The City of Bartlesville currently has several job openings — from civil engineer to accountant to police dispatcher and more — for which applications are being accepted via the City website, www.cityofbartlesville.org, or at City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. Human Resources Director Laura Sanders tells us all about it in this week’s edition of Director’s Cut.
City Beat: So tell us about the positions that are currently open with the City of Bartlesville.
Sanders: We are currently accepting applications for several open positions that vary pretty widely in skill level and experience requirements. These positions include:
- Museum Assistant Archivist – History Museum (part time)
- Maintenance Worker – Parks
- Accountant – Accounting & Finance
- Maintenance Worker – Golf Course
- Library Assistant Circulation (part time)
- Fiscal Technician
- Police Dispatcher
- Civil Project Engineer – Engineering
- Wastewater Utility Maintenance Worker
- Water Distribution Utility Maintenance Worker
- Construction Crew Leader Water
Let’s get this out of the way first, because it has been asked a couple of times. Are any of these openings created by Covid in any way?
No. None of the positions are new and all were created by someone leaving the City’s employment, either voluntarily, involuntarily or due to retirement.
Are any of these positions harder fill than others?
I think many employers are struggling a little these days to attract experienced applicants who are motivated and highly qualified in their field, but it is true that some City positions are harder to fill than others. In our case, and of the positions that are open now, the civil engineer, accountant, and police dispatcher positions are somewhat more difficult.
Why is that?
This is true for a variety of reasons. For one thing, it is somewhat harder for us to compete with private sector jobs when it comes to positions such as civil engineer and accountant. We have become far more competitive with our compensation package in recent years, thanks to the work of City Manager Mike Bailey and initiatives implemented by the City Council, but municipalities — or government, in general — has always lagged behind the private sector a bit in this area. Other positions, such as police dispatcher, require rigorous background checks and/or shift work, which always makes it a bit more challenging to find suitable candidates.
Does the City have any advantages that might give it an edge in comparison to private sector jobs?
Yes, I would say the City offers many advantages that people might not really know about. We are able to offer competitive compensation, as mentioned before, and our benefits are excellent. We offer six percent in matching retirement funds, generous sick, family sick and vacation leave, and 11 paid holidays per year. The City also offers excellent insurance which includes the Zero Card benefit. This benefit allows employees to have some procedures and tests ran at zero cost to them. No copays, no co-insurance, no deductibles to be met.
But I would argue the biggest advantage is knowing you are serving the public and that your efforts are making the community better for everyone. Working for the City is very rewarding in many ways, and having the ability to truly make an impact and change people’s lives for the better are chief among them.
You make a compelling case. Let’s say you’ve convinced qualified applicants to apply. What should they do next?
They should fill out an application and submit it to the Human Resources Department. Resumes and cover letters are welcome as well, but an application is required.
Where can people apply?
Applications are available on the City website, www.cityofbartlesville.org.
Where can people go for more information?
Full descriptions for open positions are available on the website, but if anyone would like more information, they are welcome to contact HR at hr@cityofbartlesville.org or 918.338.4221.