Electrical Instrument & Control Technician - Senior

Job Description:

Electrical Instrument & Control Technician - Senior

Description

POSITION INFORMATION

This is a promotional recruitment - only permanent and/or probationary County employees are eligible to apply.

BENEFITS

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees. The following information represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire as to the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department.

Click here to view Placer Public Employees Organization (PPEO) benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer, please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

DEFINITION

To perform highly complex and difficult duties requiring independent judgement in the installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of wastewater collection, water distribution, and treatment pond systems related facilities; and to exercise technical and functional supervision over maintenance and technical personnel.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is the advanced journey level class in the Electrical Instrument and Control Technician series. Positions at this level are distinguished from other classes within the series by the level of responsibility assumed, complexity of duties assigned, independence of action taken, by the amount of time spent performing lead or specialized duties and by the nature of the public contact made. Employees perform the most difficult and responsible types of duties assigned to classes within this series including performance of complex and difficult work in electrical maintenance, repair, motors, and pump maintenance and exercise technical and functional supervision over maintenance and technical personnel. Employees at this level are required to be fully trained in all procedures related to assigned area of responsibility.

Classes in the Electrical Instrument and Control Technician series are distinguished from those in the Utility Services Worker series in that the former is required to obtain a higher level of technical, mechanical, and electrical training and experience in order to independently perform the full scope of job duties related to servicing the County’s lift stations which include variable frequency drives per state and local requirements. In contrast, the Utility Service Worker series performs more general maintenance of wastewater, water treatment, and related facilities.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives direction from assigned Utility Operations Supervisor.

Exercises technical and functional supervision over maintenance and technical personnel.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate with other divisions and department's regarding water distribution, wastewater collection, and treatment pond operations; schedule and monitor the work of vendors and contractors ensuring work is being properly performed and is consistent with county standards.
• Perform highly skilled testing, maintenance, and repair on controllers, power switching gears, distribution systems, lighting circuits, single and multi-phase power and control circuits, plan condition status, and alarm circuits.
• Ensure the effective and efficient operation of electrical, electronic, water, and wastewater related instrumentation associated with the County's treatment, distribution, and collections system.
• Monitor the County’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA); support authorized personnel responsible for the programming of the County’s SCADA and telemetry systems.
• Utilize a computer maintenance management system (CMMS) to plan, schedule, complete, and document maintenance activities; maintain a variety of documentation including work orders and maintenance logs.
• Install, maintain, configure, calibrate, inspect, test, modify, and repair instrument control, recordings, metering, and alarm telemetry systems used in water distribution, wastewater collections, and treatment ponds.
• Plan, monitor, and conduct electrical preventive maintenance program; provide training and technical advice to operational staff as required.
• Install, diagnose, troubleshoot, and perform preventive and corrective maintenance on electrical switch gear, relays, process controls, alarm systems, transmitters, gauges, sensors, isolators, analyzers, flowmeters, transducers, uninterruptible power supplies, lighting, motors, starters, pumps, circuit breakers, power meters, switches, control wiring, protective relays, cameras, and related electrical and electronic devices.
• Clean, lubricate, and inspect electrical equipment and other instrumentation and control equipment; Install wiring in conduit for new projects.
• Update electrical drawings, specifications, and procedures.
• Inspect, maintain, rebuild, and repair pumps and electric motors, controls and alarms.
• Operate light and moderately heavy equipment such as dump trucks, boom trucks and backhoes; transport equipment and supplies to work sites; and load and unload equipment and supplies.
• When assigned to wastewater treatment plant or sewer pump station, maintain, and repair all mechanical, electrical, and electronic systems; install and repair all piping and valves; interpret manuals, schematics, diagrams, and drawings; and provide technical supervision to maintenance and technical personnel regarding equipment and facility maintenance within the plant or pump station.
• Maintain water distribution, wastewater collection, and treatment pond equipment, such as motor controls and automatic switch gear, and sewage pumps; install and maintain variable frequency drives, starters, and related automatic control equipment such as high voltage circuit Breakers, control wires, and protective relays.
• Test lift station emergency generators at various sites; clean, lubricate, and inspect electrical equipment related to generators.
• Install, configure, and maintain control of video and communications equipment.
• Install and service electrical voltage recording devices; Locate underground electrical conductors to prevent damage; Inspect and repair new and damaged buried cables.
• Test lift station emergency generators at various sites; clean, lubricate, and inspect engine and electrical equipment related to generators.
• May perform minor repair/pipe work, as needed.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers, other County employees, and the public using principles of good customer service.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work is primarily performed outside with varying environments, including inclement weather. Duties are performed in close proximity to a variety of hazardous environments including wastewater, sewage, gases, and high voltages.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience:

