Sanitation Technician I/II

Sanitation Technician I/II

Salary

See Position Description

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26- Sanitation Technician I/II

Department

Public Works

Division

Public Works Operations

Opening Date

09/25/2026

Closing Date

10/12/2026 8:30 AM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Local 1937

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Nature of Work

Want a job where your work truly makes a difference every single day? Join our team as a Sanitation Technician and help keep Bellingham clean, safe, and thriving. If you're dependable, hardworking, and ready to take on a role that supports the entire community, apply today for the Sanitation Technician position with Public Works!

JOB SUMMARY:

Performs a variety of manual and skilled physical labor in carrying out sanitation and community cleanup duties such as litter control, illegal dumpsite cleanup, and illegal camp site cleanup Enforces various State and City ordinances regarding environmental regulations, litter, nuisance abatement, illegal parking and other related code violations on private residences, business, and City property including rights-of-way. Maintains records as required by City policy, state, and local law. Participates in public education programs related to code enforcement and litter prevention. Maintains close relationships with code enforcement and compliance personnel from other City departments. The position involves a high degree of public contact. Works independently on specialized assignments.

For more information, please review the job classification.

WHY JOIN OUR TEAM?

Joining the City of Bellingham means becoming a part of a team that believes our greatest impact comes from working together with purpose, humility and a shared commitment to our community. Every employee contributes to delivering meaningful results for the people who live, work and visit here. We value people who approach challenges with curiosity, respect and collaboration. If you are motivated by building a career in public service, we encourage you to apply.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Placement into Sanitation Technician I/II is based on the experience and training requirements for each position. The 2026 starting hourly rate is at Step 1. The full salary ranges for each position are:

• Hourly Rates:
• Sanitation Technician I: Starting hourly rate is at Step 1 ($37.75/hour) for full time positions. The full salary range for this position is $37.75/hour - $49.24/hour.
• Sanitation Technician II: Starting hourly rate is at Step 1 ($40.02/hour) for full time positions. The full salary range for this position is $40.02/hour - $52.21/hour.

Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 Collective Bargaining Agreement and City policy. For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here's a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page and labor agreements page.

• 10 hours of vacation leave per month, with increased accrual over time
• 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year
• 8 hours sick leave accrued monthly
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families
• Life insurance and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security
• Optional 457 deferred compensation (Retirement Savings Plan) with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Closing Date/Time: Mon., Oct 12, 2026 at 8:30 AM Pacific Time

Experience and Training

Sanitation Technician I

• Two years of experience working with the public in problem resolution or enforcement activities required, AND
• Willingness and ability to perform manual and semi-skilled labor in the field including litter and moderate to high risk waste cleanup.
• Intermediate computer skills including word processing, email and data entry is required.
• Must demonstrate and maintain proficiency in the safe and efficient use of specialized equipment such as a woodchipper and handheld devices used for citation issuing and reporting.
• Associate degree or two years of coursework in communications, environmental studies, social services or similar field may be substituted for two years of experience working with the public in problem resolution or enforcement activities.
• Moderate to high-risk waste materials handling experience preferred.
• Experience with special needs populations or social services preferred.
• Experience in code enforcement preferred.

Sanitation Technician II

In addition to the experience and training requirements listed above:

• Demonstrated proficiency in operating heavy equipment such as an excavator, vactor truck, street cleaner, and hydro excavator.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.

Sanitation Technician I

• Valid Washington State drivers license and clean driving record. Candidates must submit a three-year driving abstract prior to hire; with biennial submission of driving abstract to department, to be forwarded to Human Resources (Policy ADM 10.03.02.4).
• Must be able to report to Operations Division for emergency/call out and to serve on standby in accordance with bargaining unit agreement if required
• Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) certification within one (1) year of hire.
• Ability to obtain and maintain First Aid/CPR card within three months of employment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain Flagging/Traffic Control Card within six months of employment.
• Must successfully complete and possess the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification within one (1) year of hire.
• Employment contingent upon passing a criminal convictions check, local background check and fingerprinting. Subject to re-check every five years.
• Must qualify for a limited commission.

