Instrumentation & Controls Technician - (Water) Treatment Plants

About Red Deer:
Red Deer sits at the heart of Central Alberta along the QEII corridor, perfectly positioned between Calgary and Edmonton. With more than 100,000 residents and a regional reach of over 300,000, it’s a growing hub for business, services, and opportunity.

Here, big-city amenities meet small-city ease. Enjoy abundant parks and trails, vibrant arts and culture, excellent recreation and education, and a strong sense of community.

With easy access to lakes, outdoor adventures, and the mountains, plus a thriving economy and high quality of life, Red Deer is an inviting place to live, work, and grow.

About The City of Red Deer Municipal Government:
The City of Red Deer is a dynamic municipal organization with a $480M operating budget, a $60M capital program, and a workforce of nearly 1,700 employees. It is focused on growing with purpose by attracting talented, community-minded people who want to make a difference.

Guided by the vision “Our City, One Voice,” Red Deer is building a thriving, inclusive, and connected community, with priorities centered on a vibrant economy, community wellbeing, and strong engagement.

At its core, the City values its people, embracing diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared success

The Opportunity:
The City of Red Deer is currently recruiting an Instrumentation & Controls Technician – (Water) Treatment Plants to fill a Regular (permanent) Full-time position. This role is responsible for the maintenance of monitoring and control instruments and systems in an operating water treatment plant, in compliance with all applicable codes, policies, and regulations.

The position is responsible for ensuring the continued safe, reliable, and accurate operation of process equipment and instrumentation assets, maintaining the integrity of historical data logged by instruments and SCADA systems, and ensuring adherence to occupational health and safety requirements as well as the City’s Government of Alberta Approval to Operate.

Top Key Responsibilities:

1. Maintain and Troubleshoot Instrumentation & Control Systems - Inspect, diagnose, repair, calibrate, and maintain instrumentation and control equipment.
2. Manage SCADA, PLC, and Automation Systems - Provide technical support for SCADA systems, process control, data acquisition, PLC programming, HMI interfaces, VFDs, and communication networks. Implement software changes and maintain communication links.
3. Coordinate Maintenance and Repair Activities - Plan and schedule preventive maintenance, shutdowns, start-ups, routine inspections, modifications, and emergency repairs. Ensure work is completed efficiently while meeting operational requirements.
4. Provide Technical Leadership and Support - Act within a team of subject matter experts for instrumentation and process control systems. Support operators, project coordinators, engineers, contractors, consultants, and vendors.
5. Commission and Optimize Equipment - Assist with installation, testing, commissioning, performance monitoring, and optimization of instrumentation and control equipment. Recommend improvements and upgrades to enhance reliability and efficiency.
6. Mentor Staff - Coach, train, and mentor junior staff on equipment operation, maintenance practices, and troubleshooting techniques. Foster a respectful and inclusive workplace.
7. Ensure Asset Management and Documentation Accuracy - Maintain equipment records, maintenance logs, technical documentation, blueprints, schematics, and asset management databases. Ensure documentation is current, accurate, and compliant.
8. Support Health, Safety, and Regulatory Compliance - Promote and participate in safety programs, inspections, hazard assessments, emergency drills, and regulatory compliance activities. Ensure safe work practices and adherence to Occupational Health & Safety requirements.
9. Manage Inventory and Procurement Support - Maintain inventory of critical spare parts and supplies. Assist with equipment specifications, supplier evaluations, quotations, and purchasing activities.
10. Contribute to Planning, Budgeting, and Continuous Improvement - Provide input into preventive maintenance programs, capital planning, operational budgets, and optimization projects. Recommend equipment replacements, upgrades, and process improvements.
    

As our preferred candidate, you will have:

• Grade 12 or equivalent
• Journeyperson Instrumentation and Control Technician Certification
• Fourth (4th) Class Power Engineering Certification will be considered an asset
• Preference will be given to those with past experience working with SCADA systems.
• Minimum of 5 years industrial maintenance experience as a Certified Journeyperson Instrumentation and Controls Technician, in a Level III or IV Treatment Plant or comparable industrial environment.
• Successfully pass all required safety courses and others to be defined by the province or by the City
• Valid Class 5 Alberta Driver’s license
  

Required Skills:

• Ability to work unsupervised and co-operate with colleagues as a team, to understand and follow instructions and to provide guidance and instructions to junior staff.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, property and business owners/officers, and their representatives.
• Well-developed verbal, computer and written communications skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong computer aptitude including demonstrated proficiency with City based computer programs, databases, spreadsheets and word-processing software.
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and the ability to accurately work with a wide range of equipment.
• Understand and apply applicable industry best practices and The City’s Approval to Operate.
• Demonstrated safety skills in the use of specialized equipment including respirators and air quality monitors. Work may require use of harnesses and hoisting equipment.
• This position has a wide range of functional responsibilities and skill requirements, from operating pumps to dealing with dangerous chemicals and is required to be proficient with a variety of tools and equipment.

Specific Demands of the Job:

• This position may be required for after hours work for emergency repairs.
• This position is responsible for being aware of and complying with all applicable regulations, policies and procedures for day-to-day operations and to immediately report non-compliance situations.
• Ability to troubleshoot diverse problems and exercise critical thinking in the execution of their duties where precedent or policy do not always apply.
• This position may have a significant impact on public health and safety and the environment.
• Must be physically fit in order to climb, lift, bend and twist in awkward positions, and perform moderate physical exertion regularly in awkward positions.
• Ability to work inside and outside in all types of weather and in conditions which may be noisy, dirty, wet, cold, hot and disagreeable.
• Errors could significantly disrupt service levels and programs, requiring significant expenditures to correct, resulting in a loss of customer confidence, impact to public health, and damage to the public image of the City, and the environment.
• This position requires working in a hazardous environment daily. Hazards are not limited to but include electrocution, drowning, handling of hazardous chemicals, working with rotating equipment and in confined spaces. The use of mask respirator is required when working in potentially deadly atmospheres.

Affiliation: Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 417
Status: Regular Full-time
Remuneration: $48.47 to $51.02 per hour
Hours of Work: 80 hours biweekly; Monday to Friday, some evening and weekend work may be required when needed.

The City of Red Deer does not permit the use of unauthorized internet resources or Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (for example, Copilot, ChatGPT or any other form of AI) during interviews or any supervised or timed assessments. Any violation may be investigated and result in serious consequences, including the rejection of your application.

We thank you for your application. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We are a municipal government, eager to meet tomorrow's challenges. Our employees are the cornerstone of our organization. We are always seeking creative and skilled individuals with the ability and desire to lead in our dynamic workplace. Each of our employees brings diverse experiences and perspectives, as well as unique skills and talents to the job. Our diverse employee base ensures an environment where individual, team, and organizational successes are embraced and celebrated. We strive to ensure a supportive and respectful work environment for all. Employees are treated fairly and have equal opportunity within the organization to thrive and attain their highest potential. We welcome your application and look forward to discussing how The City of Red Deer can become your next career choice.