Instrument Control Technician I/II/III/IV - Environmental Services Department

Instrument Control Technician

Salary : $110,313.84 - $155,347.92 Annually

Location : San Jose, CA

Job Type : Full-Time

Job Number : 202501021

Department : Environmental Services

Opening Date : 06/09/2025

Closing Date : 7/2/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY), or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov.

About the Department

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is a national leader in pollution prevention, watershed protection, utility service provision, and climate action. Together, ESD employees positively impact every resident and business in San Jose.

Our department is an exceptional place to start or grow your career. We have a supportive leadership team, numerous professional growth opportunities, and an inclusive workplace culture that is welcoming of your talents! We offer an array of meaningful career paths and value flexibility. Additionally, the City offers excellent health and pension benefits, as well as 15 paid holidays!

To learn more about ESD, follow @sjenvironment on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and San Jose Environmental Services on LinkedIn.

Position Duties

Salary Information
The salary ranges for the Instrument Control Technician classification series are:

• Instrument Control Technician I - $110,313.84 - $134,228.64 yr
• Instrument Control Technician II – $115,861.20 - $140,955.36 yr
• Instrument Control Technician III – $121,670.64 - $147,878.64 yr
• Instrument Control Technician IV - $127,807.68 - $155,347.92 yr

All ranges include an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.

The Environmental Services Department is seeking to fill one full time Instrument Control Technician vacancy in the Wastewater Management Energy & Automation Division. The Instrument Control Technicians are responsible for installing, maintaining, repairing, troubleshooting and servicing a wide variety of control instruments and systems utilizing skills and experience with electronic, electric, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical, and other recording, indicating, alarm and control instrumentation devices, including integration to Distributed Control System (DCS), Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems.

Duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Repairs, troubleshoots, identifies, isolates, and solves system, network, and equipment problems.
• Maintains, operates, installs, adjusts, and calibrates systems and equipment. 
• Inspects, evaluates, operates, maintains, tests, troubleshoots, installs, and repairs instruments, components, systems and equipment including electric, telemetric and pneumatic systems, including pneumatic controls such as 3-15 PSI pneumatic controllers, I to P converters, and P to I converters. 
• Programs, configures, and optimizes the analytical, recording and electronic or pneumatic control instruments and related equipment. 
• Designs, fabricates, and installs instrument and telemetric systems and components to include ensuring code compliance and installing. 
• Meets with capital improvement projects teams related to future changes and considerations regarding instrumentations. 
• Purchases equipment, parts and supplies including: selecting vendors; filling out paperwork; coordinating purchases. 
• Uses CMMS system to fill out work orders and maintains records. 
• Performs SCADA, PLC, DCS, and Human Machine Interface (HMI) programming, maintenance, and screen configuration. 
• Creates and updates engineering drawings using AUTOCAD.
• Develops preventative maintenance procedures and train others. 
• Calculates circuit requirements. 
• Operates computer programs for testing electrical equipment, including PLC and DCS. 
• Levels III & IV may act as a lead, assigning, scheduling and checking work, providing technical direction, determining priorities, and training staff. As a lead, may sign timecards and may give input to the supervisor regarding the employee’s performance evaluation, hiring, promotion, termination and discipline of employees. 
• Assign and monitor the work of contractors and temporary workers; work with other trades to install, remove, repair, or replace very large mechanical or electrical services and equipment; meet with and work effectively with a wide range of disciplines addressing Capital Improvement Projects. 
• Maintain: 4-20 mA control loops, DP (differential pressure) cells, RTD (resistance temperature detectors), pressure transducers, level indicators, positioners, valve actuators, fixed and portable D.O. (dissolved oxygen) probes, fixed and portable suspended solids meters, turbine flow meters, density meters, or most control instrumentation devices found in a wastewater treatment facility (or related industrial facilities such as oil refineries, power generation, food-processing, and chemical plants).

Environmental Compliance & Permit Management

• Greenhouse Gas Reporting & Air Board Compliance:  Monitor, track, and ensure compliance with greenhouse gas emission regulations. Maintain accurate records and documentation for annual reporting, audits, and environmental impact assessments.
• Final Effluent Permit – Water Board Compliance: Manage and uphold compliance with the final effluent discharge permit issued by the Water Board. This includes routine sampling, documentation, and reporting to regulatory agencies, as well as prompt response to any discrepancies or exceedances.

