Meter Services Specialist

Step up your career:
Lead our field team as a Water Meter Specialist!

Are you an experienced utility professional ready to transition into a leadership role? The City of Tulare is seeking a skilled, proactive leader to serve as our Water Meter Specialist. In this role, you will be the ultimate subject matter expert, balancing advanced technical fieldwork with the responsibility of guiding and mentoring our field crew. If you excel at data troubleshooting, thrive in a dynamic outdoor environment, and are ready to lead by example, this is your next career milestone!

As a Water Meter Specialist, you are the backbone of our utility operations. You won't just oversee daily field routes; you will manage our cutting-edge Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI), reconcile critical database discrepancies, and solve complex field customer service issues. This position bridges the gap between field technical accuracy and high-level team coordination.

• Team Leadership & Training: Plan, schedule, assign, and review the daily work of the field crew. Provide hands‑on training and mentorship to lower‑level Meter Readers.
• Advanced AMI Troubleshooting: Utilize advanced AMI software networks to program, calibrate, diagnose, and replace complex residential and commercial water meters and transmittal endpoints.
• Data Reconciliation: Review field route progress to meet strict billing timelines. Reconcile technical database discrepancies with real‑world physical readings.
• Advanced Field Maintenance: Install, test, and repair water services, meter boxes, and backflow assemblies. Relocate hydrant meters and monitor hydrants to prevent unauthorized water use.
• Community Relations: Step in to resolve complex customer complaints, investigate leaks or system tampering, and coordinate water shut‑off operations safely.

This is the advanced journey and lead‑level class in the Meter series. The incumbent serves as the subject matter expert and lead worker for the unit, with responsibility for scheduling, coordinating, and auditing the daily field activities of assigned Meter Readers. This class is distinguished from the entry‑level Meter Reader by its expanded oversight responsibilities, advanced proficiency in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) diagnostic troubleshooting, reconciliation of technical data discrepancies, and higher level of independence in resolving complex field customer service issues.

It is further distinguished from the Water Utility Maintenance Worker series in that the latter is responsible for performing the installation, repair, construction, and maintenance of the City’s water distribution system and related appurtenances.

Receives general supervision from the Water Utility Supervisor. Exercises technical and functional direction and provides operational oversight and training to lower‑level Meter Reader staff.

(Illustrative Only) Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job. The duties listed below represent the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them if the work is related or a logical assignment to this class.

• Plans, directs, and participates in the reading, recording, and reporting of water consumption data; and monitors progress on field routes to ensure completion within established billing timelines
• Coordinates and performs the installation, testing, maintenance, and repair of water services, meters, boxes, and backflow assemblies.
• Oversees and assists with installing, maintaining, and repairing meter communication modules and network infrastructure.
• Performs a variety of skilled duties in support of the Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) including reading, building, programming, installing, activating, calibrating, inspecting, diagnosing, replacing, and routing AMI meters and/or registers.
• Utilizes AMI software to install, program, read, troubleshoot,…