate staff; delegate effectively; resolve conflict; and establish clear accountability through subordinate managers and supervisors.
• Read and interpret permits, regulations, laboratory reports, engineering plans, specifications, schematics, technical manuals, contracts, financial information, and operational data.
• Communicate clearly and persuasively in writing and orally with elected officials, executives, employees, labor representatives, regulators, consultants, contractors, businesses, and members of the public. • Build effective relationships with people from diverse cultural, ethnic, professional, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Exercise sound judgment, political awareness, discretion, and integrity in sensitive or emergency situations.
• Use standard office, asset-management, work-order, financial, GIS, reporting, and process-control systems appropriate to the assignment. • Travel between City facilities and respond outside normal business hours when operational or emergency conditions require.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in environmental engineering, civil engineering, chemistry, biology, environmental science, public administration, business administration, wastewater technology, or a closely related field. A master's degree in a related field is desirable.
Experience: Seven (7) years of increasingly responsible professional and supervisory experience in wastewater treatment, collections, utility operations, environmental compliance, or a closely related field, including at least three (3) years in a management capacity with responsibility for personnel, budgets, regulatory compliance, and capital or major maintenance programs. Public- sector utility experience is desirable.
Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis, subject to City approval. The required management experience may not be substituted.
Any combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be qualifying.
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
• Possession of, or ability to obtain and maintain, a valid California driver's license within the time prescribed by the city. A satisfactory driving record is required.
• Possession of a valid Grade IV Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate issued by the California State Water Resources Control Board at appointment.
• Possession of a valid Grade V Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Certificate is highly desirable and may be required when the incumbent is designated as Chief Plant Operator or when required by the facility classification or regulatory permit.
• Possession of a California Water Environment Association Collection System Maintenance Grade Ill certificate or higher is desirable. • Other licenses or certifications may be required based on operational assignment, facility needs, or changes in law or regulation.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
• Work is performed in office, treatment plant, collection system, construction, laboratory, and outdoor environments, with exposure to noise, moving equipment, traffic, chemicals, biological agents, wastewater, dust, odors, uneven terrain, inclement weather, and other conditions associated with wastewater operations.
• Must be able to inspect facilities and construction sites; stand and walk for extended periods; climb stairs and ladders; bend, stoop, reach, and work around operating equipment; and occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must use required personal protective equipment and comply with all safety procedures. Depending on assignment, work may occur near confined spaces; entry is permitted only when trained, authorized, and medically qualified.
• May be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, extended hours, or emergency call-outs and to serve as a disaster-service worker as required by California law.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
• Must maintain licenses and certifications required for the assignment as a condition of continued employment.
• May be subject to background review, medical evaluation, respirator clearance, drug and alcohol testing, and Department of Transportation requirements when applicable to assigned duties and City policy. • This classification specification describes the general nature and level of work and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities or qualifications. Reasonable accommodations will be considered in accordance with applicable law.