Position: Water & Sanitation Technician Location: Bluefield, WV; occasional travel required to other areas located in the Central Appalachian Region of the United States Employment Type: Full-time, Hourly, Nonexempt Compensation Range: $21.50/hour - $31.25/hour DOE Level: Associate I Reports To: Appalachia Water Project Director Manages: None Supported By: Appalachia Water Project team, Program teams, Operations team Education/Experience Preferences: High School Diploma, or equivalent professional experience preferred Start Date: ASAP, open until filled We Are DigDeep The DigDeep Right to Water Project is a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) organization serving the 2 million + people in the U.S. who still don't have a tap or a toilet at home. DigDeep believes access to clean water is a human right. We run several nationally recognized programs that empower communities to build their own water and sanitation systems. We won the 2018 US Water Prize for our Navajo Water Project, which has brought clean, running water to hundreds of Native families across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. DigDeep launched the Appalachia Water Project in 2020, in McDowell County, WV. It has since brought clean, sustainable running water to hundreds of families in Southern West Virginia through public - private partnerships with the McDowell County and East Logan PSD's in Wyoming County. In addition to clean running water, the project is installing septic systems and connecting households to centralized sewer. The AWP is now expanding into neighboring states of Kentucky and Virginia to continue its quest of clean water for every Appalachian family. Our water projects expanded in 2022 when we launched our Colonias Water Project. This project works to bring clean, running water to the residents living in communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The Texas colonias are largely unincorporated, low-income communities that fall just outside city limits and often lack basic infrastructure. Our work began in Cochran colonia near El Paso. DigDeep partnered with residents, housing nonprofits, and county officials to innovate a new model for public-private-partnership that brings these basic services to families for the first time. Now we're getting the water flowing in 5 more communities. The Opportunity DigDeep is looking for a collaborative, organized, and detail-oriented person to join our growing Appalachia Water Project team in West Virginia as the Water and Sanitation Technician. Reporting to the Appalachia Water Project Director, the Water and Sanitation Technician is responsible for getting our clients running water. Under the direction of the Appalachia Water Project Director, the Water and Sanitation Technician will install home water systems into the homes of local community members. The Water and Sanitation Technician will also maintain existing systems, manage inventory, tools, and vehicles operation and maintenance. Key Responsibilities This is what you'll do once you join the team:
- Engage in assigned manual plumbing work (i.e. assisting the homeowner(s) with repairs or initial installations (if needed).
- When needed, conduct water sampling.
- Carries out job assessment(s) and post-install inspection.
- Organize and log inventory at the office and in vehicles; ensure that all parts are transported from the office to job sites for installations.
- Coordinate and schedule vehicle maintenance appointments, drive vehicles between auto repair shops and field offices.
- Complete service visits for clients as needed; tasks include, but are not limited to, replacing malfunctioning parts.
- Assist Project Managers in surveying prospective client homes.
- Help guide new Water and Sanitation Technicians on system installs, service visits, and other responsibilities.
- Client relations and community engagement:, taking home assessments, conducting follow up, answering questions, providing training, building and maintaining positive rapport with the people we serve.
- Under guidance of the Project Director, oversee contractors working on installations of water and sanitation lines and devices at client homes.
- With Project Managers and other Technicians, host DigDeep staff, board members, donors, and press during visits to the field.
- Assist with ad-hoc projects and support other tasks/duties as assigned.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. As the organization continues to evolve, duties or tasks may change without impacting the overall job description. Competencies
- Analytical Thinking: Gathers and links information. Reviews incoming information for inconsistencies. Gathers information in response to routine problems. Determines relationship of information, identifying cause and effect. Breaks down tasks and problems into manageable components. With guidance, determines importance and priorities for action. Recognize when issues are non-routine and source solutions from management.
- Collaborative Working: Occasionally expresses an interest in others' experiences, ideas, and roles. Participates willingly by supporting team decisions, assisting other team members, and doing his/her share of the work to meet goals and deadlines. Informs other team members about client-related decisions, group processes, individual actions, or influencing events. Sees peers as collaborators not competitors. Remains respectful in communications and approach where disagreement exists. Receptive of constructive criticism.
- Initiative: Does work as directed. Volunteers to undertake activities within capability. Asks questions and gathers information prior to taking on new tasks. Seeks help where challenged in trying something new.
