Public Works Sanitary Collection System Crew Leader

Public Works Sanitary Collection System Crew Leader

Salary

$32.46 - $39.49 Hourly

Location

1457 23rd St SE Salem, OR

Job Type

Fulltime-Career

Job Number

26-0516-01

Department

Public Works Department

Opening Date

07/13/2026

Closing Date

7/26/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Summary

The City of Salem is currently hiring for a Crew Leader to work in the Public Works Department, Sanitary Collection System Maintenance Unit

Make an impact: As the Wastewater Collections Crew Leader, you will play a direct role in maintaining the infrastructure that Salem residents and businesses depend on every day. Your leadership will shape the quality of essential public services.

• Protect public health through the upkeep of clean water delivery and wastewater collection infrastructure.
• Respond to emergencies during inclement weather or critical infrastructure failures, keeping the city running when it matters most.
• Foster an inclusive, respectful work environment that values individual differences and supports a diverse team.
• Serve as a visible representative of the City of Salem - communicating with homeowners, businesses, and other stakeholders about upcoming work, road closures, and service outages.

Learn and grow:

• Advanced technical skills in wastewater collection.

• Best practices for crew safety, job site management, and hazard identification.

• How to plan and schedule daily work assignments, coordinate materials and equipment, and resolve field problems as they arise.

• How to update and maintain records, including time sheets, material logs, computer databases, and GIS maps.

• How to effectively communicate with the public, other City departments, and stakeholders in professional and clear ways.

• On-the-job leadership experience directing skilled crews in real-world utility and infrastructure maintenance.

• Opportunities to obtain or expand professional certifications - including Wastewater Collections certification and other occupational licenses required by state or federal regulations.

Advancement Opportunities: This role is a stepping stone within the City of Salem Public Works career ladder. The PW Crew Leader position builds on the skills of a PW Maintenance Operator II and develops the leadership, technical, and organizational abilities needed for progression into roles such as PW Project Leader or PW Field Supervisor.

Advancement timelines will vary based on individual performance, certification attainment, and availability of positions. Employees are encouraged to pursue relevant certifications and take on increasing levels of responsibility to position themselves for promotion.

What you will do: As the Wastewater Collections Crew Leader, you will direct a small skilled crew and serve as the primary on-site leader for daily maintenance, repair, and construction activities. You are responsible for the crews accomplishments, daily task planning, and on-site safety.

Core Day-to-Day Responsibilities:

• Direct crews in routine maintenance, repair, and construction of sewer lines (including grouting) and storm drain lines and basins.
• Oversee television inspection of sewer lines, documenting irregularities; supervise tapping of sewer lines for new services and relocation of utility service lines.
• Coordinate open channel drainage cleaning at multiple locations; determine videotaping schedules for service lines.
• Identify storm drain lines, basins, and grates for realignment, cleaning, or replacement; implement associated work orders.
• Direct flow monitoring activities including rain gauge maintenance, storm sampling, and installation, removal, calibration, and monitoring of ADS monitors (permanent and portable
• Plan the materials, supplies, equipment, and personnel needed to complete each daily assignment.
• Monitor work progress on-site and resolve field problems as they occur.
• Interpret maps, diagrams, written instructions, and specifications to complete work assignments.
• Prepare or review time records, material usage reports, and personnel logs for accuracy.
• Update maps and computer databases to reflect completed work and current facility conditions.
• Retrieve information from computer records and other files to determine the condition or location of facilities.
• Lead by example in job site safety and ensure compliance with safe work practices at all times.
• Provide direction and leadership to seasonal staff, career staff, or inmate labor as assigned.

Additional information on job responsibilities: Crews use trenchless pipelining repair system, two dig and repair crews, a structure repair team providing taps, structure grouting, Structure locating, and structure rehab work.

Employees in this classification work under general supervision of a higher manager. The assignments and objectives are prescribed, but the methods are not typically reviewed nor controlled while the work is in progress. The employee is expected to take the initiative in solving most problems of detail, except those which are new or unusually complex in nature. Supervision of other staff is not a requirement of this classification, but staff may provide general direction and leadership to seasonal staff or other career staff.

What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness program.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee health clinic.
• Standby and overtime may be required on a rotating basis.

The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.

What are the minimum qualifications?

• Must pass the pre-employment drug test (including marijuana), background check, and physical exam.
• Possession of a valid Oregon Class A commercial drivers license with appropriate endorsements and have a driving record that meets the Citys driving standards.
• High school graduate or GED, trade of professional training in area of specialty, and three years of experience involving the construction, installation, maintenance, and repair of public improvements area of discipline or other facilities within specific area of assignment, including some lead responsibilities, or any equivalent combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.
• Water certification preferred.
• Other occupational licenses or certificates as mandated by state or federal regulations.
• Class A CDL with Tanker and trailer endorsement

What you will bring along:

• Technical Knowledge

• Familiarity with wastewater collection systems.

