Tampa Bay Water has a wide range of positions to keep the agency running: water treatment plant operators, hydrologic technicians, mechanical technicians, electricians, engineers, scientists, accounting technicians, and construction project managers, just to name a few. Many of these jobs are highly specialized, so it’s important to have a succession plan in place to ensure the agency continues to provide high-quality drinking water to the region as employees retire or leave.
Tampa Bay Water has been working with third-party expert Jacobs-CH2M to analyze current staff proficiencies and gaps, along with future needs as the agency moves toward more capital planning and construction. They found among the 155 approved positions:
Using this information, the agency has created a succession plan, which was shared with the board at its Dec. 14, 2020, meeting. Among the succession initiatives under consideration are a transitional hiring or mentoring program, academic partnerships, and apprentice program and formal cross-training.