Utilities Engineer
California State Personnel Board Specification
Definition
This is the entry, first working, and journey level of professional engineering work within the Public Utilities Commission. Incumbents are assigned duties and responsibilities commensurate with their background, training, and experience. Under supervision, incumbents perform a wide variety of field and office engineering assignments in connection with gas, electric, telecommunications, water, steam, sewer, pipeline, railroads, and rail transit systems; and do other related work.
Typical Tasks
Utilities Engineers perform mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering work in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of water systems, electrical power lines and power plants, telecommunications facilities, gas pipelines, and light and heavy rail systems. Incumbents conduct investigations and prepare reports involving engineering economic work which includes studies of capital costs, financial structure, inventories, depreciation, physical plant, valuations, revenues, expenses, and rate base determinations; make analyses of tariffs, cost of service, estimates of future requirements, and proposals for performance-based and incentive rate-making mechanisms for their effect on utility costs, revenue requirements, rates, safety, system reliability and operating efficiency, customer service, the environment, and competition; monitor and assess the effectiveness of the adopted incentive mechanisms; evaluate adequacy, reliability, and quality of service; conduct environmental studies; participate in safety audits of rail transit systems; investigate accidents of utilities and transportation facilities and recommend corrective action; inspect the facilities of utilities, railroads, and rail transit systems for compliance with Commission rules, regulations, and orders; examine records and recommend applicable safety measures for railroad and rail transit highway crossings; prepare correspondence, reports, safety oversight plans, and exhibits; testify in formal proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission, public interest groups, the regulated industries, and various governmental agencies as well as the Legislature; may serve as leadperson over other engineering and technical personnel on projects of limited scope.
Minimum Qualifications
Either I
Equivalent to graduation from an engineering curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. (Registration as a Senior in such a curriculum will admit an applicant to the examination, but he/she must produce evidence of graduation before he/she will be considered eligible for appointment.)
Or II
Possession of equivalent qualifications may be demonstrated by graduation from an engineering curriculum, which includes the basic engineering courses normally covered in the standard four-year engineering curriculum and by qualifying in a written examination covering basic engineering. (Possession of a valid certificate as an Engineer-in-Training issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors or issued by another jurisdiction and accepted by the California Board may be substituted for the required written examination.) (Registration as a "Senior" in such a curriculum will admit an applicant to the examination, but he/she must produce evidence of graduation before he/she will be considered eligible for appointment.)
Or III
Graduation with a Master's Degree in Engineering from a college or university that has an engineering baccalaureate degree program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. (Registration in such a curriculum will admit an applicant to the examination, but he/she must produce evidence of graduation before he/she will be considered eligible for appointment.)
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of: Engineering fundamentals, terminology, and economics; materials and methods of engineering construction; engineering mathematics and computer application to engineering problem-solving; physical properties of transportation and stationary utilities and standards of safety, service, and reliability; trends, issues, State and Federal requirements, and basic court decisions affecting public utilities and transportation regulation.
Ability to: Make engineering computations; analyze engineering data; reason logically, creatively, and utilize a variety of analytical approaches to resolve regulatory problems; develop and evaluate alternatives; communicate effectively; prepare reports, correspondence, safety oversight plans, and exhibits; consult with and advise administrators, decision-makers, or other interested parties on a broad range of subject-matter areas; gain and maintain the confidence and cooperation of those contacted during the course of work.
