Utility Specialist 1 (Electric/Telephone)

Utilities Specialist 1 (Electric/Telephone)

Service Monitoring & Enforcement Department (SMED)

Facility and Operations Field Division (FOFD)

Hourly Rate: $32.08

About The Service Monitoring & Enforcement Department:

The Service Monitoring and Enforcement Department's (SMED) mission is to enforce consumer safeguards, to resolve consumer complaints and to ensure Ohio utility consumers receive safe and reliable services. SMED is organized into three divisions.

Facility Operations Field Division (FOFD)

Facility Operations Field Division (FOFD) staff regularly inspects utility facilities and reviews plant operating practices to ensure regulated utility service providers deliver safe, reliable, and quality service. Field investigators from the division's electric, telephone, water/wastewater, and gas pipeline safety sections perform on-site inspections and audit company records to ensure utilities observe regulatory requirements. FOFD staff also participates in rate case proceedings and recommends changes in company policies and practices to improve utility service. FOFD staff also acts as the agency lead for the damage prevention complaint reporting and tracking process; assisting with the maintenance of the damage prevention enforcement database; and answering internal and public inquiries.

What You'll Do:

In this position as a Utilities Specialist 1, you will:

• Acts as a specialist in area of electric utility regulation to identify and analyze quality of service and service reliability issues
• Collects, analyzes, and reviews utility records to determine and ensure compliance with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) rules and regulations and the Electric Service and Safety Standards (ESSS)
• Performs inspections of electric utility plans, programs, procedures, and physical infrastructure for compliance with the requirements of Electric Companies and ESSS
• Investigates and analyzes utility electrical distribution facilities maintenance
• Evaluates and makes recommendations for corrective action regarding electric utility company distributions
• Conducts interviews of utility company management and operating personnel regarding distribution operational policies and practices
• Interprets and applies ESSS requirements and Code rules to investigate accidents and customer complaints
• Investigates, inspects, and analyzes local telephone exchange company operations
• Checks boundaries and extended area service (EAS) base rate expansions
• Prepares detailed written reports reflecting results of inspections, testing, and personal interviews

Report in location: Employee is required to live within 30 air miles of Warren County

Our organization currently follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office as needed and based on operational need. This is subject to change with limited notice. A teleworking agreement must be approved by management

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website ! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems ( such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS ) & Optional Deferred Compensation ( Ohio Deferred Compensation )

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications

Completion of undergraduate core program or 2 yrs. exp. in one or more of following academic fields: accounting, utility &/or transportation code enforcement, finance, business administration, public administration, economics, mathematics or engineering; 2 yrs. utility or transportation regulatory experience involving combination of following: PUCO operations, programs & policies affecting regulation of utility or transportation companies, state & federal laws, regulations & procedures governing utility or transportation company operations, competitive programs & alternative regulations, rate &/or tariff structure, financing & securities or economics applied to utility or transportation companies, utility or transportation regulatory processing & case hearing proceedings, cost recovery & cost adjustment methods & procedures, enforcement of customer service standards, statistical, mathematical or analytical methods used in formulating & solving problems or in decision making, developing & conducting research studies &/or investigations of enforcement, scientific, technical or legal nature involving issues of utility or transportation or alternative regulation (e.g., 2 yrs. exp. as Water/Wastewater Service Quality Coordinator, 23131, or Telephone Service Quality Coordinator, 23171, or Public Utilities Gas Pipeline Safety Compliance Investigator, 23181, or Public Utilities Electric Coordinator, 23191, or Public Utilities Customer Service Investigator, 26251).

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Job Skills: Utilities

Technical Skills: Investigation, Inspection Principles, Interviewing, Compliance Enforcement

Professional Skills: Written Communication, Analyzation