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Job Description
Description
About the Department
The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) is the only full-service municipal utility in California, providing residents and businesses with electric, water, wastewater, natural gas, fiber optics, refuse, and storm drain services. Our mission is simple but vital: to deliver safe, reliable, environmentally sustainable, and cost-effective services to our community. Owned by the people we serve, CPAU reinvests locally supporting libraries, parks, and public safety services while maintaining rates that are competitive and often lower than private utilities across the Bay Area.
Since 2013, Palo Alto has provided 100% carbon-neutral electricity sourced from solar, wind, and hydroelectric generation. CPAU is nationally recognized for its leadership in renewable energy, workforce development, and operational excellence - proving that local control leads to local solutions.
About the Division
The Electric Operations Division manages the City’s electric distribution system and oversees 24/7 real-time operations. The team ensures system safety, reliability, and efficiency while advancing Palo Alto’s ambitious carbon-free energy goals. Operators in this division work in a mission-critical environment where precision, communication, and teamwork keep the community powered every hour of every day.
What You’ll Do
As an Electrical Equipment Technician, you’ll support the receiving, testing, inventory control, minor repair, and modification of electrical and electronic equipment used in the City’s substations, metering systems, fiber-optic network, and traffic signal systems.
Some key responsibilities include:- Assisting with installation, maintenance, and repair of communication, traffic signal, street-lighting, and electric distribution systems.
- Installing and repairing underground boxes, conduits, and conductors.
- Repairing tools and equipment; painting transformers and related components.
- Performing acceptance testing and condition assessments on electrical equipment and meters.
- Working on elevated structures such as transformers, circuit breakers, platforms, and ladders.
Ideal Candidate- Minimum 1 year of electric utility experience, preferably in equipment testing.
- Safety-focused, detail-oriented, and highly organized.
This position is represented by Service Employee International Union position (SEIU).
Benefits: Fantastic benefits package, to learn more click Here.
Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan, to learn more click Here.
Essential Duties
Distinguishing Characteristics
Under general supervision: Assists with the installation, maintenance and repair of communication and traffic signal systems, street lighting systems, electric distribution equipment, substation and related systems and equipment; participates in installation and repair of underground boxes, conduits and conductors, repairs tools and equipment; paints transformers, and associated electrical equipment; performs acceptance tests on new electric distribution equipment and meters, performs condition assessments of returned- from service electrical equipment and meters. Assists management with the compiling and maintaining of the computer based equipment inventory record s and reports.
Works on top of substation transformers, circuit breakers, platforms, ladders and buildings; and does related work as required.
Performs other maintenance and housekeeping as related to this job; and performs other related work as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience:- Graduation from high school or its equivalent and two (2) years of electrical or mechanical repair or maintenance experience.
- One (1) year of Electrical Assistant experience or its equivalent in an electric utility is considered as qualifying.
License and/or Certification:- Possession of an appropriate California driver's license is required.
To review the full job description, click Here .
Supplemental Information
The Selection Process:- Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
- Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
- Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
- The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
- Multiple positions may be filled through this posting.
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
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.
See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 12/19/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show moreThe Community
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. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong 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. 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 featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-NewsCity Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
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.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
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