Experienced Public Safety Telecommunicator

Position Information

This new on-the-job training/work program offers a career path to the highest level of mechanic at the Arlington County's Water Pollution Control Plant.

The Apprenticeship Program Is a Structured, Defined Process For Training, Certifying And Compensating Employees As They Move Through Three Trainee Levels To The Full-performance Wastewater Maintenance Technician (WMT) Position Within Four Years Of Hire Date. The Program Includes The Following

Clearly-defined expectations of accomplishment at each level or termination from employment with the County.

Permanent status with the County only after completing training and certification requirements for full-performance WMT.

Extensive County-paid internal and external training.

A compensation plan based upon the achievement of new skills as recognized through comprehensive testing and certification and demonstrated application of those skills.

The full performance Maintenance Technician is responsible for technical, skilled trades and project management work, installing, maintaining, repairing and overhauling or rebuilding complex industrial systems and equipment in the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) and the Water and Sewer Lift Stations which are operated, maintained and managed within the Department of Environmental Services. The WPCP is a state-of-the-art highly automated advanced wastewater treatment facility capable of treating more than 30-mgd of high quality effluent. Facilities include systems and equipment, such as automated de-watering centrifuges and new influent lift stations that have been integrated with older existing systems and equipment. The person will perform predictive, preventive and corrective maintenance using a variety of diagnostic tools, historical data, blueprints, factory specifications and the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS); analyze system failure or condition to determine root cause or potential for breakdown; evaluate problems or work assignments to determine scope of project, to set priorities, to project resource needs and to plan follow-up activities; lead projects; determine the viability of replacement or repair of parts or equipment; document work and maintain records; coordinate work with other agencies or contractors; assist in the training of staff and monitor work and systems to ensure compliance with Federal, State, and County codes, regulations, standards and mandates.

Selection Criteria

Online applications are required.

Apprentice Level 1: Completion of the requirements for graduation from a standard senior high school or vocational school, a GED certificate, or the equivalent, plus one year of mechanical experience.

Apprentice Level 2: Completion of the requirements for Apprentice Level 1 PLUS one year of experience in wastewater maintenance; CDL tanker endorsed license; forklift certification; first aid and CPR certification; and IMI Wastewater Maintenance Technician I License or equivalent.

Apprentice Level 3: Completion of the requirements for Apprentice Level 2 PLUS one additional year of experience in wastewater maintenance; backflow preventer license; IMI Wastewater Maintenance Technician II License; and plate and pipe welding certification.

Substitution: A year of directly related technical school training beyond the high school level or a college degree in Engineering or a directly related field may be substituted for the one year of general experience requirement.

Qualified applicants may be required to take one of two written assessment/screening exams; either a general mechanical aptitude test, such as the Wiesen Test of Mechanical aptitude or, for those with more extensive mechanical experience, the TPC assessment exam that measures knowledge of wastewater plant maintenance.

A decision on whom to interview and select for the position will be based upon the pool of applicants and a review of aptitude, skills certifications and experience.

It is anticipated that the hire will be made at one of the apprentice levels. The decision of which apprentice level will be based on a match of the experiences, qualifications and certifications of the candidate with the requirements of the Maintenance Technician Training Program. At that time an individualized training program will be developed to last no longer than four years.

Special Requirements

Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment a valid motor vehicle operator’s license from the applicant’s place of residence. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide a copy of the applicant’s official state/district driving record.

Applicant must be eligible for and must obtain (or keep current), a Commercial Drivers License (Class B) with a tanker endorsement within a year of employment.

Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.

Work is performed in an industrial environment and involves exposure to hazardous chemicals, strong odors, drafts, noise, dust, grease, and dirt with extended periods of standing, walking, bending, crouching, lifting light to very heavy objects and equipment.

Applicants must be able to pass a respirator fit test and work in confined spaces.

Additional Information

Work hours are 6:00 am to 2:30 pm Monday through Friday; must be available for holdover and/or callback in emergency situations.

The Wastewater Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Program is a pay pilot within the Arlington County Government. The entire pay range is from $27,770 to $64,305 reflecting entry as a trainee through the top of the career pay scale. Entry pay and pay progression is based on meeting training, certification licensing and experience requirements.

Permanent status with the County is not obtained until completion of training and certification requirements for the full-performance position. All employees in the program must complete all stated requirements within the specified timeframes, or they will be subject to separation from County employment.

