Take the lead in ensuring that every corner of the city is vibrant, safe, and attractive.

The City of Milwaukee invites candidates with a record of proven leadership in water compliance and establishing compliance monitoring programs and a passion for ensuring the safety of public health to apply for this exceptional opportunity.

The Opportunity

The “Fresh Coast City” known for its industry, recreation, arts, education, and revitalized lakefronts and rivers, is seeking its next Water Quality Manager.

The Water Quality Manager will assist in leading an organization recognized as a national leader for providing safe, high-quality drinking water and for water quality monitoring that goes above and beyond the requirements.

The Water Quality Manager leads the Water Quality Section in five principal areas:

1) Laboratory Management: Lead a team of highly skilled and educated professionals in the monitoring of the Utility’s production and delivery of safe drinking water. Ensure that the laboratories comply with Standard Methods and function at optimal performance and efficiency.

2) Regulatory Compliance: Ensures absolute compliance with regulatory requirements and provide insights, comments and recommendations regarding proposed legislative and regulatory matters that may impact MWW.

3) Research: Design, implement and report findings on research projects in the areas of water treatment and distribution systems. Actively participate and monitor research projects with organizations such as the Water Research Foundation and Technical Advisory groups that specialize in drinking water applications.

4) Public Health Protection: Commitment to ensuring the highest level of protection to public health through the objective review of treatment plant and distribution section activities that relate to regulations. Increase the utility’s outreach to and presence in the communities we serve.

5) Emerging Trends: Watch for, follow and respond to trends in water quality, environmental impacts on water resources, laboratory methods and drinking water regulations.

• Master’s Degree in chemistry or environmental studies or related field.
  • IMPORTANT NOTE: To receive credit for college, transcripts are required and must be received by the application period closing date. College transcripts should be attached to your online application. Applications without transcripts attached will be considered incomplete and will be rejected. 
  • Your transcript must be legible and include the following information:  the university or college name, your name, the degree completed (if applicable) and the date the degree was completed.  Student copies are acceptable.
• Five years of experience in laboratory applied science, water quality monitoring and compliance, environmental monitoring and/or program compliance including four years as laboratory manager, supervisor or significant experience as a laboratory lead worker.

Technical knowledge

Knowledge of organization, EPA and DNR rules and regulations to provide, monitor and maintain utility-wide focus on providing healthy, safe, reliable and aesthetically pleasing water that always meets all regulatory requirements; all water phases of water treatment including physical, microbiological and chemical treatment methods; laboratory procedures relating to water testing and treatment, and the health effects of containments and toxic substances in drinking water; emerging contaminants that are likely to be in Milwaukee’s source water and awareness of new developments in the field; and applied research projects in the areas of water treatment and distribution.

Leadership skills

In order to effectively address the technical and legal responsibilities required in this role, a well-qualified candidate will have a demonstrated record of leadership, initiative, and compliance. The candidate will be able to provide operational oversight in the areas of water treatment, regulatory compliance, and staff development.

Communication skills

Political acumen and the ability to work effectively with colleagues, water treatment plant staff, elected officials, contractors, other agencies and the public; superior communication skills; the ability to effectively represent the department in interactions with the public and other agencies; and the ability to collaborate with community groups to gain their support of compliance efforts and initiatives.

Critical thinking skills

The ability to analyze and solve complex problems; strong organizational and planning skills; the ability to instruct employees in analytical methods and testing procedures; ability to design and implement applied research projects; ability to respond to emergency situations in a calm manner and maintain control of the situation; and honesty and integrity.

The current salary range (PR 1JX) for City of Milwaukee residents is $80,442-$112,627, with appointment above the minimum requires approval and is based on qualifications and experience. The non-resident starting salary is $78,468.

THE SELECTION PROCESS will be job related and will consist of one or more of the following: education and experience evaluation; written, oral, or performance tests, or other assessment methods. The Department of Employee Relations reserves the right to call only the most qualified candidates to oral and performance examinations. Oral examinations may include written exercises. Selection process component weights will be determined by further analysis of the job.

INITIAL FILING DATE - The examination will be held as soon as practical after June 17, 2016. Receipt of applications may be discontinued at any time after this date without prior notice.  However, recruitment may continue until the needs of the City have been met. Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time, and place of the examination. Unless otherwise required by law, the City of Milwaukee will not provide alternative test administration. The applicant is responsible for attending all phases of the job selection process at the time and place designated by the City of Milwaukee.

