Principal Electrical Engineer; Electrical Service Planning

Position: Principal Electrical Engineer (Electrical Service Planning)
The City of Pasadena Water & Power Department is seeking a highly qualified Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the Electrical Service Planning Section within the Power Delivery Division. This is a senior-level management position in the electrical engineering series responsible for the interconnection between the City's electric system and its customers. The selected candidate will oversee a team of professional and technical staff dedicated to providing seamless utility integration for residential and commercial developments.

The selected candidate must hold current registration as a Professional Electrical Engineer (PE)

Key Responsibilities

* Lead the Service Planning Team:
Manage the section responsible for the intake, engineering review, and approval of all new and upgraded electrical services.

* Customer Advocacy:
Act as the primary engineering liaison for developers, contractors, and business owners to ensure project requirements are met with clarity and efficiency.

* Modern Infrastructure Integration:
Oversee the technical review and grid integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs), including solar PV systems, Energy Storage Systems (ESS), and large-scale EV charging networks.

* Project Oversight:
Manage the design and construction of customer-driven capital improvement projects and utility-side infrastructure upgrades required to support growth.

* Strategic Planning:
Exercise independent judgment in prioritizing service requests to align with City development goals and departmental resource availability.

Customer & Infrastructure Focus

This role is highly focused on and plays a key part in supporting new developments and electric utility service upgrades. The Principal Electrical Engineer will:

* Thoroughly navigate service planning challenges for residential and commercial projects.

* Provide expert guidance on the installation and interconnection of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and Solar/Renewable energy applications.

* Lead the deployment and maintenance of the City's Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure by streamlining the engineering review process for charging stations.

* Ensure customer service standards are met through proactive communication and timely project turnarounds.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a service-oriented engineering leader who combines deep technical expertise with a proactive, solution-focused mindset. This individual excels at translating complex engineering requirements into clear, actionable guidance for non-technical customers and stakeholders. They bring extensive knowledge of electrical distribution systems, with particular expertise in interconnection standards for solar, energy storage systems (ESS), and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

Proven experience leading teams in fast-paced environments is essential, with the ability to balance customer-driven timelines and evolving demands while maintaining grid reliability. Above all, the candidate demonstrates professionalism, integrity, and a strong commitment to fostering a collaborative team culture while representing the city with excellence.

Please note:

This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and may close at any time. First consideration will be given to applications received by March 26, 2026. Apply today!

The major responsibilities of the Principal Electrical Engineer are summarized below; for a complete listing of duties and requirements, please review the full job description. Please note that the omission of specific duties does not exclude related or logically assigned responsibilities appropriate to this classification.

* Provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for the Electrical Service Planning Section, fostering a high-performance, customer-focused, and safety-oriented work environment aligned with City and departmental goals. Plans, manages, and evaluates section activities, including engineering service planning, capital improvement projects, and regulatory-driven system upgrades. Develops and implements work plans, budgets, performance standards, and process improvements to ensure efficient operations, high-quality service delivery, and continuous enhancement of customer experience, particularly for solar and energy storage (ESS) interconnections.

* Oversees and directs complex engineering planning, design, and construction activities related to new and upgraded electrical services, capital improvement projects, and system reliability initiatives. Determines technical and economic feasibility of projects; manages the preparation and review of engineering designs, specifications, cost estimates, and construction packages; and utilizes system planning tools to conduct long-range studies, evaluate system conditions, analyze outages, and recommend reliability improvements.

Coordinates with Utility Service Planners, customers, contractors, field staff, and PWP crews to ensure timely, cost-effective, and code-compliant project delivery, including resolving technical issues during…