What are the responsibilities and job description for the Metering Technician position at City of Palo Alto?
The Department
Palo Alto is the only city in California that offers a full array of utility services to its citizens and businesses. Because of this, the City has a unique opportunity to partner with the Palo Alto community to enjoy the benefits and achievements of reliable, home-grown, and environmentally-focused utilities. Palo Alto has a tradition of over 100 years of successful public utility operations. It is a tradition that continues to provide the Palo Alto community with safe and reliable utilities service, local decision-making over policies, utility rate-making, environmental programs, and customized services.
The Position
This is a journey-level Meter position working within the City's Electric Utility. Incumbents perform shop and field calibrations of electric meters; installs current and voltage transformers with associated equipment and verifies the complete installation to assure accurate metering. The successful candidate will understand various electric meters, the operation and methods and equipment used in testing and repair of AC and DC circuits with particular reference to Ohm's Law, Kirchhoff's Law for single and polyphase circuits. Applicable electrical codes and must take precautions when working around energized equipment.
Ideal Candidate
- 2+ years working for an electric utility
- Extensive electric metering experience
- Power Quality background
- Good computer skills
- Confident and competent working in the field
- Able to deal effectively and courteously with customers
- Able to learn new software programs
- Able to work well with others
- Journeyman electrician desirable
This position is part of the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU).
Essential Duties and Responsibilities – essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Install, inspect, test, and repair CT and PT circuits on low and high voltage switchgear.
- Assists engineering as required to determine type of meters and related material necessary to accurately record electrical energy consumption.
- Install, troubleshoot, repair, calibrate, upgrade, and test electromechanical and electronic meters.
- Wire transformer rated metering panels, pulse relays, and recorders.
- Troubleshoot complex metering schemes.
- Evaluate and document equipment testing performed.
- Configure various metering software packages and program electronic meters for rate and communication requirements.
- Install, troubleshoot, repair, upgrade, test, and program telecommunications equipment associated with electric meters.
- Install and maintain various telecommunications equipment to provide data acquisition, i.e. ION meters and Meterlinks.
- Perform low and high voltage work on live circuits and related equipment.
- Install, test, and provide data interpretation for voltage and current recordings, power quality analyzers, and energy recording at customer and City owned sites.
- Inspect and approve substation, industrial and commercial, and residential service entrance equipment, i.e. switchgear and meter panels.
- Conducts the scheduled testing and circuit analysis of existing complex and standard revenue metering facilities for proper operation and accuracy.
- Troubleshoot radio and television interference complaints (RFI/TVI) and work with other crews to correct issues on the Utility side.
- Test, calibrate, and repair gas monitoring devices for use in confined spaces.
- Responds to vandalism and energy diversion cases and recommends appropriate actions to take.
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:
- Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade and
- Completion of an accredited apprentice program