The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission seeks a Laboratory Technician for its water treatment plant in Westfield, MA.  The Lab Technician will join a team of seven lab staff who perform a variety of standardized physical, biological and chemical tests on water samples to ensure compliance with accepted Springfield Water and Sewer Commission standards and specifications as well as state and federal regulations.  The water treatment plant operates 24 hours / 7 days.  Lab Techs work five consecutive 8-hour days per week.  The typical workday is 7:00-3:30 which consists of an 8 hour work day and a 30 minute lunch.  The position does require overtime during emergencies.  This position is unionized, and the pay and benefits are in accordance with the union contract, including shift differentials for second shift, third shift, and weekend shifts.  Base hiring rate (without differentials) is $32.81.

About Springfield Water and Sewer Commission:

For information on our current capital projects please watch this video and this video.

SWSC was established in 1996 as an independently operated and managed regional water and wastewater utility that provides retail and wholesale water and sewer service to approximately 250,000 customers across multiple communities in the lower Pioneer Valley. The SWSC has approximately 250 employees that operate and maintain a system of one thousand miles of water and sewer pipe, treatment plants, reservoirs, watershed land, dams, and other critically import infrastructure that serves the public.   

SWSC’s mission is to provide an uninterrupted, high-quality supply of water to our customers, to collect and treat wastewater, and return clean water to the environment.  

While fulfilling our mission we strive to:

• Conserve and protect our reliable, high-quality water supply for present and future generations

• Meet or surpass public health standards for drinking water

• Act of stewards of the environment and manage our lands responsibly

• Develop and promote a skilled, safe, and professional workforce

For information about SWSC's current projects, please visit https://waterandsewer.org/projects/

Essential duties of the Lab Technician include but are not limited to:

• Collects, transports and analyzes water samples in accordance with strict laboratory analytical and quality control procedures.  

• Performs a variety of chemical, bacteriological, and physical tests used to determine and control the quality of water produced by the Commission’s water system. Must adhere to all required Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) procedures from samples, blanks and unknowns with precision and accuracy.
• Must be able to demonstrate proficiency by successfully completing analysis on unknown samples for routine and annual performance evaluations.
• Duties may also include interaction with customers and distribution operators of the water system when collecting and analyzing samples for customer service.
• Performs related work as required.
• Prepares standard solutions or reagents and bacteriological media.
• Records results of laboratory analyses according to strict laboratory documentation and record-keeping requirements.  This includes results of quality assurance/quality control samples and analyses.
• The successful candidate will have considerable knowledge of the principles, procedures, practices, methods and techniques of sample collection and laboratory analyses including lab safety.   

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• The successful candidate will be required within two years to obtain a water treatment plant 1T or 2T certification and 1D or 2D from the Massachusetts Board of Certification of Operators of Water Treatment. 
• Must possess and maintain a current State Driver’s License.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• Must have a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or Biology or a closely related fields.

Additional information about the obtaining certification is available from the Board of Certification of Operators of Drinking Water Supply Facilities (https://www.mass.gov/get-a-drinking-water-supply-facility-operators-license).

To apply, please complete the application and upload a resume and letter of interest.

JOB CODE: 1000037