• City of Santa Fe employees to be trained and certified prior to project coming on-line
SANTA FE, NM, April 12, 2010 -- The Buckman Direct Diversion (BDD) Project and City of Santa Fe announced today that hiring has begun for seven top BDD positions. The seven are among 31 positions that will be filled to manage, operate and maintain the new, state-of-the art, technologically advanced water project that will help ensure the diversity and reliability of the Santa Fe area's water supply once it comes on-line in May 2011. The budget for these positions is included in the City's 10-year finance plan.
Initially, the BDD is seeking a Facilities Manager, a Chief Operator, a Facilities and Equipment Maintenance Superintendent, an Automation and Security Systems Administrator, a Regulatory Compliance Officer, a Fiscal Manager and Business Administrator, and a Safety Officer and Training Administrator. The selected individuals will manage all aspects of the BDD as well as implement a specialized in-house training and certification program.
"We're very excited that the BDD is nearing completion, and look forward to recruiting and training as many talented local professionals as possible. These permanent, high-skills jobs will help replace the BDD jobs created during construction that supported our local job market during challenging economic times. They will be an important part of the Santa Fe economy now and in the future," said BDD Board Chair, Santa Fe City Councilor and Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Wurzburger.
Hiring is starting now because specialized training and certification will be required to operate the sophisticated, state-of-the-art BDD water treatment plant and diversion facility, according to BDD Project Manager Rick Carpenter. "As of this fall, we will have in place a paid, specialized training and certification program which offers the opportunity to earn pay increases with successful completion of training and BDD certification as well as a career ladder with plenty of room to advance. That way, we will be prepared to operate the BDD as soon as it is turned over by the contractor," he explained.
To apply for a BDD position, persons can visit the City of Santa Fe website (www.santafenm.gov) and search on "Job Opportunities." More information is also available by calling the City of Santa Fe 24-hour Job Line at (505) 955-6742. Or, persons can visit the BDD website (www.bddproject.org) and click on the "Careers" section on the front page for more information and a link to the application and hiring information.
Virginia Vigil, vice-chair of the BDD Board and Santa Fe County Commissioner, said that the BDD has formed a partnership with Santa Fe Community College to help create ongoing training and skills certification programs for New Mexicans as well as encourage college students to consider a career with the BDD. "We are concentrating not only on filling the positions we have open now, but also on creating a 'grow our own' pipeline of interested young college graduates who will stay in New Mexico to pursue a career in water systems operation and management and become part of our future," she explained.
As City of Santa Fe employees, BDD staff will earn a competitive salary and qualify for an excellent benefits package.
Carpenter said the next group of BDD positions is scheduled to be advertised in late April or early May and will include five shift charge operators, seven advanced water treatment operator seniors, four operators levels I and II, a process instrumentation and control hardware and software technician and a water quality laboratory technician.
The remaining positions, including a journeyman millwright/mechanic, an industrial electrician senior, an industrial electrician, two equipment repairmen and an inventory/warehouse clerk, are scheduled to be filled in the fall or winter of 2010, Carpenter said.
Carpenter said the BDD positions are expected to generate an annual payroll, including benefits, of $2.6 million in Fiscal Year 2011 (a partial year) and nearly $3.4 million in the BDD's first full year of operation, Fiscal 2012.
Located just a few miles north west of Santa Fe near the Municipal Recreational Complex, the $217 million BDD Project will provide more than 60 percent of the annual water supply for 100,000 customers, delivering as much as 15 million gallons per day of treated drinking water. It is one of the largest, most complex and most costly non-federal infrastructure projects ever built in Santa Fe County.
About the Buckman Direct Diversion Project
The BDD Project will provide a sustainable way for the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County to access surface water supplies by diverting San Juan-Chama Project water and native Rio Grande water to reduce their reliance on over-taxed ground water resources. Design and construction on the BDD began in September 2008 and is expected to be completed, with the project operational, in spring 2011.
###