Recycled Water Permit - Title 22 Compliance

• Manage and uphold compliance with the recycled water permit issued by the state under Title 22. This includes maintaining instrumentation at pump stations throughout Santa Clara County.

Watershed Equipment Oversight

• Watershed Equipment Management: Coordinate the maintenance, repair, and calibration of equipment used within the watershed area. This includes ensuring that monitoring instruments are operating correctly and remain in compliance with environmental standards.

Safety & Life-Safety Instrumentation

• Gas Monitor Maintenance & Calibration: Maintain and calibrate safety gas monitors used in tunnels and confined spaces. These devices are critical for life safety, and tasks include regular inspections, calibration checks, replacement of components, and documentation of maintenance schedules.
   
• Tunnel Safety Systems Oversight: Ensure proper operation and reliability of life safety instruments within tunnel systems, supporting compliance with occupational safety standards and emergency response readiness.

Minimum Qualifications

Instrument Control Technician I
Graduation from high school, General Education Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate AND one (1) year of instrumentation and controls work experience at an industrial facility similar to that of a wastewater treatment facility.

Instrument Control Technician II Graduation from high school, General Education Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate AND two (2) years of instrumentation and controls work experience at an industrial facility similar to that of a wastewater treatment facility.

Instrument Control Technician III Graduation from high school, General Education Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate AND one (1) year experience as an Instrument Control Technician II with the City of San José OR (3) years of instrumentation and control experience, including one (1) year journey-level, at an industrial facility similar to that of a wastewater treatment facility.

Instrument Control Technician IV Graduation from high school, General Education Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate AND one (1) year experience as an Instrument Control Technician III with the City of San José OR four (4) years of instrumentation and controls work experience, including two (2) years journey-level, at an industrial facility similar to that of a wastewater treatment facility.

Acceptable Substitution
Instrument Control Technician I and II only: Possession of an IBEW/UA (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers/United Association) Instrumentation Calibration Certification may be substituted for one (1) year of instrumentation and controls work experience at an industrial facility similar to that of a wastewater treatment facility.

Required Licensing (such as driver’s license, certifications, etc.)
Possession of a valid driver’s license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in California.

Other Qualifications

Job Competencies
The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.   Desirable competencies for this position include:

Job Expertise- Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations, including knowledge in instrumentation and controls used in industrial settings, in addition:
Knowledge of:

• Technical instruments, basic pneumatic principles, basic mathematic principles, basic electrical principles, and basic electronics principles, basic chemistry principles, safety principles.
• International Society of Automation (ISA)standard symbols and methodology and ability to draw and interpret diagrams and charts to accomplish tasks with minimal or non-existent documentation or support.

Skill in:

• Safe use of instrument testing equipment such as DVM (digital volt meters), control loop simulators, oscilloscopes, pressure and vacuum calibrators, test set-up, and any specialized test equipment found in a wastewater treatment facility or related industrial facility.

Ability to:

• Install, maintain, operate, troubleshoot and calibrate instrumentation to the component level.
• Work with high voltage equipment safely.
• Utilize and work with aging equipment protocols (U.S., European).

Computer Skills - Experience with common business computer applications including but not limited to: MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel, CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management System) Work order system.

Creativity - Addresses objectives and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business.

Multi-Tasking - Can handle multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously; has handled a wide variety of assignments in past and/or current position(s).

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Demonstrates a positive attitude and flexibility along with the ability to develop effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Desirable Qualifications

• Possession of an International Society of Automation (ISA), Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST), California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Electrical/Instrumentation Technologist Grade II, 

Knowledge of:

• Basic water treatment plant procedures.
• Current and developing technology and its impact on current and future capital improvement projects; the facility’s operating system and processes and legacy operations and system design; wide range of instrumentation and control products and their applicability to the plants systems and equipment; the computerized process controls –(programmable logic control).
• NEC (National Electricians Code) and NFP70E Electrical Safety.
• NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency)

Ability to:

• Develop and lead I&C Preventative Maintenance programs.
• Design, fabricate and install instrumentation and telemetric systems and components; gather critical amounts of information and resolve issues using instrumentation and control equipment (flow, temp, PH, turbidity, conductivity, pressure, solids (TSS).

Selection Process
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews, and a practical exam.

If you have questions about this recruitment, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Jennifer Macias at Jennifer.Macias1@sanjoseca.gov. 

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility:  Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.  

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.  Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application.  If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided.  IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. 

Please mention you found this employment opportunity on the CareersInGovernment.com job board.

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• City of San José, California