Description

Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

CHIEF FILTRATION ENGINEER

Chicago Department of Water Management

Bureau of Water Supply

Number of Positions: 1 (one)

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $ $131,124.00 (GY-15)

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 4/29/2026

Under direction, responsible for managing and direction the operations, personnel and administration of one of the City's two water purification plants, and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Directs the Assistant Chief Filtration Engineer and unit supervisors overseeing professional (i.e. Filtration Engineers) and skilled trades (i.e. Operating Engineers) engaged in the operation, maintenance, and repair of water purification equipment and facilities.

• Confers with supervisors on the effectiveness of water purification treatments and plant conditions and implements equipment and procedural changes to ensure efficiency of operations.

• Coordinates with management and contractors in reviewing status of large-scale capital improvement projects at water treatment plants and prioritizes the scheduling of facility and equipment repair, replacement, and maintenance. Monitors work in progress and on-going projects of private contractors, ensuring adherence to contract specifications, quality standards and compliance with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requirements.

• Reviews water treatment operational reports including water quality data and oversees the preparation of comprehensive reports to the IEPA documenting compliance with EPA standards.

• Coordinates the contracting, purchase, installation, and testing of new and refurbished equipment; approves the ordering of chemicals for use in treatment plants and pumping stations.

• Keeps abreast of governmental regulations affecting water purification operations to ensure that regulatory agencies' standards regarding operating procedures, risk management, and process safety are met.

• Directs the maintenance of plant records and the preparation of operational reports.

• Reviews plant operating records and lab reports to determine the status of water quality and orders changes to ensure water quality standards are maintained.

• Authorizes engineering studies on water treatment techniques, equipment, and processes and recommends modifications to water purification processes at the plant.

• Coordinates safety programs and training of plant personnel.

• Directs the development and implementation of work and performance standards and conducts performance evaluations of supervisory personnel.

• Directs administrative functions in support of the water treatment plant's operations including budgeting, expenditures, procurement, personnel and staffing, and safety administration.

• Provides technical information on water filtration activities at regulatory proceedings. Performs other related duties as required.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Location: Various

Shift: Various

Hours: Various

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS :

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering or a directly related field of engineering, plus six (6) years of engineering experience working in a water treatment facility or on projects relating to water treatment in an operational and/or engineering capacity, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to water treatment processes or engineering projects, OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree or higher in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering or a directly related field of engineering, plus five (5) years of engineering experience working in a water treatment facility or on projects relating to water treatment in an operational and/or engineering capacity, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to water treatment processes or engineering projects.

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

A State of Illinois Class "A" Public Water Supply Operator license is required within six months of hire

A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required

WORKING CONDITIONS

Water treatment plant work environment

Exposure to outdoor weather conditions

NOTE: Must be flexible to early and/or late meetings. This is a 24/7 on-call position based on operational needs. Must be available to work regular work schedule and be available for on-call duty assignments that may include evenings, overnight, weekend and/or holiday hours.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS : This position requires an applicant to successfully complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the interview and assessment, will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Friendly Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor