Relay and Control Journeyman/Trainee

JOB POSITION #175: RELAY AND CONTROL JOURNEYMAN / TRAINEE

NUMBER OF VACANCIES: 1

DEPARTMENT: Electric / Relay

PAY CLASS: U-9/640 - U-4/600 Non-Exempt

SALARY RANGE: $33.13 - $44.17/Hour DOE

TYPE OF POSITION: Regular, Full-Time

WORK LOCATION: MOC

DAYS WORKED: Monday – Friday

HOURS WORKED: 6:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE RECEIVED THROUGH: October 15, 2021

Resumes submitted without a City of Farmington application will not be considered in our job selection process.

JOB DUTIES

The City of Farmington reserves the right to hire at either the Relay and Control Journeyman or Relay and Control Technician Trainee level, depending on experience and qualifications.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

RELAY AND CONTROL JOURNEYMAN:

Performs a variety of routine skilled and technical work in the maintenance, repair, and installation of protective relay and control equipment. Installation and maintenance of SCADA RTU'S, and associated communications equipment including fiber optics and microwave radio.

Works under the direction of the Electric Relay Working Foreman and general supervision of the Superintendent of Technical Services. Also follows instructions from the System Protection Engineer and Relay Engineer.

Installs, tests and calibrates protective relaying and associated equipment utilized on the Electrical Utility System.

Follows appropriate WECC/NERC compliance testing requirements.

Adheres to internal WECC/NERC critical asset policies and procedures.

Maintains test reports and databases for WECC/NERC compliance.

Installs and tests remote terminal equipment for the Utility's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA).

Configures and maintains SCADA RTU data bases.

Installs, tests and calibrates fiber optic node equipment.

Installs, tests and maintains microwave and point to multi-point radio equipment.

Installs and terminates control wiring on protective relay switchboards and substation electrical equipment.

Installs cables for relaying, SCADA, and controls in conduits, cable trays and troughs.

Modifies existing energized control and relay circuits with technique and precision in order to avoid outages or damaged equipment.

Assists in restoring service to the Electric System following SCADA or protective equipment failure or malfunction.

Assists other Electric work groups with technical support.

Procures and maintains adequate spare parts and supplies.

Assists the System Protection Engineer in devising modifications or additions to the protective relay system.

Recommends test equipment and supplies for budget consideration.

Standby or on-call rotation required.

Maintains safe work practices and procedures using protective devices and equipment.

Occasional travel required to attend manufacture's schools.

Instructs and assists less experienced Relay Technicians and Relay Trainees.

Attendance at work is an essential function of this position.

RELAY AND CONTROL TRAINEE:

Works under the general supervision of the Superintendent of Technical Services. Works under the direct supervision of the Relay Foreman, Relay Journeyman, or Relay Technician. Follows instructions from the System Protection Engineer.

Promotes and follows safe practices, procedures, and safety rules and participates in scheduled Safety Meetings.

Demonstrates honesty, integrity, confidentiality, dependability, and flexibility along with initiative and motivation to organize and complete tasks and meet deadlines.

Performs duties and assignments and conducts self in such a manner as to reflect credit on the Utility.

Will learn and utilize reliable, well established techniques in the setting, testing, trouble shooting and maintaining of all the equipment under the responsibility of the Relay and Control work group. Those areas include but are not limited to protective relays and their associated wiring and equipment. On-The-Job-Training on telemetering and communications systems with high quality of craftsmanship will also be included.

Assists the Relay Technicians in their duties including bending and installing conduit, wiring panels, installing and maintaining SCADA remote terminal units, installing and maintaining data/communications equipment, troubleshooting various equipment, and installing cables and associated hardware.

Assists the Technicians and will learn to test relays.

As part of On-The-Job-Training, the trainee will complete an accurate record of work performed, test results, and operational information by logging the information into the appropriate computer database.

Assists in maintaining an efficient and safe working environment by keeping the test equipment, tools and work areas in a clean, organized, and operating condition.

Purchases parts as required for Relay Foreman, Relay Journeyman, and Relay Technicians.

Inventories parts and equipment and keeps the storage area stocked, cleaned, and organized.

Will complete on the job training consisting of 8,000 hours within a four year training period and an accredited Protective Relay Correspondence course to become a Relay & Control Technician. Additional specialized training will be provided in the 4th year of training.

The Relay and Control Technician Trainee will be required to complete the above training within a 4 year period in order to interview for promotion to the Relay Journeyman position. All training including in-house on the job training, accredited1, and specialized training must be completed with a test score of 70% or better prior to management giving any consideration to promoting the Trainee to a Technician I/Journeyman position.

