RKT-JOB-001 · CIPP foreman · 2026 start · Buffalo NY · Open
CIPP foreman. Onsite, full-time, in Buffalo.
We are hiring one person to run CIPP installs day-to-day, alongside Marie. The role exists because we are at the case-volume where Marie can no longer be the foreman on every install while also running estimating, casebook, and BSA liaison. The person we hire will own CIPP from survey-day recommendation through cure-day verification.
§ I · What you'd do
- Run the CIPP install on roughly 60% of our annual installs (about 50 jobs/year). The other 40% Marie continues to run.
- Lead the pre-install pre-clean (auger, hydro-jet) and the post-install verification CCTV.
- Coordinate with the BSA inspector on permit closeout.
- Sign off on each CIPP dossier you ran (Marie reviews and countersigns).
- Train Ari and Marco (apprentices) on inversion technique.
- Cover emergency dispatch on a 1-in-3 weekly rotation with Al and Dani.
§ II · What you'd not do
- Pipe-bursting. That's Dani's role; we will not split it.
- Estimating new jobs. That stays with Marie. You will give her input on each scope but the customer-facing estimate is hers.
- Casebook editorial. Also Marie's.
- Sales or business development. We don't do those.
§ III · The bar
Required:
- 3+ years of trenchless experience (CIPP, lining, or relining); or 7+ years of related plumbing trades work with willingness to cross-train on CIPP in your first 90 days.
- NASSCO PACP/MACP certification, or willingness to obtain inside 90 days of start. (We pay for the cert; you pass it.)
- NYS Plumbing license at journeyman level minimum. Master license preferred (we will support upgrade if you're close).
- OSHA 30 within 12 months.
- Valid NY driver's license, clean record.
- Comfortable in basements. Comfortable in resin-cure smell. Comfortable in Buffalo winters.
- Able to lift 60 lb to chest height (the felt sleeves and resin barrels).
Preferred:
- Existing NASSCO PACP, MACP, or LACP certification.
- UA Local 22 membership in good standing.
- Familiarity with at least one of Perma-Liner, Insituform, or Brawoliner equipment.
- Buffalo or WNY trades network.
§ IV · Compensation
| Base wage range | $76,000–$94,000 (depending on experience and certifications) |
| Wage scale | UA Local 22 + shop differential |
| Health | Shop-paid medical (HMO/PPO choice through MVP Healthcare); dental + vision included |
| Retirement | SEP-IRA, 4% shop match |
| PTO | 15 days yr 1, 20 days yr 2+ |
| Vehicle | Take-home shop truck |
| Tools | Shop-supplied; we replace what wears out |
| Training budget | $2,500/yr discretionary, on top of required cert renewals |
| Emergency rotation | Comp time, not extra cash; week of standby = day off the following week |
§ V · Process
- Email hiring@reuterknapp.example with a résumé and one paragraph on why trenchless interests you. Subject line: RKT-JOB-001.
- Phone screen with Linda — 30 min, scheduling-and-fit.
- Working interview at the shop with Marie — 3 hours, paid at journeyman rate. You'll walk a CCTV survey from the truck monitor and set up an inversion (we'll have a demo run staged).
- Reference check.
- Offer or no-offer, with a written reason if no, inside 7 days of the working interview.
The role is open beginning April 2026 and we'd like to make a hire by 1 June 2026. We will close the posting once we've hired or once we've worked through the candidate pool.