- Innovation: Displays open mindedness and is willing to try new approaches. Adapts readily to changes and needs of their work. Is able to shift attention and priorities in own work in response to needs of their work.
- Judgement & Decision-Making: Makes and implements relatively simple and safe decisions where necessary information is readily available and the reasoning leading to the decision is routine or straightforward. Tackles a problem by using a logical approach, involving supervisor support. Is able to analyze problems and propose solutions. Should be able to implement relatively simple solutions independently, and more complex solutions by asking relevant questions.
- Professional Communication: Strong written and verbal communications skills, with the ability to express oneself clearly and effectively in conversations and interactions with others (both internal and external). Speaks and writes in ways that support transactional activities. Presents oneself clearly and articulately when speaking with an individual or their team. Shares information and asks questions prior to taking action.
- Technical Expertise: Has demonstrated ability and depth of knowledge with the technology in the desired technical area. Effectively uses and applies technical knowledge, and uses knowledge to identify solutions to existing problems. Basic understanding of data security best practices.
Skills and Qualifications We want to hear from you if you have:
- High School Diploma, or equivalent professional experience preferred
- At least 2 years of applicable professional experience required; experience in construction or a similar trade required
- Valid plumber's license required
- Valid CDL preferred
- Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Google Workspace required
- Experience with Slack, Asana, Zoom preferred
- Experience and/or willingness to use data collection platforms (e.g., such as mWater)
- High computer literacy, and tech savviness preferred
- Proficient with power and hand tools preferred
- Familiarity with plumbing and solar parts - including but not limited to PEX, PVC, and solar power fundamentals required
- Understanding and appreciation of occupational safety and health principles preferred
- Organized, trustworthy, dependable, and able to gain the respect and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity
- Comfortable with autonomy, able to work independently and complete assigned tasks within established time frames required
- Experience/Willingness to work across various cultural contexts and communicating across cultural differences
- Strong cultural competency and/or knowledge of the Appalachian region preferred
- Willingness to travel, including but not limited to: Navajo Nation (AZ/NM/UT), West Virginia, Texas, DigDeep HQ, and additional locations as needed
- Understanding of data security best practices preferred
- Willingness to pitch in when/where needed
- Ability to lift up to 25lbs, and walk up and down stairs
- Ability to work full-time in office and/or remote, Monday-Thursday, 7:30am-5:30pm
Compensation and Benefits At DigDeep, we believe that great work requires a great job. We understand that people thrive with rest and holistic support, which is crucial for our long-term success. We take pride in offering top-notch benefits to our team across the United States, prioritizing their health and wellbeing, as well as providing additional support for our employees' families. If you join us, here's how we'll support you in your work:
- Competitive wage to commensurate with level of position
- Generous vacation and sick leave
- 23 weeks paid Parental Leave
- Annual Professional Development Stipend
- Annual Wellbeing Reimbursement
- BrightPlan membership (Financial Wellness Benefit)
- Health Benefits
- Employee Offering: Medical, dental, vision insurance, 100% employer paid
- Spouse/Children/Family Offering: Employer covers up to $500 of the monthly cost for medical insurance for spouse/children/family; Employer covers 100% of the cost for dental and vision insurance for spouse/children/family
- One Medical membership
- Life insurance, 100% employer paid
- Work laptop
- Monthly cell phone use allowance
- 15 paid holidays (including one week closure for Labor Day)
- Domestic travel
- 401k retirement plan, with employer match
Interested? To apply, please visit submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume. References should be available upon request. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No office visits. No calls please. Thank you. DigDeep has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health of our employees and community at large. Where permissible by law, candidates applying to work at DigDeep should be ready to demonstrate proof of receiving up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of their employment. In an effort to promote pay equity and transparency, DigDeep does not negotiate compensation outside of posted compensation ranges. DigDeep's compensation is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: internal budget analysis, external market value, internal pay alignment, and annual merit increases. A candidate's compensation history will not be used in determining compensation at DigDeep. Please note that DigDeep cannot provide immigration sponsorship for this position. DigDeep is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. DigDeep is built on the principles of equity, transparency and the power of human experience. Your work will improve the daily lives of real people. We believe everybody should have the clean, running water they need to thrive. Join us, and we'll close the US water gap in our lifetimes. DigDeep is a certified Great Place to Work®