After each year of training, the Relay and Control Technician Trainee will be required to take and pass a test on material presented during the preceding year. A minimum grade of 70% will be required to proceed to the next level with a positive recommendation from the Relay Foreman and the Superintendent of Technical Services. Each stage of the training will identify the employee with the following title and rate of pay:

# Relay and Control Technician Trainee I 65% of the minimum of U4/620

# Relay and Control Technician Trainee II 75% of the minimum of U4/620

# Relay and Control Technician Trainee III 85% of the minimum of U4/620

# Relay and Control Technician Trainee IV 95% of the minimum of U4/620

Using excellent customer service skills, establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other employees, officials, and all members of the general public.

Operates a motor vehicle to assist in carrying out the business of the department and the City.

Attendance at work is an essential function of this job.

NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

May serve on various employee committees, as required and assigned.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

QUALIFICATIONS

This position is subject to the City's Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Program. This includes pre-employment testing, post-accident testing, random testing, reasonable suspicion testing, return to duty testing, and follow-up testing.

A pre-employment physical and or drug/alcohol test is required for this position.

Extensive background checks required.

RELAY AND CONTROL JOURNEYMAN:

High school diploma or equivalent combined with two-year associate degree in electrical

or electronic technologies or graduation from an approved four year Protective Relay training program.

A minimum of four years experience in testing and maintaining utility grade protective relaying systems, communication systems and supervisory control equipment. This includes but is not limited to, use of specialized relay, SCADA and communications test equipment.

A minimum of four years experience in the installation and modification of electrical and electronic equipment using appropriate basic and specialized tools.

A minimum of four years experience in the use of electrical schematic diagrams, manufacturer's instruction books, and control wiring diagrams.

Specialized training in electrical system protective devices, communication equipment and SCADA required.

Skilled in the use of personal computers and related software.

Knowledgeable of Ethernet LAN topologies and equipment.

Must demonstrate ability to communicate with others through oral and written media.

Must be able to respond to night and weekend call-out for system emergencies.

Must have a valid driver's license with acceptable driving record for the past three years.

Must possess the ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with co-workers, supervisors, outside entities and the public.

RELAY AND CONTROL TRAINEE:

A minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent plus the following:

12 credit-hours of college in the classes listed below or equivalent classes at a technical school or junior college, or equivalent are preferred:

1. Technical Math for Technicians (Math 116) or equal (Math 113)
2. Applied Basic Electronics (INST 143) or (AUTE 113)
3. Technical Writing (ENGL 118)
4. Business Microcomputer App. (COCC 125)
5. Digital Electronics (INST 160)
6. Intro to Programmable Logic Controls (INST 271)
7. Digital Communications Systems (INST 283)
8. Electromechanical Devices (SEMT 230)

Must possess the ability to communicate well with others through both verbal and written skills.

Must be able to operate a variety of hand and power tools (pneumatic, hydraulic and electronic powered.)

Must be able to use a desk top, laptop, tablet, and mainframe computer in order to enter data and make reports; use of copy machine, fax, printer, and word processing and spreadsheet software

Must be able to respond to night, weekend and holiday call-outs for system emergencies within 30 minutes of the call.

Must possess the ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with co-workers, supervisors, outside entities and the public.

Valid driver's license required with acceptable driving record for past three years.

Operates a motor vehicle to assist in carrying out the business of the department and the city.

Must have a telephone at residence and be willing to be on 24 hour call; must be able to be at the Municipal Operations Center within thirty minutes after receiving a call.

Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, other City personnel and the public.

Ability to follow verbal and or written instructions.

Ability to work under stress and handle stressful situations.

Ability to meet deadlines.

Ability to operate tools and equipment listed.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED:

Protective relay, communication, and RTU test equipment. Various hand tools including: screw drivers, wire cutters, crimping tools, and hand wrenches. Various test equipment including: multi-meters, ground resistance and phase angle meter.

Calculator, phone, radio, fax and copy machine, computer (desk top and lap top) and applicable software programs, motor vehicles, electrical testing equipment, meter testing equipment and various hand tools.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reach with hands and arms.

The employee is frequently required to sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk or hear, and is occasionally required to smell.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 to 55 pounds and must request additional assistance or use mechanical assistance when attempting to lift and/or move items weighing greater than 55 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, traffic, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, and vibration.

May have to work for extended periods on ladders, in confined spaces, standing or lying on back. Equipment installed in substations may be in proximity to energized, high-voltage equipment requiring knowledge and utilization of safe working practices. The employee may work out of a bucket truck as needed.

The noise level in the work environment is occasionally moderate to loud.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER, M/F/D/V.

Current Openings for Relay and Control Journeyman/Trainee Jobs at City of Farmington