Electric Utility Network Administrator

The Department
 SVP currently provides over 600 Megawatts of power to residential and business customers within Santa Clara, of which 40 percent of comes from carbon-free renewable resources. In addition to using green energy from large-scale wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric projects outside of the area, SVP employs innovative ways to locally produce electricity by operating Thermal Generation facilities utilizing Simple Cycle, Combined Cycle, and Cogeneration technologies. It is the mission of Silicon Valley Power to be a progressive, service-oriented utility, offering reliable, competitively priced services for the benefit of Santa Clara and its customers. Being competitive in the marketplace with a continuous focus on customer service, SVP can provide economic value to the City of Santa Clara and its customers while maintaining low residential rates and offering competitive rates for all customers.

The Position
This is a professional position in the classified service assigned to work in the City’s Electric Utility Department, Silicon Valley Power (SVP).  An incumbent in this classification administers the network services related to utility communication and control equipment, and monitors related cyber risk areas in order for the Electric Utility Department to comply with mandatory Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requirements and related State or Local requirements.  The incumbent will coordinate and monitor network services, be responsible for managing security products, such as firewalls around the clock; perform ethical hacking into the organization’s network to discover and fix any security loopholes; implement general network performance quality control; compile and maintain reports on the organization’s systems; evaluate operations and identify when our  standards are not met; and investigate and report on any security breaches as required by departmental policy or as directed by senior management. 

Each position in this classification may not include all the duties listed below, nor do the examples cover all duties that may be performed. 

Under general supervision:
• Coordinate the installation, configuration and maintenance of all Electric Utility department network services related to communication and control equipment and devices, the software to manage and monitor such devices, and customer-facing portals;
• Plan and support network and computing infrastructure;
• Plan and support enterprise security architecture;
• Document network problems and resolution in compliance with all regulatory requirements and department policies;
• Monitor system performance and implement performance tuning; 
• Administer software and network security for the Electric Utility communication and control equipment (substation, central office, software, and servers);
• Coordinate the deployment, integration and initial configuration of new security solutions and of enhancements to existing security solutions in accordance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and best practices;
• Recommend additional security solutions or enhancements to existing security solutions to improve overall enterprise security;
• Draft Electric Utility Department security documents (standards, baselines, guidelines and procedures) in compliance with Departmental policy for review and approval by the Cyber Security Manager;
• Develop policies, procedures, documentation in conjunction with the Cyber Security Manager;
• Implement Electric Utility policies and compliance requirements of the Western Energy Coordinating Council (WECC) as a Transmission Owner (TO), Transmission Operator (TOP), Load Serving Entity (LSE), Generation Owner (GO), Generation Operator (GOP), and Purchasing and Selling Entity (PSE) in order to meet Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulatory standards and processes according to Order 706;
• Monitor and maintain compliance with communications and data security protocols, and report all non-compliance to the Cyber Security Manager;
• Protect against unauthorized access, intrusion, modification, or destruction;
• Investigate and report on all cyber intrusions, firewalls, and threat related issues regarding communications networks and control systems within the Electric Utility;
• Work collaboratively with other groups, divisions, and/or business units within the Electric Utility and the City’s Information Technology Department;
• Meet with contractors, vendors, and outside agencies regarding project requirements;
• Interact with law enforcement and other local and governmental reporting agencies;
• Monitor changes in federal regulations and ensure implementation of required changes;
• Attend conferences and training as required to maintain proficiency;
• Review logs and reports of all in-place devices, whether they be under direct control (i.e., security tools) or not (i.e., workstations, servers, network devices, etc.). Interpret the implications of that activity and devise plans for appropriate resolution;
• Design and execute vulnerability assessments, penetration tests and security audits;
• Conduct investigations and make recommendations for improvements to amend vulnerabilities, implement changes, and document upgrades;
• Meet all Departmental confidentiality requirements;
• Monitor internal control systems to ensure that appropriate access levels are maintained; and
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

A combination of education and experience equivalent to:
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with coursework in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field;
• Five (5) years of network operations and administration experience in Utility Operations and/or Electric Scheduling or the equivalent, including experience in utility cyber security and facility security
o Three (3) years of the required experience must have been in a lead position; and
o Three (3) years of the required experience must include operations and maintenance level experience with Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) equipment installed in utility applications.  

