Town of Norwell Water Department Administrator

Company Overview
The Town of Norwell is a suburban South Shore community. located 20 miles southeast of Boston with a population of 11,000 residents. Norwell Town Hall recently moved to its new modern office location at 93 Longwater Circle in the Assinippi Business park.

<Job Overview>

The Administrative Assistant is responsible for providing clerical and administrative support to Water Department personnel and the Board of Water Commissioners with an emphasis on the maintenance and servicing residential, commercial, and municipal water accounts.

This is a full-time, 37.5 hours per week position. The work schedule is:

Monday: 8:00a.m. to 4:15p.m. ; Tuesday: 8:00a.m. to 4:15p.m.; Wednesday: 8:00a.m. to 7:30p.m.; Thursday: 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.; Friday: 8:00am to 12 noon

Probationary period is 180 workdays. This is a union position affiliated with SEIU 888, Local 1700. Subject to satisfactory performance evaluations, the employee will receive an annual progressive step raise cost of living adjustment.

The starting hourly rate is $25.54 and increases to $26.05 per hour effective July 1, 2026. There are 14 progressive pay rate steps which provide hourly rate increase and a negotiated cost of living increase each July 1st.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

· Responsible for the administration of all Town of Norwell water accounts for residential, commercial, and municipal town properties in the municipal management system. Completes four (4) quarterly billing commitments, generating file extracts and reports to prepare a meter packet, uploading data to Bill Trust software for invoice creation and setting effective due dates for billing and recording transactions. Review new and unbilled accounts for high, low, and zero usage to identify any errors and ensure accuracy in billing.

· Maintains and organizes the department’s physical and digital records filing system, ensuring accurate, secure and accessible storage of Water related documents, reports and correspondence.

· Provide general department subject matter guidance, including PFAS information in accordance with MADEP standards, to members of the public, local government officials, contractors, realtors, and other relevant departments and town employees. Responds to all incoming phone calls, emails, and walk-in traffic to the Water department in a timely and efficient manner, addressing any concerns, complaints and questions, referring non-standard issues to supervisor for handling. Questions may include water quality, billing, account changes, senior discounts, abatement requests, meter replacements, low water pressure, services inspections, etc.

· Schedules monthly final water reads, enters usage, updates account ownership. Provides estimated readings for water equipment upon request; reports and tracks failed and outdated meters and coordinates replacements; monitors water restrictions and issues warnings and fines, as necessary. Creates a penalty file for all past due wager accounts. Issues fines and warning by location as outlined in department protocols. Executes final water commitments for all properties sold in Town.

· Establish new water accounts, processing applications, collecting all applicable fees in accordance with fee schedule/service protocols and linking accounts to appropriate real estate parcels. Generates late penalties and applied charges to delinquent accounts. Generates annual Fire protection charges for all eligible commercial account. Set appointments and collect on payment for all Hydrant flow tests.

· Generates work orders in the department utilizing ARC GIS systems; organizes internal calendar scheduled events. Complete account updates in Soft Right upon completion.

· Prepares weekly department payroll and create/process payroll change notices. Review timecards for accuracy to ensure correct rate and hours for overtime, double-time, Standby, Longevity, Stipends, and Meal Allowances pay. Prepare and process employee payroll change notices to accounting for new hires, step increases, and FLSA rate changes.

· Tracks and reconciles, on a weekly basis, all sick, vacation and personal time for department employees. Reconciles employee balances quarterly with accounting. Maintains license copies and monitors required renewal dates.

· Provides office training and administrative task oversight for the Administrative Clerk/Meter Reader.

· Tracks fiscal year uniform spending amounts for employees in accordance with the AFSCME 93 and SEIU 888 union contract provisions.

· Calculates and enters all approved abatements; manages senior discounts on water accounts; prepares annual school abatement report totals for accounting.

· Prepares and subrogates insurance claims for hydrant damage as needed.

· Processes all monies received, maintain a department receipt log with payable and receivable balances, and turnover to the Treasurer/Collector’s office in accordance with the Town’s current cash/check receipt policy. Prepares all department vouchers, including town article spending.

· Prepares Title V usage reports for septic contractors and/or residents.

· Processes all invoice requests from vendors and encumbrances; itemizes expenditure by line item and in accordance with the department’s budget.

· Assists Water Superintendent in preparation and posting of Water Commission agendas and coordinates posting of all meeting minutes with the Town Clerk. Prepare materials for review, including requests for abatements, minutes and other relevant documents.

· Assist Water Superintendent in the compilation of department data for the annual Town Report.

· Acknowledges and responds to all public records requests in the required timeframe, in accordance with state law.

· Updates water department’s social media page for water-related emergency communications; updates content on the Town website for public notices, staffing changes, and board reorganization after town elections. Assists in the dissemination of water emergency notifications to the Fire department and Board of Health. Create department communication and informational inserts, as directed by the Water Superintendent, for the quarterly bills.

· Performs other related job duties as required.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under general direction of the Water Superintendent or their designee, employee plans and prioritizes the work of the Superitnendent and Board of Water Commisioners,independently, in accordance with standard practices and previous training. Employee is expected to solve most problems of detail or unusual situations by adapting methods or interpreting instructions accordingly. Instructions for new assignments or special projects usually .consist of statements of desired objectives, deadlines and priorities. Technical and policy problems or changes in procedures are discussed with the supervisor.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Associates degree with 1-3 years of experience in an office setting prefarable with experience related to billing operations or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, AND SKILLS

Knowledge of common policies, practices and procedures of the Water Department and office operations; laws and regulations pertinent to essential functions. Proficient in the use of office equipment and software including email, word processing, spreadsheets, social media, and municipal website in support of department operations; modern office administration, clerical practices, systems and procedures, electronic and physical records management; financial record keeping; town government operations.

Ability to follow the departmental guidelines for applicable rates and fees. Ability to compute water usage by gallons within a tiered billing system. Ability to adjudicate errors in water billing and provide guidance for the abatement process when necessary. Ability to adjudicate errors in water billing and provide guidance for the abatement process when necessary. Ability to multi-task; work with a high level of detail; meet deadlines; work independently and be self-motivated. Ability to manage conflict; communicate effectively with tact and discretion; maintain confidentiality; fairly and tactfully enforce policies; present ideas clearly and concisely; maintain good public relations and effective collaborative working relationships; respond in a courteous and professional manner; and work with diverse groups. Ability to calculate figures, credits, discounts, and charges for abatements. Ability to interpret, communicate and calculate water consumption based on rates, tiers of consumption and usage history.

Effective communication, problem-solving, customer-service, organizing, planning, writing, decision-making, supervisory, presentation, recordkeeping, budgeting, and administrative skills. Proficient (or basic) data processing and personal computer skills

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The majority of work is performed in an office setting.

Pay: $26.04 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person