NOTE: The City’s residency requirement set forth in City Charter 5-02 is under litigation. Even though the City is legally able to enforce the current residency requirements based on a recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision, the City has agreed to continue to suspend enforcement of the ordinance until the Wisconsin Supreme Court issues a final decision.  If the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirms the Court of Appeals decision, the City intends to fully enforce the residency requirement for all employees. Consequently, employees who disregard the requirements of the ordinance do so at their own risk. Applicants for City of Milwaukee positions should understand the City’s commitment to its residency requirement. During this period of uncertainty it is important to take that into account when submitting an application and more importantly when deciding to accept an employment offer.  Please contact (414) 286–3751 if you have questions regarding your individual circumstances as part of the application and/or selection process.

Milwaukee Water Works  

The Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) is the publicly owned utility of the City of Milwaukee; policy is set by the Mayor and Common Council. The utility is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for facilities, operations, and water quality; and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, for rates and accounting.  The utility provides water to over 860,000 people in 16 communities in a service area of 196 square miles.  Eleven of the communities are wholesale customers who receive Milwaukee water and operate their own utilities. The others are retail customers who receive full water service, including water quality monitoring, distribution system maintenance, and customer billing.  

The Milwaukee Water Works treats Lake Michigan water with ozone as the primary disinfectant to destroy microorganisms that cause disease, reduce the formation of disinfection byproducts, and remove taste and odor. Particles are removed through coagulation, flocculation, settling, and biologically active filtration. Chlorine is a secondary disinfectant. Fluoride is added to reduce dental cavities. A phosphorous compound is added to control pipe corrosion to prevent lead and copper that may be present in pipes from leaching into the water. Chloramine disinfection maintains a residual in the distribution system. The 1,963 miles of water main in the distribution system carry over 100 million gallons of treated water every day.  

MWW is recognized as a national leader for providing safe, high-quality drinking water, and for water quality monitoring that goes above and beyond requirements.  Over 300 continuous monitors track water quality and process control parameters in the treatment plants and a network of 64 sites in the water distribution system are sampled weekly.  Water quality monitoring and screening activities include organisms and compounds that are not yet regulated but are considered of emerging concern.  The utility tests source and treated drinking water for over 500 contaminants while the EPA requires tests for 91. The monitoring is conducted as a precaution to ensure safe water, to collect baseline data for study, and to meet future regulations.  Data are made available on the utility’s web site. This testing provides customers with added assurance and confidence in Milwaukee water quality and service.  

A Water Quality Laboratory is located within each of the two water treatment plants, one of which is staffed 24/7.  Nine water chemists focus primarily on water treatment process control and water quality data gathering and recording.  Two Water Laboratory Technicians collect samples and provide support.  Three Lead Water Chemists, a Water Microbiologist and a Water Quality Analyst work regulatory issues such as SDWA sample collection, meeting mandatory sampling quotas and special projects.  Benchtop instruments include an ion chromatograph, atomic absorption spectrophotometer (soon to be updated to an ICP-MS), particle counters, UV/Vis spectrophotometers and various other bench meters.  Certain selected regulatory compliance samples and special analyses are sent out to certified laboratories.  Some are done in-house, such as IESWTR turbidity monitoring, Lead and Copper Rule water quality parameters, and Total Coliform Rule Parameters.   For full details on Milwaukee Water Works, please visit our website at:  http://city.milwaukee.gov/water    

About Milwaukee  

Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is an urban hub bursting with energy. Milwaukee provides a casual sophistication – big city appeal without the big-city hassles. We are accessible and affordable, and our residents are welcoming. Milwaukee has evolved through the years, bringing together its unsurpassed old world charm with a breathtaking Art Museum, top-flight arts and cultural attractions, professional sports, lakefront festivals, and great restaurants.    

Reasonable accommodations requested by qualified individuals with disabilities will be made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008.  

The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is an equal opportunity employer

BENEFITS

The City of Milwaukee provides a comprehensive benefit program which includes: Defined Benefit Pension Plan, 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, Health and Dental Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, Group Life Insurance, Tuition Benefits, Paid Vacation, 11 Paid Holidays, Paid Sick Leave and other paid leaves.  

For full details of the benefits offered by the City of Milwaukee, please visit www.city.milwaukee.gov/Benefits2016.  

The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.