Desirable Qualifications:
• A bachelor’s degree in either Computer Science or Engineering is highly desirable;
• Training in electric utility substation safety standards is highly desirable;
• Specific experience with the General Electric JungleMUX product is highly desirable;
• Experience with any of the following systems is highly desirable:
o Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS);
o Virtual machine VMWare environments;
o Configuration and administration of networks, firewalls, routers, switches ACL policies;
o Cisco Access Control Systems (ACS) 2-factor authentication; and
o Lightweight Directory Authentication Protocol (LDAP).

Possible Substitutions:
• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted on a year for year basis for the required education, up to a maximum of four (4) years.

LICENSE
Possession of a valid California Class C driver’s license is required at time of appointment and for the duration of employment.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
 • A medical examination will be required prior to appointment
 • Prior to hire, candidates will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment background check, which may include employment verification, a DMV record check, a criminal history check, and Department of Justice (DOJ) fingerprinting.  Any information obtained will be used to determine eligibility for employment in accordance with the law.  A conviction history will not necessarily disqualify an applicant from appointment, however, failure to disclose a conviction when required will result in disqualification from the recruitment process.
 • On call for 24/7 support of all critical networking structures, perform troubleshooting and maintenance in active electric substations and taking action to insure the electric Utility meets the CIP Reliability Standards in its communication and control systems at all times
 • Incumbents will have to pass an initial and periodic comprehensive background checks, which may include fingerprinting to meet Federal, State and/or industry security requirements
 • Incumbents will be required to obtain and maintain any license or certification mandated by Federal or State requirements
 • Incumbents in this position are required to file a Conflict of Interest statement upon assuming office, annually, and upon leaving office, in accordance with City Manager Directive 100
 • Must be able to perform all of the essential functions of the job assignment
 
VETERAN'S PREFERENCE POINTS
This position qualifies for Veteran's Preference Points.  Applicants who have separated from service (Active Duty Status) must submit proof of honorable discharge (Form DD214) with their application at time of filing.
 
Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee admittance into the examination process.  Only the most qualified candidates who demonstrate the best combination of qualifications in relation to the requirements and duties of the position will be invited to test.
 
Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of Santa Clara will not sponsor, represent, or sign documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.  
 

Knowledge of:
• Equipment procurement and lifecycle planning and budgeting;
• Utility-grade SONET based communications multiplexer systems OC3 and OC48 or above;
• Configuration and administration of networks, firewalls, routers, switches, ACL policies, and virtual private networks (VPNs); NERC-CIP; NIST;
• Cisco Access Control Systems (ACS) 2-factor authentication;
• Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS);
• Virtual machine VMWare environments;
• Lightweight Directory Authentication Protocol (LDAP) Light-weight authentication protocol;
• Virtual private networks (VPNs); North American Electric Reliability Corporation – Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC-CIP) policies; National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards;
• Writing standard operating procedures;
• Records management; and
• Security investigative tools

Ability to:
• Identify and resolve complex problems in an extremely time critical environment, make logical and effective decisions and follow through on resolution;
• Protect assets and report problems;
• Effectively handle multiple priorities and organize workload to complete work assignments;
• Take initiative in the tasks performed in the interest of the City;
• Research, analyze and investigate work related issues;
• Interpret and apply administrative and departmental policies, laws and rules;
• Interpret state and federal regulations and assess impacts on the Electric Utility;
• Maintain accurate records and electronic documentation, including files;
• Develop training manuals to cover all the required elements;
• Provide advice and counsel to management and staff regarding cyber security and the Electric Utility’s assets;
• Follow and carry out complex oral and written instructions;
• Communicate clearly, tactfully and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with staff;
• Work in a team based environment and achieve common goals;
• Ability to work independently and make sound judgments;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; and
• Sit or stand for extended periods of time and bend, stoop, reach, lift, drag, and carry as necessary to perform assigned duties.

Additional Information:
You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applications must be filled out completely (i.e. do not write “see resume or personnel file.”)  To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a 1) Cover Letter, 2) Resume, and 3) Responses to Supplemental Questions.  Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Application packets may be submitted online through the “Apply Now” feature on the job announcement at www.santaclaraca.gov.   Applications must be submitted by the filing deadline of January 6, 2023 at 4:00 PM.

Salary : $127,740 - $162,839