Wastewater Operations Specialist

Letter from Operators Unlimited President, Ben Fields:

Do you thrive in a collaborative environment where what you say and do matters and influences the direction of the business? Do you want to help bring a refreshing approach to wastewater treatment, and help revolutionize the way people think about the industry? If so, Operators Unlimited may be the right place for you.

We are looking for our next team member to join in helping us with our mission of Transformation. We are growing our Operations team and actively looking for a Wastewater Operations Specialist who can help transform our customers and how they treat their waste across the South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia areas! 

The primary Responsibility of this role includes operating a customer treatment plant in Columbia, SC including:

• Responding to our customers and opportunities with Thankfulness
• Working with the Director of Wastewater Operations and other Operations team members to ensure our customers remain compliant
• Focusing on improvements and Growth in every aspect of your position and the business
• Understanding SDS and utilizing appropriate PPE and safety equipment as required
• Understanding the pH scale, calibrating pH meters, and adjusting pH as needed with limited assistance
• Proper records documentation including, but not limited to flow reports, logbooks, rounds sheets, timesheets and mileage
• Understanding basic p/c and/or biological treatment functions including but not limited to pH adjustment, coagulation, flocculation, and clarification
• Operating various treatment processes (DAF, Hydroxide Precipitation, Extended Air, etc..) with assistance
• Basic understanding of discharge permits
• Operating/ understanding chemical feed systems and troubleshooting with assistance
• Using Service Fusion, Acumatica and other systems as required with limited errors
• Act with Agility in responding to customer needs including off shift and weekend hours as required

Are you an A-Player who can answer “yes” to the following? If so, we have a seat for you.

• Do you take pride in doing things in the right way?
• Do you leave things better than when you found them?
• Are you a change-maker? Do you thrive in cultures rooted in trust, constructive and open communication, and teamwork?
• Are you someone who constantly seeks ways to improve your environment, processes, and the experiences of other people? Do you have a growth mindset?

We have a purpose for what we do – our mission is to Transform. We empower instead of micromanage. We strive for personal and professional growth every day. We see mistakes as golden opportunities to improve. We encourage healthy conflict and understand it is vital to make change happen. We believe that we can accomplish more as a team than we can individually, and that is powerful.

We look forward to hearing your story—thank you for your interest in the position of Wastewater Operations Specialist.

Ben Fields

President, Operators Unlimited

About Operators Unlimited

Operators Unlimited was formed in 2001 to offer unsurpassed service to the water and wastewater industry. Located in Upstate South Carolina, Operators Unlimited has worked hard over the years to build a reputation of excellence in the wastewater community. Why?...because we believe in our mission.

Our Purpose

Operators Unlimited exists to glorify God by helping people have a better day.

Our Mission is Transformation

At Operators Unlimited, we clean dirty water with a refreshing approach to wastewater treatment. 

Transformation is why customers need us, people want to work for us, and the community continues to welcome us. By helping companies remove contaminants from water, we protect the lives of others and preserve our shared environment. 

Whether we are purifying water through our products, providing exceptional customer service with our operators, or encouraging the professional development of our team and industry, we strive to transform the environment through the lives we touch.

We are determined to revolutionize the way people think about wastewater treatment. Through our actions, we seek to elevate the impersonal into relational, the replaceable into remarkable, and the transactional into transformative. 

Our Core Values

Act with Agility

Agility is our superpower: we fearlessly embrace challenges, and strive for efficiency without ever sacrificing quality. We push ourselves to exceed the expectations of our customers and to think quickly on our feet. Flexibility is the key to our shared success.

Own your Responsibility
Integrity benefits everyone. Make a mistake? Take ownership and work towards a solution. Foresee a problem? Lean on the team. We trust our people to do the right thing, and value accountability. Above all else, we say what we mean, and do what we say.

Pursue Growth
Growth is more than a goal – it’s a mindset. Whether we are striving to grow professionally or to cultivate our relationships, education, and interests, we know that continual learning and improvement is key to a fulfilled life.

Live with Thankfulness

Gratitude is the fuel that keeps us going each day. Our team thrives when we approach our work with humility—and a mindset to serve others before ourselves. After all, we are here because others put us first. And for that, we are thankful.

Learn more

Are you ready to take part in our mission? Read more about what it takes to be part of our team!

At Operators Unlimited, we equally weigh a person’s potential values and current strengths with their direct experience and track record of success.

Hours:

Monday - Thursday, 5:00am - 3:00pm

Education/Experience:

• A high school diploma required. Bachelor’s degree preferred

• Basic experience in Microsoft Office
• Experience in applicable federal, state, and local wastewater policies and procedures
• Atleast a B Physical/Chemical Wastewater License 

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds
• Must be able to position self to analyze and review equipment by stooping, bending, and kneeling
• Must be able to occasionally ascend/descend ladders and steps to service a plant
• Must be able to walk through large facilities
• Must be able to work in environmental settings

Our ideal Wastewater Operations Specialist candidate will have the following capabilities and skills:

What you OWN

• Running wastewater treatment plants within permit limits
• Communicating with the Director of Wastewater to ensure compliance and improvements
• Working with the OU team to help grow the company

What you need to SUCCEED

• Be Action Oriented: Enjoy working hard; be full of energy for the things you see as challenging, not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning; seize more opportunities than others.
• Be Customer Focused: Be dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; listen intently, get first-hand customer information, and use it for improvements in products and services; act with customers in mind; establish and maintain effective relationships with customers and gain their trust and respect.
• Process Management Be good at figuring out the processes necessary to get things done; know how to organize people and activities; understand how to separate and combine tasks into efficient work flow; know what to measure and how to measure it; recognize opportunities for synergy and integration where others can’t; simplify complex processes; get more out of fewer resources.
• Be a Problem Solver: Use rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; probe all fruitful sources for answers; see hidden problems; be excellent at honest analysis; look beyond the obvious and don’t stop at the first answers.
•  Have Composure: Be cool under pressure; do not become defensive or irritated when times are tough; be considered mature; be counted on to hold things together during tough times; handle stress; don’t be knocked off balance by the unexpected; don’t show frustration when resisted or blocked; be a settling influence in a crisis. Understand the audience and dynamic of each wastewater facility and use effective ways to interact in each facility to provide consistency and calm.
• Have Functional/Technical Skills/Be Detailed: Have the functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the job at a high level of accomplishment. Be thorough in accomplishing a task through concern for all the areas involved, no matter how small and have the ability to see and pay attention to details; have the ability to recognize the components parts of a procedure or object, and to verify the correctness or error in an individual part of procedures

What WINNING looks like

• Living out our core values and core competencies
• High level of organizational and planning skills
• Ability to communicate and interact with people
• Manger your time and schedule with efficiency
• Conscientious personality and attitude
• Passing inspections
• No permit violations
• Achieving your quarterly goals and weekly commitments

Ready to get started? Let’s go!