Substation Technician

Position Purpose and Objectives:

The Substation Technician reports to the Substation Superintendent and performs any and all duties related to substation operation and maintenance in a safe manner.

Sign-On Bonus: $10,000 for relocation assistance or a $10,000 bonus payable upon completion of probationary period

WORK HOURS: 6:30a.m.–5:00p.m., half-hour lunch, Monday-Thursday. Overtime as necessary. On-call per bargaining agreement.

Essential Job Functions:

• Inspects all substations monthly; tests electronic and mechanical relays, switches, breakers, and circuit switches as required; and completes appropriate forms.
• Maintains all substation buildings, steel structures, fencing, grounds, and weed control as required.
• Works with and supervises the work of contractor and United Power crews that are performing work in and around substations and gives instruction regarding substation equipment and feeder installations.
• Assists in the development of switching orders with contractors and United Power crews. Performs switching orders associated with substations.
• Opens and closes distribution and transmission switches inside the substation.
• Conducts required testing of all United Power equipment in and around substations.
• Pulls oil samples from all oil-filled equipment to determine if unit needs maintenance or repair, including a gas-in-oil test to determine the condition of the power transformers.
• Installs new equipment that may require wiring or the total re-wiring of new substation transformers and/or equipment.
• Works with contract service companies on any repairs or maintenance work done on OCBs, OCRs, power transformers, LTC’s, regulators, etc.
• Works with the Electronic Technician Foreman and Electronic Technicians on installation, repair and testing of all SCADA equipment and all electronic re-closers and capacitor controls.
• Works with the Special Equipment Repair department on testing and minor repair of OCRs, regulators and distribution transformers.
• Occasionally filters or replaces dirty or bad oil in all oil-filled equipment.
• Assists in performing high potting of cables, and any other testing as needed for substation transformers, transformer bushings, main feeder cables and all other associated equipment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a high school diploma or G.E.D. plus completion of technical training in line maintenance, construction and safety
• Must have completed a four-year certified Substation Technician apprenticeship program.
• Must have experience in substation construction and maintenance, phasing, switching practices, grounding equipment, REA specifications and terminations.,
• Must have a valid Colorado driver’s license before employment, and a valid Commercial Drivers License within six (6) months after employment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Must know, understand and apply all OSHA regulations and APPA Safety Manual rules necessary to perform the job.
• Must understand and follow established electric construction and maintenance specifications including those of the Rural Utility Services, the national Electric Code and those adopted by United Power, Inc.
• Must also know and be able to apply CPR/first aid techniques.
• Must have ability to operate a cell phone/two-way radio under established procedures and within FCC regulation.
• Must have ability to operate a laptop computer and understand the mapping program utilized by United Power, Inc.
• Must have ability to accurately read and interpret staking sheets, maps, and substation one-line drawings.
• Must have ability to operate a bucket truck, boom/digger truck, trenchers, backhoe, and various other equipment as required.
• Must be extremely familiar with substation voltages and layout including transmission/distribution voltages.
• Must be knowledgeable with gas-filled equipment such as transformers, circuit switchers and switch gear.
• Must be willing to participate in the on-call rotation.
• Must be able to react to change productively and handle other tasks as assigned.

Supervisory Duties:

Supervises the work of contractor and United Power crews that are performing work in and around substations. Gives instruction regarding substation equipment and feeder installations.

Essential Physical and Mental Demands:

• Must be able to stand sixty percent (60%) of the time, sit twenty percent (20%), and walk twenty percent (20%). Occasionally, the Substation Technician will lift and carry up to 100 lbs. when putting equipment into place. It may be occasionally necessary to push and pull up to 150 lbs.
• Must be able to operate controls when driving a vehicle and operating the forklift.
• Must be able to climb ladders and hills to reach work area.
• Must be able to balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and reach.
• Must be able to use fingers and hands when working with small wires and parts.
• Must be able to speak clearly and hear and understand voices being transmitted when operating a two-way radio/cell phone.
• Must have good close-up vision for reading diagrams and schematics. Must have good distance vision and depth perception while driving and locating work sites. Must also have good field of vision, eye accommodation, and color vision for color coding of conductors in installations.
• In order to competently perform this job, the Substation Technician must be alert, precise, and patient. The required tasks also demand the following abilities: problem solving, analytical ability, spatial perception, tactile discrimination, memory, concentration, judgment, reasoning, visual discrimination, initiative, and ingenuity. Occasionally the position may require auditory discrimination, olfactory discrimination, and imagination.

Working Conditions:

• Seventy-five percent (75%) of the Substation Technician’s work is done outdoors in all weather conditions, and twenty-five percent (25%) is done inside. Estimated noise level is 70-90 decibels for one to six hours per day.
• The Substation Technician is frequently confronted with poor ventilation indoors, mechanical hazards, electric hazards, and toxic chemicals.
• The Substation Technician must occasionally work with fumes, odors, dusts, mists, and gases. Wind and sunburn are hazards while working outdoors.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a generous benefits package that includes an employee retirement plan, 401K with match, paid holidays, vacation & sick leave, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance. For a full list of benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.unitedpower.com/careers.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer

Not to discriminate on the basis of Race/Color/Creed/Religion/Sex(including Gender Identity, Pregnancy, Sexual Orientation)/Marital Status/ Age (40 or older)/National Origin /Veteran or Military Status/Disability/Medical Condition/ Unemployment Status or any other characteristics prohibited by Federal, State and/or local laws.