Job title: Plumber - Water Treatment Installer (Lead)
Company: WaterGuard
Location: Athens, TN (in person)
Job type: Full-time
Schedule: Monday to Friday, Day shift
Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40 per week
Benefits: [SELECT AFTER BENEFITS DECISION IS FINAL]
Supplemental pay: [None, or add performance bonus if you decide to]
Experience: Plumbing: 5 years (Required)
Water treatment installation: 1 year (Preferred)
Well systems: 1 year (Preferred)
License: Driver's License (REQUIRED)
Plumbing License (Preferred)
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ABOUT WATERGUARD
WaterGuard is East Tennessee's education-first water treatment company. We test a home's water, put the results in a written report the homeowner keeps, and build a system around what the test actually found. We serve homeowners and businesses from Knoxville to Chattanooga.
We do not pressure people and we do not sell equipment nobody needs. We test, we explain, we install it correctly, and we re-test the water 30 days after installation to confirm it changed. That last step is why the quality of the installation matters so much to us - we go back and measure our own work.
We are also building this company on purpose. Our goal is to set the standard for how a company should operate - how leaders support their team, how coworkers work together, and how customers get treated. We believe when the inside of a company runs well, the customer feels it. That is not a poster on the wall here. It is the reason the company exists.
THE ROLE
We are hiring an experienced plumber to install whole-home water treatment systems and to lead the work on site. Softeners, carbon and sediment filtration, iron and sulfur removal, UV, drinking water systems, and treatment on private well systems.
MOST DAYS ARE SCHEDULED INSTALLATIONS - NOT SERVICE CALLS. One or two installs a day, on the calendar in advance, with the equipment already ordered and staged. This is planned work, not a day of chasing emergencies.
You arrive with a written system design built from that customer's water test - so you know before you pull in the driveway what is going in, in what order, and why. Jobs are pre-planned on purpose. We do not run on chaos, and we are not looking for someone who is only comfortable working that way.
You will be the senior person on the job site. You do the work, you set the standard, you direct a helper, and you communicate the plan - to the customer, to your helper, and back to the office.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Install whole-home water treatment equipment - softeners, carbon and sediment filtration, iron and sulfur removal, UV, and reverse osmosis drinking water systems
- Install treatment on private well systems - pressure tanks, well pump plumbing, and well-side treatment
- Plumb bypass loops, drain lines, and correct treatment sequencing per the system design
- Sweat copper, solvent-weld PVC and CPVC, and run PEX to code and to a clean finished standard
- Complete the WaterGuard Installation Checklist on every job, including post-install performance verification
- Walk the customer through the finished system - how it works, what to expect, and what maintenance it needs
- Direct and train a helper on site - assign the work, check the work, hold the standard
- Review the system design and confirm materials before install day - problems get found in the driveway, not in the crawlspace
- Handle service and maintenance visits on existing WaterGuard systems
- Keep the truck stocked, materials accounted for, and job notes current in Housecall Pro
LEADING THE HELPER
You will have a helper assigned to you, and developing that person is part of the job - not a favor you do on the side.
That means showing them how the work is done correctly, giving clear direction instead of expecting them to guess, checking their work before it gets covered up, and telling us honestly how they are progressing. If you enjoy bringing along a younger tech and are willing to be accountable for their output as well as your own, this role has a clear path to crew lead as we add trucks.
WHY WATERGUARD
If you are a good plumber, you have options. Here is honestly what is different about this one.
- The work is planned before you get there. Equipment is ordered and staged. The system design is already written from the customer's water test. You are not diagnosing on the fly or waiting on parts.
- No nights, no weekend on-call rotation, no emergency calls at 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, day shift, home for dinner.
- You are not selling anything. The consultation happens before you ever pull in the driveway. Nobody expects you to upsell a homeowner or hit a commission number. Your job is to install it right and explain it clearly.
- We pay for you to get better. Water treatment certification, license progression, manufacturer training - company-funded, on our time, not yours.
- You are the first lead installer we are hiring, which means you help build the install standard instead of inheriting somebody else's bad one. Your input on how jobs get done will actually change how they get done.
- There is a real path. We are early, we are growing, and we plan to run multiple locations across East Tennessee. As we add trucks, we need crew leads. That opportunity goes to the person already doing it well.
- A small team where the work is visible. Three people right now. Nobody gets lost here, and nobody gets to hide either. What you do matters, and it gets noticed.
- You will be proud of the work. We test our own installs 30 days later and show the customer the numbers. Very few companies in this trade are willing to be measured that way.
WHAT WE REQUIRE
- 5+ years of hands-on plumbing experience
- A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record - required, no exceptions
- Confident with copper, PEX, CPVC, and PVC - clean, code-compliant work you would put your name on
- Able to read a system design and plumb it correctly without being walked through it
- Organized - you plan the job before you start it, know what materials you need, and are not losing half a day hunting for a part
- Able to communicate a plan clearly and out loud - to the homeowner, to your helper, and back to the office
- You value working ahead of the job instead of reacting to it. Pre-planning is how we operate, and this role has to want that.
- Able to lift 75 lbs and work in crawlspaces, basements, garages, and mechanical rooms
- Comfortable talking with homeowners - you are in their house and you represent the company
- Able to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen
PREFERRED - NOT REQUIRED
- Experience installing residential water filtration or water softening equipment
- Experience on private well systems - pumps, pressure tanks, and well-side treatment
- Tennessee plumbing license (journeyman or higher), or Limited Licensed Plumber
- Experience leading a helper, an apprentice, or a small crew
- Water treatment certification, or the interest in earning one - we pay for the training and the exam
PAY, SCHEDULE, AND WHAT WE PROVIDE
- $30-$35 per hour. Where you land in that range is based on demonstrated skill, licensure, and water treatment experience - not years on a resume.
- Monday through Friday, day shift. Occasional Saturday by exception, not as the standing expectation.
- Company truck for job travel, with fuel and vehicle expenses covered for business use.
- Company-paid training and certification, including water treatment certification and license progression.
- Paid time off and company benefits - [INSERT FINALIZED BENEFITS BEFORE POSTING]
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS
- Installations are completed on schedule and finished on the first visit.
- You are working a day ahead - the design is reviewed and materials confirmed before install morning.
- Every install passes the WaterGuard Installation Checklist - no exceptions, no shortcuts.
- The 30-day water re-test confirms the system is performing the way it was designed to.
- Customers understand their own system before you leave the house.
- Callbacks are rare, and the ones that happen are handled without being chased.
- Your helper is measurably more capable than the day they started with you.
HOW WE WORK
WaterGuard runs on five core values. We hire against them and we hold each other to them.
- Competence - Know your trade or be serious about getting better at it. Do the work right. Care about the details.
- Team First - No egos, no silos. Help each other, communicate clearly, own it when something goes wrong.
- Growth Mindset - Ask questions. Take feedback. Get better. Standing still is not an option here.
- Sense of Urgency - Do not drag your feet or wait for someone else to act. Urgency means follow-through, not panic.
- Stewardship - If it is your job, you own it. Prepare ahead. Do what you said. Fix problems instead of passing them off.
Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company truck
- Employee discount
- Fuel card
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
