Senior Pretreatment Process Engineer

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO - a nationally recognized leader among clean water utilities, provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services for 2.2 million people in the Denver Metro area.

At Metro, we help you be your best so we can do our best. You will join a team that offers stability, flexibility, and the opportunity to make a difference. We take pride in being part of an industry-leading team who serves the community by protecting the region’s health and environment.

Description

Responsible for leading and performing a variety of process engineering and regulatory activities related to the implementation of Metro’s Industrial Pretreatment Program. Plans and conducts work requiring independent judgment in the application of engineering principles, calculations and methodologies and Industrial Pretreatment Program regulations to the following: characterization and permitting of industrial and commercial facilities, review and evaluation of monitoring point and treatment process engineering studies and design submittals and in the evaluation of potential impacts of discharges on Metro’s collection system, treatment plant operations, and Metro’s ability to comply with its discharge permits and biosolids land application requirements.  May function as a project or technical manager or focus area lead.  Independently performs most assignments based on information received from line managers. This position reports to a Principal Pretreatment Process Engineer or the Senior Pretreatment Process Engineering Manager.

Examples of Duties

1. Lead and conduct engineering analysis work and develop recommendations regarding discharge requests, facility characterizations, and significance evaluations - including but not limited to evaluation of industrial users and the potential of discharges to impact Metro’s treatment processes, equipment, worker health and safety, and for consistency with Metro’s Rules and Regulations Governing the Operation, Use, and Services of the System (R&R).
2. Lead and conduct review of engineering studies and designs for monitoring facilities and treatment processes and systems at industrial and commercial facilities.   Complete all assigned review checklists, memos and other documents in support of review work and conclusions.
3. Lead and conduct work to prepare permits and fact sheets which are defensible from technical and regulatory bases.
4. Lead and conduct work to prepare process calculations, process descriptions, process drawings (PFDs, P&IDs) and general facility drawings.
5. Lead and conduct work to prepare formal approval/denial/request for information (RFI) letters for final supervisory approval and decision or for your approval and decision as delegated by your supervisor.
6. Lead and conduct site visits of industrial and commercial facilities to gather information in support of technical and regulatory evaluations and in providing technical and compliance assistant to the facilities.
7. Lead and perform complex engineering assignments. 
8. Lead and perform work to collect, analyze, and interpret data from industrial and commercial facilities and Metro’s wastewater treatment plants and collection systems to support facility characterization, significance assessments, permitting, design reviews and evaluation of special discharge requests.
9. Prepare reports for state and federal regulatory agencies as well as Metro management. 
10. Oversee lower-level pretreatment process engineering staff work associated with sampling activities, complete paperwork, and handle samples as directed.
11. Contribute to the development of technical and regulatory framework procedures, guidance, policies, templates, and business processes for implementation of Metro’s Industrial Pretreatment Program.
12. Mentor and coach junior pretreatment process engineering staff, providing guidance, support, and technical and regulatory expertise to facilitate their professional development and growth within the organization.
13. Stay updated on emerging trends, technologies, industry best practices and stay informed of new and modified regulations and guidance that may impact Metro's Industrial Pretreatment Program implementation. 

Qualifications

Senior Pretreatment Process Engineer

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Wastewater process modeling concepts, procedures and tools such as MS Excel, BioWin, ChemCad
• Advanced principles and practices associated with the engineering evaluation of wastewater and other waste streams generated at industrial and commercial facilities and determination of potential impacts on Metro’s collection system, treatment processes and equipment, worker health and safety and ability to comply with permit and biosolids land application requirements.
• Computer software including Microsoft Office Suite including advanced knowledge with utilizing MS Excel for complex and comprehensive calculations and MS Word for preparing technical reports, formal agency communications, documents and decisions and regulatory reports.
• Advanced knowledge of:
  • Process engineering principles and fundamentals, including mass and energy balances, fluid mechanics, process controls, biological processes, and chemical reactions and kinetics.
  • conventional and advanced municipal wastewater treatment processes, industrial wastewater treatment processes and compliance monitoring facilities.  Conceptual and detailed design, general operations and regulatory compliance requirements and strategies.
  • Clean Water Act laws and regulations associated with the National Discharge Pollutant Elimination System (NPDES) Program including federal Pretreatment regulations and policies and the associated implementation through an EPA-approved IPP and regulations and policies associated with direct discharge and stormwater permits and requirements.  
  • IPP Fact Sheet and Permit preparation requirements to ensure technical and regulatory defensibility.
  • IPP compliance and enforcement requirements and procedures.

