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Job Description
Description
City of Palo Alto Utilities
The City of Palo Alto operates a full suite of municipal utility services, including electric, natural gas, wastewater collection, water, and fiber optics. Our organization is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and has a history of leading innovation on a local scale for positive global outcomes. Founded on the principles of delivering quality public services at an affordable rate for community members, the City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) is award-winning for reliability, safety, environmental sustainability, workforce development, and infrastructure system improvements. Join an inspiring team for a rewarding career!
Career Opportunity
The Electric Meter Technician is responsible for the installation, maintenance, testing, and troubleshooting of electric meters in both residential and commercial settings. This role plays a critical part in ensuring accurate metering for billing and system monitoring, while supporting the utility’s goals for safety, reliability, and customer satisfaction.
Technicians will perform a wide range of fieldwork, including new service installations, meter upgrades, removals, and exchanges. They will also respond to customer inquiries, identify tampering or irregular consumption patterns, and support the deployment and maintenance of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems.
The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, safety-conscious, and able to work independently in various field conditions. They should have experience with electric meter types, basic electrical troubleshooting, and interpreting utility standards and service orders.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate possesses the following experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities:- 2+ years working for an electric utility
- Extensive electric metering experience
- Power Quality background
- Strong computer skills
- Confident and competent working in the field
- Ability to deal effectively and courteously with customers
- Ability to learn new software programs
- Ability to work well with others
- Journeyman electrician desirable
BENEFITS : Fantastic benefits package! To learn more, click here
COMPENSATION (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here
SCHEDULE: Monday thru Friday in-person
9/80 Schedule (every other Friday off)
Essential Duties
Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:- Install, replace, remove, and test electric meters (single-phase and poly-phase)
- Perform field diagnostics and repairs to ensure meter accuracy and functionality
- Support AMI deployment and troubleshooting activities
- Verify and document meter readings and usage discrepancies
- Investigate high-bill complaints, tampering, or unauthorized use
- Work safely around energized equipment (600 volts or less) and follow established safety protocols
- Use handheld or mobile devices to process work orders and record data
- Communicate effectively with customers and utility personnel
Minimum Qualifications
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
Supplemental Information
**Note: More than one position may be filled via this recruitment
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
For more details visit our Careers Page, by clicking HERE.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 7/23/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show morePalo Alto is located about 35 miles south of San Francisco; and 14 miles north of San Jose. Palo Alto, known as the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley” and global center of technology and innovation, is the corporate headquarters for many world-class companies and research facilities such as VMWare, Hewlett-Packard, IDEO, Tesla, and Skype. Home to Stanford University and a top-ranked public school system, Palo Alto also features beautiful and historic residential neighborhoods, vibrant shopping and retail districts.
Palo Alto has a highly educated and culturally sophisticated citizenry that is actively engaged in making a difference both locally and globally. Unique among city organizations, Palo Alto operates a full-array of services including its own gas, electric, water, sewer, refuse and storm drainage provided at very competitive rates for its customers.
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. Many world-class businesses maintained or started offices here, including Amazon, Tesla, Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Rivian, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, SAP Ariba, Houzz, Varian Medical Systems, and VMware. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the startup capital of the world.
Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community’s dedication to life-long learning. Stanford’s cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City’s exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation.
Home to picturesque tree-lined streets, bike lanes, and historic buildings that reflect its California heritage, Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy with premium shopping and dining options. Excellent health care facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are just some of this incredibly desirable community’s cherished amenities.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government.
We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
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