DWSD to hire more than 50 new employees at job fair Thursday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Triumph Church - East
- On-site interviews for all eligible candidates; no degree required for most positions
- Competitive pay and benefits with extensive training provided
- Five other city departments to recruit employees as well
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) will host a career fair at Triumph Church at 2760 East Grand Boulevard this Thursday, June 8 at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to fill several full-time positions. Recruiters will conduct on-the-spot interviews for Customer Service Specialists, Field Services Technicians and engineers. The technicians repair water and sewer mains, hydrants, and clean sewer pipes.
All positions have competitive pay, benefits and paid holidays. Those attending the hiring fair need to bring:
- A driver’s license or state or Detroit-issued ID
- Copy of your diploma or GED (no degree is necessary for the Field Services Technicians and training is provided)
- A resume will be helpful, though not required
“Our goal is to hire more Detroiters to perform the work needed to maintain and upgrade the water and sewer systems that their neighbors rely on every day,” says Gary Brown, DWSD director. “Detroiters pay the water and sewer rates. Why should Detroiters not benefit from this important work through not only a viable job, but a career. We’re also filling key positions to help us design and manage infrastructure upgrades, while other new employees will be our first point-of-contact for customers as a Customer Service Specialist.”
Most positions are in-person and assigned to a facility or a work site. DWSD employees who staff a virtual call center are the Customer Service Specialists, and after extensive training and receiving assigned equipment, they work remotely. Since moving the Customer Service Specialists to fully remote work, the efficiency and call wait time has dramatically improved, directly benefiting DWSD’s customers.
Brown said working at DWSD is a career opportunity. The department prides itself on the hard-working employees by providing them the tools to be successful and advancement opportunities. Two employees, who were recently featured in the Opportunity Rising video series, are recent examples:
- Detroit resident David Ridgeway was one of only a handful of future water industry leaders to be selected for a program.
- David Fielder is leading the lead service line replacement program and is currently in a Duke University leadership cohort.
Like many organizations at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DWSD lost several staff through early retirements and transitions to other careers. It’s now on an upward trajectory to grow its workforce.
Additional City of Detroit departments will also be in attendance recruiting for open positions. They include the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED), Department of Public Works (DPW), Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), Detroit Police Department (DPD), and General Services Department (GSD).
About the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) delivers clean water and collects sanitary sewage and stormwater from more than 230,000 accounts, representing a residential population of nearly 700,000. DWSD’s water system consists of more than 2,700 miles of water main and 29,000-plus fire hydrants, and the combined sewer collection system has nearly 3,000 miles of sewer piping, more than 90,000 catch basins and 16 green stormwater infrastructure projects within the city of Detroit. Since June 2019, DWSD has committed $100 million per year to begin to address the aging infrastructure, including replacing lead service lines. To learn more about DWSD or to request water services, make payments, apply for affordability programs, or report water or sewer emergencies, call DWSD Customer Service at 313-267-8000, use the Improve Detroit mobile app, or visit www.detroitmi.gov/dwsd.