 Skilled at:

• Problem solving and analytical thinking with the ability to devise creative solutions to challenges that are complex from technical and/or regulatory perspectives.
• Analyzing relevant industrial facility process data and information to make determinations regarding potential or anticipated impacts to Metro’s collection system, treatment processes and equipment, worker health and safety and ability to comply with permit and biosolids land application requirements.
• Reading, understanding and applying complex regulations and policies to industrial and commercial facilities of widely varying sizes, industries and complexity.
• Engineering design of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment processes and compliance monitoring facilities.
• For facilities of all sizes, types and levels of complexity, preparing IPP Fact Sheet and Permits which meet all EPA and local (e.g. Metro) requirements for technical and regulatory defensibility.
• Leadership and teamwork with a proven ability to lead teams of varying experience levels and backgrounds and to drive results collaboratively.
• Communication and interpersonal skills, adept at conveying technical and regulatory concepts to diverse audiences, in de-escalation techniques for situations where discussions may be tense or contentious and in identifying win-win solutions.
• Active listening, training and mentoring less experienced process engineering staff.

Ability to:

• Successfully work as a lead pretreatment process engineer overseeing technical and regulatory work for Metro’s IPP implementation. 
• Enter manufacturing and other industrial facilities and, through visual observations while onsite and asking process and operational questions of facility staff, develop a strong understanding of the facilities processes and operations and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Using information obtained during site visits to industrial facilities, create comprehensive, detailed process descriptions, process flow diagrams and piping and instrumentation diagrams associated with the facilities operations.
• Mentor and develop junior process engineers with a focus on building skills associated with process engineering and design concepts and calculations, reading and applying IPP regulations, permit and fact sheet writing, and with the unique roles of regulatory engineers.
• Critically review engineering design review documentation, technical reports and permitting documents prepared by junior pretreatment process engineers and provide clear and concise feedback and direction to facilitate timely and accurate completion of the work. 
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Education
Bachelor’s degree in chemical, environmental, mechanical, civil or other related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university. 
Licensing, Certification and other Requirements
Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado.  If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado.

Working Conditions

Typical Work Environment  
Variety of floor surfaces including concrete, gravel, asphalt, dirt, tile, loose stones, uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, and wet surfaces; Inside environment; Outside environment all year in all weather conditions and temperatures;  Chemicals;  Lighting conditions including natural light, fluorescent, head lamps, incandescent, and low light; Vibration; Moving equipment; Work in Confined Spaces

Body Position Demands
Standing; Walking; Climbing stairs; Climbing ladders; Reaching forward and overhead; Balancing; Object handling; Simple hand/ Firm hand grasping; Operating controls; Sitting; Stooping; Kneeling; Crouching; Crawling; Typing; Fine hand coordination

Physical Demands (max forces are expected to be infrequent)
Max Weight Lifted: 42 lbs
Max Weight Carried: 42 lbs
Max Force Pushed: 75 lbs
Max Force Pulled: 128 lbs

Sensory Requirements
Wide field of view; Perception - Spatial; Olfactory (Smelling); Vision - Near; Depth perception; Color discrimination; Perception - Form; Feeling without seeing; Speaking; Vision - near and far; Hearing

Metro Water Recovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.