Public Utilities Engineer

Public Utilities Engineer I (NS)

Are you looking for meaningful public service work that will positively impact the residents of North Carolina? If your answer is yes, we want you to join our team at the Utilities Commission. The Department of Commerce, Division of Public Staff Utilities Commission, is looking for a Public Utilities Engineer I. The primary purpose of this regulatory engineering position is to fulfill the Public Staff's legislative mandate by providing technical engineering expertise and expert opinions to the Director of the Water, Sewer, Transportation and Telephone Division, as well as to the Public Staff's Executive Director and other division directors and staff within the Public Staff, regarding a wide range of water and wastewater utility issues.

Division responsibilities include:

• Review of utility companies' proposals for changes in operation or rates; utilities response to federal and state regulations.
• Review special studies.
• Preparation and delivery of expert engineering testimony at hearings before the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) on major portions of utility companies' proposals.

At the Public Utilities Engineer I level, the engineer performs responsibilities on utility filings of a limited to moderate degree of complexity and scope with a moderate to high level of supervision by the Division Director. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including health insurance, as well as retirement.

Incentives of NC State Employment

We value our employees and offer a wide variety of competitive and family-friendly benefits. Benefits to include:

• 12 Annual Paid Holidays and monthly accrual of vacation and sick leave.
• North Carolina State Health Plan currently administered by Aetna.
• Supplemental Benefits including Flexible Spending Accounts, Accident Insurance, Cancer & Specified Disease, Critical Illness, Dental, and Vision.
• NC State Retirement (TSERS), 401(k), and 457 savings plans.
• WeSave Employee Discounts.
• Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Knowledge

Skills and Abilities

/ Competencies

• Demonstrated basic knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge of engineering principles and practices as applied to the design, permitting, construction, operation, maintenance, expansion of wells, water treatment plants, water distribution systems, wastewater treatment plants, or wastewater collection systems.
• Demonstrated basic knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge of rates and rate structure of public utilities.
• Demonstrated experience or ability to critically analyze technical filings of public utilities and formulate discovery to better understand the filings.
• Demonstrated experience or ability to communicate, in written and oral expert testimony, detailed engineering information, guidelines and standards/statutes/codes/regulations to various audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research, draw conclusions, and prepare reports on water and wastewater utility filings and proposals; and an ability to establish and maintain cooperative and effective relationships with other outside entities.

Education and Experience Requirements

Applicants must meet the educational and experience requirement in order to qualify for this position. Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through either years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the OSHR Guide for details.

Bachelor's degree in an applicable field of engineering from an appropriately accredited institution and 2 years of experience in utilities operation or regulatory work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Special Qualification

May require registration as a professional engineer by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.