Two (2) years of responsible experience performing duties similar to an Electrical Instrument and Control Technician II with Placer County.

Training:

Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade, supplemented by college or equivalent course work in electronics, instrumentation, control systems, or related field.

Required License or Certificate:

• Possession of a valid Class A or B driver's license with air brake and tanker endorsements within twelve months of employment. Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.
• Possession of certificate of training in use of self-contained breathing apparatus, to be obtained within three months of employment.
• California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Grade 1 Electrical & Instrumentation Technologist Certification or equivalent.
• California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Grade 2 Collection System Maintenance Certification or equivalent.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Principals and methods of electrical theory.
• Principles and practices of inspecting, troubleshooting, calibrating, and repairing of electrical, electronic, mechanical, and electromechanical components and instrumentation.
• Applicable codes, regulations, standards, procedures governing electrical, and electronic industry related to National Electrical Code (NEC), National Fire Protection Agency 70E (NFPA), and Cal-OSHA.
• Safe work methods and applicable safety regulations.
• Control systems theory and its practical application to process control in field instrumentation.

Ability to:

• Use modern precision and diagnostic tools and instruments.
• Keep records and prepare reports.
• Intermittently, sit while driving or completing forms or reports; walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, twist, and reach when inspecting or repairing wastewater or sewer systems, using various tools and equipment; perform simple and power grasping, pushing, pulling and fine manipulation; distinguish colors used in coding electrical wires; hear and interpret sounds coming from pump and motor operation and alarms; regularly lift very heavy weight.
• On a continuous basis know, understand and perform operations and observe safety rules and identify safety hazards. Intermittently analyze problem equipment and systems; identify and locate equipment and tools; explain systems and equipment issues to others; interpret work orders; remember equipment and tool location; remember street/road names and general geographic areas.
• Plan and execute maintenance and repair of mechanical, electrical, and electronic systems, and valves.
• Read, interpret, and understand technical manuals, blueprints, drawings, and diagrams.
• Obtain information through interviews and dialogue; deal fairly and courteously with the public.
• Design, update, and fabricate new equipment and control systems.
• Analyze situations quickly and objectively to determine proper course of action.
• Principles and practices of work safety.
• Work unusual and prolonged work schedules; work multiple shifts during emergencies, seasonally caused circumstances, or special projects in varying climatic and temperature conditions.
• Use hand tools.
• Understand and follow written and oral instructions.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Training & Experience Rating (100%)

Based upon responses to the supplemental questionnaire, the applicant’s education, training, and experience will be evaluated using a pre-determined formula. Scores from this evaluation will determine applicant ranking and placement on the eligible list.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Length of Probation:

All permanent appointments to this classification shall serve a probationary period of twelve (12) calendar months or two thousand eighty (2,080) hours, whichever is more.

Bargaining Unit:

General

SUBSTITUTE LISTS

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of the following characteristics: gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits associated with race, which include, but are not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, physical disability (Including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over), marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace, political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or any combination of two or more characteristics stated herein. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.

Conclusion

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Bethany Clinkenbeard, Administrative Technician, at bclinkenbeard@placer.ca.gov or (530) 886-4669.

Closing Date/Time: 11/7/2025 5:00:00 PM

Salary:

$41.89 - $52.31/hour; $7,260.93 - $9,067.07/month; $87,131.20 - $108,804.80/year