Sanitation Technician II

• Sanitation Technician II must possess and maintain a Commercial Driver's License (Class A CDL) with air brake endorsement throughout term of employment (CSC 7-11-90).
• Must pass CDL-related drug and alcohol testing throughout the term of employment.
• Failure to obtain and maintain appropriate certifications within established time limits will result in demotion to the lower class for which qualified, until such time as the required certification is achieved or termination if incumbent is not qualified for a lower class.

Selection Process

You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City's commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

Application Review Process:

• Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must provide specific, detailed information so an initial determination can be made regarding your level of qualifications for this position. Applicant status will be updated on or around October 12, 2026.

• If there are 21 or more qualified candidates:

• Applications will go through an Experience and Training Rating. Applicant status will be updated on or around October 23, 2026.

• The 20 scoring applicants from the Experience and Training Review will be invited to participate in an Oral Board Interview, tentatively scheduled for the week of November 2, 2026.

• If 20 or less candidates meet the minimum qualifications, all will be invited to the Oral Board Interviews, tentatively scheduled for the week of November 2, 2026.

• Applicants will be notified via email of Final Scores & Ranks. The final ranking of the register will be based on total scores for the following:

• If 20 or less candidates meet the minimum qualifications, the Oral Board Interview will be 100% of overall score. Applicants must have a passing total score of 60% or higher to be placed on the eligibility register.

• If there are 21 or more applicants that meet minimum qualifications, the Experience and Training Rating will be 40% of overall score and Oral Board Interview will be 60% of overall score. Applicants must have a total passing score of 60% or higher to be placed on the eligibility register.

Final candidates will be referred to the department for additional examination, assessment, or test.

This recruitment process will create a Civil Service eligibility register that will be used to fill current and future vacancies as they become available. There are currently two full-time vacancies in Public Works. This position is represented by a union.

If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form. and upload it to your application with your DD214.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity:

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate or make decisions on the basis of an individuals race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

• The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.
• The City will not inquire about an applicants criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.
• The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.
• The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section for additional information.

This position is represented by The Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 bargaining unit. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the Local 1937 labor agreement.

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website for more information on PERS.

Civil Service Information

This position is subject to the Bellingham Civil Service Commission. When a vacancy occurs, the top fifteen candidates or the top 25% of the register will be forwarded to the department for further consideration. All new Civil Service employees are subject to a one-year probationary period. A candidate may challenge the scope, content, or method of an examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days following the date of the challenged examination. A candidate may also challenge the scoring of an examination or test, failure of the candidate on any part of an examination, or clerical error in examination results of any examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days of notification of the challenged result. The Examiner shall consider all timely filed protests and make appropriate corrections if an error is demonstrated.

Veterans Scoring Criteria

Applicants who have been honorably discharged from active military duty may be eligible to receive veterans scoring criteria points as provided by Washington State Law (RCW 41.04.010). If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

• Yes
• No

02

Work is performed both inside and outdoors in all weather conditions. Occasionally performs work indoors at a desk or computer terminal. Frequent exposure to unpleasant odors, dust, water, difficult terrain, insects, animals, and other potential hazards with unknown wastes and the environment. General safety precautions are taken into consideration for the majority of these hazards. Special safety precautions are taken into consideration for high risk waste clean up and disposal. Safety precautions also extend to the daily driving and operation of a variety of vehicles and equipment in the course of performing duties. Frequently interacts with the public and with professionals in the field, which may include exposure to hostile, offensive language or interactions with angry or volatile individuals. Are you willing to accept these working conditions?

• Yes
• No

03

Do you have two years of experience working with the public in problem resolution or enforcement activities?

• Yes
• No

04

If you do not meet the above requirement, do you have an Associates degree or two years of coursework in communications, environmental studies, social services, or a similar field? If so, please explain.

Note: This may be substituted for two years of experience working with the public in problem resolution or enforcement activities.)