Applicants who have questions or need assistance with the application may telephone (703) 228-3500 or visit the Human Resources Department. Our staff will be happy to work with you to enter your application into the system. Public access computers are available at all County Libraries, and in the Human Resources Department.

The examination process for this position may include: (1) training and experience evaluation; (2) written and oral examination; (3) personal interview; (4) performance test/work sample; and/or (5) physical examination.

Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process. Please call the ADA Coordinator at 703-228-3559 (voice) or email [email protected].

Arlington County Government employee benefits depend on whether a position is permanent, the number of hours worked, and the number of months the position is scheduled.

Specific information on benefits and conditions of employment can be found on the Arlington County Human Resources Department website: www.arlingtonva.us/pers.

Permanent, Full-Time Appointments All jobs are permanent, full-time appointments unless otherwise stated in the announcement. The following benefits are available:

Paid Leave: Vacation leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. Leave accrual increases every three years until eight hours of leave are earned biweekly for twelve or more years of service. Sick leave is earned at the rate of four hours biweekly. There are eleven paid holidays each year.

Health and Dental Insurance: Three group health insurance plans are offered - a network open access plan, a point-of-service plan, and a health maintenance organization. A group dental insurance plan is also offered. The County pays a significant portion of the premium for these plans for employees and their dependents. A discount vision plan is provided for eye care needs.

Life Insurance: A group term policy of basic life insurance is provided at no cost to employees. The benefit is one times annual salary. Additional life insurance is available with rates based on the employee's age and smoker/non-smoker status.

Retirement: The County offers three vehicles to help you prepare for retirement: a defined benefit plan, a defined contribution plan (401(a)), and a deferred compensation plan (457). The defined benefit plan provides a monthly retirement benefit based on your final average salary and years of service with the County. You contribute a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to this plan. General employees contribute 4% of pay; uniformed public safety employees contribute 7.5% of pay. Employees become vested in the plan at five years of service. The County also contributes to this plan.

For general employees, the County also contributes 4.2% of pay to a defined contribution plan (401(a)) . The County also matches your 457 contribution, up to $20 per pay period, in this plan. The 457 deferred compensation plan allows you to set aside money on either a pre-tax (457b) or post-tax (457 Roth) basis up to the IRS annual limit. New employees are automatically enrolled with a pre-tax contribution equal to 2% of your base pay.

Other Benefits: The County also offers health, dependent care, and parking flexible spending accounts; long-term care insurance; tuition assistance; transit and walk/bike to work subsidies; a college savings plan; wellness programs; training opportunities; and a variety of other employee benefits.

Permanent, Part-Time Appointments Part time employees who work ten or more hours per week receive paid leave and benefits in proportion to the number of hours worked per week.

Limited Term Appointments Benefits are the same as permanent appointments except that the employees do not achieve permanent status.

Temporary Regular Appointments Temporary regular employees who work 30 hours or more per week are eligible for health, dental, and basic life insurance as described above. They are also eligible for vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.

Temporary Seasonal And Occasional Appointments Temporary employees who work on a seasonal basis or variable hours receive sick leave, but do not normally receive other paid leave or benefits. Exceptions are noted in individual announcements.

01

In order to receive full credit for your answers to these questions, please ensure that you have included details of all relevant work experience on your application. Incomplete information on the application form may be cause for rejection. How much experience do you have as a general mechanic?

• none
• less than one year
• one to three years
• more than three years

02

How much experience do you have in wastewater maintenance?

• none
• less than one year
• one to two years
• two to three years
• more than three years

03

Please briefly describe the wastewater facility where you worked.

04

Check the box that describes your training/certification related to wastewater maintenance.

• no training
• post high school courses (describe below)
• Degree in engineering (describe below)
• TPC training (describe below)
• IMI Wastewater Technician I
• IMI Wastewater Technician II
• Other (describe below)

05

Please describe your training related to wastewater maintenance noted in the above section. If fully described elsewhere in the application please so note.

06

Please check the boxes concerning your driver's license(s): If you are selected for an interview you will be required to present documentation. You do NOT need to attach documents to the application.

• Do not have a driver's license
• basic driver's license
• CDL A or B
• Can get CDL within one year
• CDL with tanker endorsement
• CDL with other endorsements

07

Please check if you have the following certifications/licenses: If you are selected for an interview you will be required to present documentation. You do NOT need to attach documents to the application.

• Forklift
• CPR
• First Aid
• Backflow preventer
• plate welding
• pipe welding
• none of the above
• Required Question