Description

Join Our Team as a Wastewater Operator – Where Water Gets a Fresh Start!

Nature of Work: This position is responsible for supporting purchasing, inventory, and asset management functions for the Utilities Department. The Asset Management & Purchasing Specialist ensures compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Public Service Commission (PSC) regulations while coordinating procurement activities, maintaining the City's asset management and work order systems, and providing technical support for operations, maintenance, and capital improvement projects.

What You'll Be Doing:

Manage purchasing activities, including purchase requisitions, purchase orders, vendor coordination, and inventory control.
Track and reconcile inventory, support annual physical inventory process, and prepare regulatory and accounting reports.
Support operations and capital improvement projects by maintaining asset records, technical specifications, and procurement documentation.
Requirements: Post-secondary education or training in water or wastewater treatment technology with a college degree preferred. Three to five years of experience in purchasing specialized process equipment or technical services in an industrial maintenance environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Valid Wisconsin driver's license required. 

Salary: Competitive hourly wage from $26.48 - $37.07, plus an excellent fringe benefit package including paid time off, health, life, dental, and Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). The WRS is among the best funded and best managed public pension systems in the country.

Benefits:

        9 Standard Holidays plus 4 Floating Holidays

        Vacation, personal time off and compensation time

        Health, life, dental and vision insurance

        Long-term disability

        Wisconsin Retirement System Pension

        457 and Roth Retirement

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7am until 3 pm.

Apply Now! 

If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete an online application at www.appletonwi.gov/careers by Sunday, August 26, 2026. 

Requirements

Requirements of Work
This position requires an associate degree or post-secondary training in business, accounting, supply chain management, procurement, or related field, and three to five (3-5) years of experience in purchasing, procurement, inventory control, technical services, or an industrial or utility maintenance environment or an equivalent combination of education, training, and progressively responsible experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. A college degree is preferred. A valid Wisconsin driver’s license is required.

• Working knowledge of public and municipal purchasing and procurement methods, including competitive bidding, requests for quotations, sole-source justification, and purchase order processing.
• Knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Public Service Commission (PSC) rules as they apply to utility purchasing, inventory, and financial reporting.
• Knowledge of vendor and contract management practices, including obtaining pricing, establishing chemical contracts, and evaluating substitute items.
• Knowledge of procurement card (P-card) policies and City purchasing policy compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of records management and documentation practices.
• Sufficient familiarity with water and wastewater treatment processes and equipment including pumps and mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and chemical systems to prepare accurate specifications and procure appropriate goods and services.
• Knowledge of equipment parts, tools, and materials sufficient to identify, specify, and source replacement items, and of inventory control methods, practices, and procedures.
• Familiarity with inventory, asset management, and financial or ERP software and their relationship with one another, and a general understanding of asset management principles and how purchasing and inventory functions support asset lifecycle tracking and capital planning.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and use operations and maintenance manuals, sheets, and product manuals to prepare specifications and verify purchases.
• Ability to perform arithmetic calculations required for purchasing and inventory functions, including unit pricing, quantity extensions, budget tracking, and reconciliation.
• Proficiency using the Microsoft Office Suite, enterprise asset management (EAM) software, and financial or ERP and reporting tools to enter data, produce records, and develop reports.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and summarize purchasing and inventory data and prepare related reports, and to exercise independent judgment based on available information.
• Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions and to react promptly and efficiently in emergencies.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with employees, vendors, and the public in a courteous and tactful manner.