Pretreatment Engineering Specialist

As one of the fastest growing cities in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver is building a city of the future through innovation, sustainable development, excellent leadership and effectively working with an engaged community. Our growth is guided by our core values of livability, sustainability and resiliency, innovation, and equity and inclusion, and we accomplish our work through collaboration, innovation, compassion and empowerment. If who we are speaks to you, and if you’re the type of person who is interested in joining a team invested in ensuring the community receive meaningful, excellent utility services then the City of Vancouver may be for you.

We’re currently recruiting for a Pretreatment Engineering Specialist. This role is responsible for implementing and enforcing a delegated industrial pretreatment program to prevent harmful pollutants from entering the municipal sewer system, and to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local wastewater regulations. This role involves inspecting industries and businesses, writing, reviewing discharge permits and fact sheets, and reviewing monitoring data and reports. The Engineering Specialist coordinates with industries and businesses to promote best management practices and resolves noncompliance issues through education or enforcement actions. The position requires collaboration with regulatory agencies and other utility departments to maintain program effectiveness and protect public health and the environment. This is a full-time, regular, non-exempt union position. This position is covered under the provisions of an agreement between the City and the OPEIU union.

The schedule for this position is M-F, 8am to 5pm. Open until filled. First review – October 6, 2025.

Job Details

Essential Functions:

• Developing and issuing industrial wastewater discharge permits that comply with federal, state, and local pretreatment regulations. This includes evaluating industrial processes, pollutant loadings, and treatment capabilities to determine appropriate permit limits and conditions. The specialist also prepares detailed fact sheets that document the regulatory basis and technical rationale for each permit, ensuring transparency and defensibility.
• Regular inspections of industrial and commercial facilities are conducted to verify compliance with pretreatment requirements and permit conditions. Assess pretreatment systems, evaluate sampling procedures, and identify potential sources of illegal discharges or noncompliance. Inspection findings are documented thoroughly to support follow-up actions or regulatory enforcement, as needed.
• Identify violations and implement appropriate enforcement responses. Examples of enforcement responses include issuing Notices of Violation (NOVs), drafting administrative orders, and tracking resolution timelines. Work closely with industrial users to correct issues, provide technical guidance and ensure timely return to compliance, while maintaining a strong regulatory presence.
• Provide technical support to industrial users and internal staff by interpreting regulations, explaining permit requirements, and reviewing engineering or operational improvements. This assistance helps regulated facilities understand their responsibilities and implement effective control measures, promoting long-term compliance and system protection.
• Develop and promote best management practices tailored to specific industrial sectors or contaminants to minimize pollutant discharges and improve pretreatment performance. BMPs may be incorporated into permits, compliance plans, or educational materials, and are refined over time based on industry feedback, performance data, and regulatory updates.
• Review self-monitoring reports, analytical lab results, flow data, and other technical submissions to assess compliance with discharge limits and pretreatment standards.
• Evaluate additional documents such as spill prevention plans, slug discharge control plans, and engineering assessments to ensure the adequacy of control strategies and safeguard public infrastructure and the environment.
• Stay up to date on regulatory, technical, and program initiatives affecting the industrial pretreatment program
• Perform review and analysis of industrial pretreatment systems of varying complexity, including drawings, engineering reports and field verification.
• Perform periodic environmental surveys to identify industrial and commercial facilities that may discharge pollutants of concern.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Experience and Education

• Four (4) years of experience working in an industrial pretreatment program or related field. Strong knowledge of environmental regulations, sampling protocols and procedures, and experience with technical report writing are essential.
• Equivalent to an associate’s degree in environmental science, engineering, chemistry or related field is required, but a bachelor’s degree is preferred.
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Computer Skills

• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Beginner skills in PowerPoint and Access.

Required Licenses and/or Certifications

• Possession of a valid driver’s license
• Ability to obtain a Pretreatment Facility Inspection certificate from California State University (correspondence course) within one year of hire