05

Do you have the willingness and ability to perform manual and semi-skilled labor in the field including litter and moderate to high risk waste cleanup?

• Yes
• No

06

This position requires intermediate computer skills, including word processing, email, and data entry. Please describe your experience using these tools and provide examples of how you've applied them in your previous work.

07

Can you demonstrate and maintain proficiency in the safe and efficient use of specialized equipment such as a woodchipper and handheld devices used for citation issuing and reporting?

• Yes
• No

08

Do you have any of the preferred requirements? (Please check all that apply)

• Moderate to high-risk waste materials handling experience.
• Experience with special needs populations or social services.
• Experience in code enforcement.

09

Do you have proficiency in operating heavy equipment such as an excavator, vactor truck, street cleaner, and hydro excavator. (Required for consideration of placement into Sanitation Technician II)

• Yes
• No

10

If you answered yes to the question above, please describe your experience operating heavy equipment, including excavators, vactor trucks, street cleaners, and hydro excavators.

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we'll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

11

Do you have a valid Washington State drivers license or the ability to obtain one by the time of hire and a good driving record? The successful candidate(s) must submit a three-year driving record abstract prior to hire, with period submission of driving abstract per City policy.

• Yes
• No

12

Are you able to report to Operations Division for emergency/call out and to serve on standby in accordance with the bargaining unit?

• Yes
• No

13

This position requires a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) certification, within 1 year of employment. Please select your current level of certification.

• I currently have a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) certification.
• I do not currently have a Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) certification, but I am willing to obtain it within one (1) year from date of hire.
• I am not willing to obtain my Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL) certification within one (1) year from date of hire and understand I do not meet minimum qualifications.

14

This position requires a First Aid and CPR certification within three months of employment. Please select your current level of certification.

• I currently have a First Aid and CPR certification.
• I do not currently have a First Aid and CPR certification, but I am willing to obtain it within three (3) months from date of hire.
• I am not willing to obtain my First Aid and CPR certification within three (3) months from date of hire and understand I do not meet minimum qualifications.

15

This position requires a Flagging/Traffic Control card within six months of employment. Please select your current level of certification.

• I currently have a Flagging/Traffic Control card.
• I do not currently have a Flagging/Traffic Control card, but I am willing to obtain it within six (6) months from date of hire.
• I am not willing to obtain my Flagging/Traffic Control card within six (6) months from date of hire and understand I do not meet minimum qualifications.

16

This position requires a Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification with one year of employment. Please select your current level of certification.

• I currently have a Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification.
• I do not currently have a Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification, but I am willing to obtain it within one (1) year from date of hire.
• I am not willing to obtain my Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification within one (1) year from date of hire and understand I do not meet minimum qualifications.

17

To be considered for placement as a Sanitary Technician II, you will need to possess and maintain a Commercial Driver's License (Class A CDL) with air brake endorsement throughout term of employment. What is your current CDL status?

• I possess a current Commercial Driver's License (Class A CDL) with air brake endorsement.
• I do not have a current Commercial Driver's License (Class A CDL) with air brake endorsement but am willing to get one.
• I am not willing to get a Commercial Driver's License (Class A CDL) with air brake endorsement throughout term of employment

18

Describe your experience and training that have prepared you for the role of Sanitation Technician, including your work with the public in problem resolution or enforcement. Please also include your experience in the safe and efficient use of specialized equipment such as a woodchipper and handheld devices used for citation issuing and reporting. Please include the employer names and the dates of employment for each position.

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we'll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

19

Provide an example of a situation in which you used courtesy and tact to navigate a difficult interaction with the public in the workplace.

20

If you are requesting Veterans Preference points, a completed Veterans Scoring Criteria Status Declaration is required along with a copy of your DD214. The required form is in the Selections Process section of the Job Posting. Check "YES" here if you are attaching a Veterans Declaration form and DD214.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Bellingham

Address 104 West Magnolia Street

Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone 360-778-8220

Website http://www.cob.org/employment