• Ability to read and interpret maps, diagrams, technical documents, and written specifications.

• Comfort operating a variety of construction equipment and tools.

• Basic math skills for field measurements, material estimates, and record-keeping.

• Leadership & People Skills

• A proven ability to direct, motivate, and evaluate a small crew in a field environment.

• Strong organizational skills - able to prioritize tasks, assign work, and keep a job site on track.

• Clear communication skills, both verbal and written, to relay instructions and interact with the public, stakeholders, and City staff.

• A collaborative, respectful approach that values diversity and supports an inclusive workplace.

• Work Ethic & Reliability

• A commitment to safety - yours, your crews, and the publics.

• Flexibility to respond outside of regular hours during emergencies or inclement weather.

• Self-motivation and the ability to manage your own time and workload in a dynamic field environment.

• A problem-solving mindset - able to identify issues on the fly and recommend practical solutions.

The Public Works Department values employees and their professional development. If you are someone that takes pride in collaborating on innovative ideas, proactively responding to community needs, and being a good environmental and financial steward, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety and welfare of our community, including our team!

Where can I find out more about the position?

Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for PW Crew Leader.

How can I apply?

The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.

To apply, click on the green "Apply" button to complete your application. Make sure that you specify how you meet the qualifications outlined in the class specification and complete the application.

Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.

You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City through the Job Interest Cards - sign up today!

For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our website at www.cityofsalem.net/jobs.

This announcement is not an implied contract and may be modified or revoked without notice.

For benefits information, please, go to:

https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/jobs/employment-information/afscme-general-service-employee-benefits

01

What is your highest level of education? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application.

• High school graduate or GED
• Trade School/Some College
• Associates degree
• Bachelors degree or higher
• N/A

02

How many years of experience involving the construction, installation, maintenance, and repair of public improvements area of discipline or other facilities within Asphalt, including some lead responsibilities? We encourage you to include supporting details in your application. (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• 3-4 years
• 5 years or more

03

Do you have a current Oregon Class A Commercial Drivers License? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• None
• Out of state license
• I have a Class C
• I have a Class B Permit
• I have a current Oregon Class A Commercial Drivers License
• I have a current Oregon Class A Commercial Drivers License with Tanker

04

How many years of municipal wastewater operations and maintenance experience do you have? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 3 years
• 4-5 years
• 6-10 years
• 11 years or more

05

How many years of experience do you have leading a crew in a construction or maintenance environment? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• 3-4 years
• 5-7 years
• 8 years or more

06

How many years of experience do to you have using computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), Excel, or other databases to track asset maintenance? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• 3-4 years
• 5 years or more

07

How many years of experience do you have operating a backhoe or excavator within public rights-of-way in municipal wastewater collections and maintenance projects? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 years
• 1-2 years
• 3-4 years
• 5 years or more

08

Have you been trained as an Excavation Safety Competent Person?

• Yes (attach certificate or proof of training to application)
• No

09

Have you been trained in Confined Space Safety and Entry Procedures? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• Yes (attach certificate or proof of training to application)
• No

10

Do you have experience in the CIPP or Lining experience? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years or more

11

Do you have experience operating a CCTV camera used in CIPP installation? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years or more

12

Do you have experience working in confined spaces, such as manholes and vaults? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• No experience
• Less than 1 year
• 1 year
• 2 years
• 3 years
• 4 years or more

13

Are you available for on call or emergency work should the need arise?

• Yes
• No

14

Select the following certifications you hold: OSHA Silica/ PACP/CPR.

• None
• OSHA Silica
• PACP
• CPR

15

Please indicate which level(s) of wastewater collections certification you currently hold If so, please include details in your application under certifications.

• I do not have a Oregon Wastewater Collections System Operator Certification
• Level 1
• Level 2
• Level 3
• Level 4

16

What tools do you have experience operating? (Please include experience details in the work history section of the application).

• Pipe saw
• CCTV Truck
• Jumping jack
• Plate compactor
• Light plants
• Pogo stick
• Jack hammer
• CIPP lining
• Trash pumps
• Roto hammers
• Misc. hand tool

Required Question

Employer City of Salem

Address 295 Church St. Suite 210

Salem, Oregon, 97301

Phone 503-588-6102

hrrecruiting@cityofsalem.net

Website https://www.cityofsalem.net/jobs