Crew Chief - Street Maintenance

Salary : $100,835.78 - $139,003.20 Annually

Location : Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Job Type: Full-Time Represented

Job Number: 2025-22

Department: Operations

Division: Street Maintenance

Opening Date: 04/15/2025

Closing Date: 4/29/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Description

Meet Santa Margarita Water District

Santa Margarita Water District is a dynamic, forward-thinking agency dedicated to delivering high-quality potable water, recycled water, and wastewater services to its 200,000 customers across Southern Orange County. As one of the region's largest and most impactful utilities, we are committed to the highest standards of transparency, innovation, and environmental stewardship.

Our people drive our progress, innovation, and results. Our collaborative, human-first culture fosters the sense of fun, comradery, and a rewarding sense of purpose as we do work that matters.

Dynamic teams of intelligent individuals work collaboratively to achieve SMWD's goals and solve challenges with a common aim that fosters a unique bond that is not often found in governmental agencies.

Santa Margarita Water District's Values Include

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed by individual positions.

We are seeking an experienced and reliable Crew Chief to lead a water repair crew responsible for mainline repairs, service line replacements, and valve maintenance/replacement. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll be both supervising and participating in daily operations to ensure efficient, safe, and high-quality fieldwork.

Job Summary

Under general supervision, leads and participates in the work of employees engaged in the installation, maintenance, repair, operation and testing of water distribution and wastewater systems including pipelines, mains, valves, hydrants, meters, lift stations and water stations.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

A Crew Chief is the advanced journey and working lead-level classification in the Operations Department. In addition to performing the full range of journey-level and advanced skilled duties, incumbents serve as the working lead person of other journey level maintenance and technical personnel, coordinating and overseeing their work and providing guidance and training as they carry out construction, maintenance and repair duties for the District's distribution system, collection system, equipment and facilities. Work requires an in-depth understanding of the District's distribution system design, operations and best maintenance practices and involves significant accountability for ensuring stable, dependable water delivery to District customers in compliance with regulatory requirements.

This position typically reports to the Operations Superintendent or on certain crews the Foreman and provides lead work direction to skilled and unskilled maintenance staff. Crew Chief is distinguished from Operations Superintendent or Foreman in that an incumbent in the latter class has full supervisory responsibilities and more complex maintenance planning and administrative duties over more than one unit or crew.

Essential Functions

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION STATEMENTS

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class.

Qualifications

Education and/or Experience

Graduation from high school or GED equivalent and five years of progressively responsible experience in journey level skilled maintenance of a facilities typically associated with District infrastructure; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. Experience in a public agency is preferred.

Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:

Possession of or the ability to obtain a valid California Class C driver's license and the ability to maintain insurability under the District's vehicle insurance program.

When Assigned Area Is The Street Maintenance Division

When Assigned Area Is The Collections Division

When Assigned Area Is The Valves And Hydrants Division

When Assigned Area Is The Lifts And Stations Division

Annual certification for CPR, First Aid, Confined-Space Entry and use of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) per OSHA requirements are required.

Knowledge Of

Ability to:

Additional Information

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk and hear; use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; perform repetitive movements of hands or wrists; climb or balance on ladders or stairs; stoop, kneel, bend at the waist, crouch or crawl; and able to detect odors. The employee is frequently required to lift up to 50 pounds and frequently up to 100 pounds with assistance.

Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, use of both eyes, depth perception, color vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Employees in this class may be periodically required to wear Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). In accordance with OSHA regulations, employees are prohibited from having facial or head hair that impairs the effectiveness of respirator equipment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties of the class as they relate to this requirement.

