Sewer Maintenance Planner

The Position

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Have you been thinking about taking that next step in your career? There is an exciting opportunity as a Sewer Maintenance Planner in the Public Works Department within the City. If you'd like to share your talents and be recognized for your contributions, we encourage you to apply for this great opportunity.

Why join the City of Oakland Public Works Department?

The City of Oakland is currently recruiting to fill one (1) Sewer Maintenance Planner position in the Public Works Department. The Sewer Maintenance Planner will be responsible for developing, planning, and prioritizing work schedules to ensure the efficient operation of sewer maintenance activities. This position oversees the implementation of preventive maintenance and inspection programs, ensuring that all work is performed effectively, on schedule, and in compliance with established standards and regulations.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Self-motivated. You will be expected to take initiative and use your resources to solve problems.
• Able to work as part of a team and independently. You will be expected to work on projects that require collaboration with many different team members in your unit and other departments, which will require you to use sound judgment and work independently at times.
• Detail-oriented. You will be expected to pay close attention to every element and aspect of work products to ensure they are error-free and completed to the highest standards.
• An excellent communicator. You will need to demonstrate exceptional communication skills to deliver accurate, clear, concise, and tactful written and oral communication to team members within the office, City employees and officials, representatives from external agencies and organizations, and members of the public.
• Adaptable. You will need to adapt to changing situations and environments, with the ability to take instructions from multiple senior-level staff members.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Preparing work schedules, prioritizing tasks, and ensuring that preventative maintenance and inspection programs are implemented.
• Monitoring the work order system(s) to track work backlog, performance, pending jobs, and emergency work.
• Performing asset assessments: condition of sewer mains, structures, pump stations etc., to identify needs for repair, rehabilitation, or replacement.
• Collecting data, monitoring outputs, and preparing reports (internal and for regulatory compliance) on maintenance activities, system performance (e.g., sewer overflows, inspection findings).
• Preparing weekly reports that track all work performed
• Planning for emergency response (e.g., sewer overflows, blockages service calls) including scheduling standby crews and coordinating with maintenance personnel.’
• Working with design engineering, capital improvement, private sewer lateral, and regulatory compliance units.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will have the opportunity to work on a team that makes a positive difference in the lives of Oakland residents.
• You will work with people who are passionate about their craft and care about collaboration.
• As a full-service City, Oakland will continually provide you with daily challenges and variety that keep things exciting.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will be handling multiple tasks with competing and critical deadlines.
• You will be navigating complex rules, policies, and labor agreements that govern the unionized, Civil Service environment that is the City of Oakland.
• You will be guiding co-workers with knowledge and application of policies and processes.

Competencies Required:

• Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment
• Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
• Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
• Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Delegating: Sharing responsibility, authority, and accountability
• Displaying Ownership and Accountability: Holding self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
• Informing: Proactively obtaining and sharing information
• Involving Others (Engaging Teams): Engaging others for input, contribution, and shared responsibility for outcomes
• Leading Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrating cooperation and teamwork while working within and across divisions, functions, or teams
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Professional Impact: Presenting self as a positive representative of the organization
• Strategic Thinking & Perspective: Evaluating immediate actions in context of achieving long range objectives
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing

Minimum Requirements for Application

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable.

Education
Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade. College course work, technical training or Associate's Degree in a related field is desirable.

Experience
Five (5) years of experience in the maintenance and repair of sewer/collection systems and equipment including one (1) year of experience in a lead or supervisory role.

Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver's License throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties.

Must be able to obtain a California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Collection System

Maintenance Grade 1 Certification within eighteen (18) months of appointment to classification and for the duration of employment within the classification.

Supplemental Information

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for each position.

Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications.

In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.

For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be invited to the structured interview (sometimes referred to as an Oral Exam) (weighted 100%), which will be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The structured interview will be conducted as a one-way video interview, where you will record your responses to a set of questions. You will have seven days from the time you receive the interview link to complete and submit your video responses. The tentative date of the structured interview is the week of December 8, 2025.

Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you’re applying to a “restricted” posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every element of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

What’s in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

• Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here:

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

How to Apply

Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system.

If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238-3112 for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Mary Ann Gonzales, Sr. HR Analyst at mgonzales@oaklandca.gov