Mental Demands

While performing the duties of this class, an employee uses written and oral communication skills; reads and interprets data, information and documents; analyzes and solves problems; uses shop math; learns and applies new information and skills; responds to emergency situations; and interacts with others encountered in the course of work, including frequent contact with customers and/or the public and dissatisfied/abusive individuals.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee works in a shop and field environment where the noise level is usually moderate. The employee works in outdoor weather conditions; extreme heat or cold; wet, humid conditions; in confined spaces; on ladders/scaffolding or in high, precarious places; on uneven or slippery surfaces; near moving mechanical parts; near moving equipment; and near heavy traffic. The employee is exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and biological hazards. The employee is occasionally exposed to loud or prolonged noise and equipment with heavy vibrations. The employee may be at risk of electrical shock.

The employee may be required to work various shifts and standby at night, on weekends and holidays as needed.

Santa Margarita Water District offers a comprehensive benefit package for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. These benefits include the following: retirement benefits; medical, dental, vision and life insurance; and a variety of other benefits. Benefits may vary based on employment status.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM: As a public agency, the Santa Margarita Water District has enrolled in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) for retirement benefits. The retirement formula and required employee contribution may vary based on employment status.

HEALTH INSURANCE: The District contracts with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) for medical insurance coverage. Employees may elect coverage from PPO or HMO plans. Medical premiums for plans in an amount up to or equal to the highest HMO are paid for by the District for all full-time employees. The District shares the cost of medical insurance for dependents with the employee. Coverage is effective the first of the month following 30 days of employment with full-time status.

DENTAL INSURANCE: The District provides dental insurance for all full-time regular employees. Optional dependent dental coverage is available at the District's rates. Coverage is effective the first of the month following 60 days of employment with full-time status.

VISION INSURANCE: The District provides each full-time employee and their eligible dependents with vision insurance through Vision Service Plan (VSP). Coverage is effective the first of the month following 60 days of employment with full-time status.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ACCIDENTAL DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT: The District provides term-life insurance for all full-time employees through Lincoln Financial with Employee benefits equaling 2 1/2 times the employee's annual salary to a maximum of $200,000. Adjustments are made based on the employee's salary. Coverage is effective the first of the month following 60 days of employment with full-time status.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP): The District provides all employees and their dependents with an EAP that provides confidential, professional assistance with a variety of services such as legal/financial concerns, ID recovery, mental health, and more.

GENERAL LEAVE ACCRUAL: General leave is a multi-purpose leave providing for vacations, personal affairs, and non-job related illness/injuries.

While accrual begins from the date of hire, for the most part, general leave may not be taken until completion of the employee's six-month probationary period.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Regular full and part-time employees are eligible to participate in the District's deferred compensation program. The District shall match an employee's contribution into the deferred compensation plan up to a maximum of $2,400 per employee per year, or $100 per pay-period. The contributions occur each pay period except the third pay period in those months with three pay dates.

HOLIDAYS: The District provides 11 holidays (92 hours) per year for full-time employees.

FLEX SPENDING ACCOUNT: Through the District's Flexible Spending Account (FSA), employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible "out-of-pocket" (unreimbursed) medical expenses, child or dependent care.

LIFESTYLE SPENDING ACCOUNT: A benefit in which your employer sets money aside for you to use on eligible expenses related to physical, financial and emotional

well-being.

EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT: All full-time employees are eligible for reimbursement for educational training or certification training taken from any college, university, or accredited institution, up to the IRS annual limit with Department Head approval.

The aforementioned information is only a summary of the District's benefits. Detailed information may be found in the Personnel Rules and Regulations and/or the Memorandum of Understanding between the SMWDEA and the Santa Margarita Water District.

01

Do you have a high school diploma or GED equivalent?

02

Do you possess a current Water Distribution Grade 3 certificate from the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB)?

03

Do you possess a current Class A Driver's License?

04

Do you have at least three years of experience in water distribution and water systems operations, construction and maintenance at a level equivalent to the District's Senior Maintenance Worker class?

05

Please describe your lead level experience in maintenance and repair of water and waste water systems?

Required Question

Required

Preferred

Job Industries

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Maintenance & Janitorial