Substation Electrician

Salary : $153,712.00 - $188,156.80 Annually
Location : Municipal Services Center, 3201 East Bayshore, Palo Alto, CA
Job Type: Regular Full-Time
Job Number: 202601404
Department: Utilities Department
Opening Date: 09/02/2026
Closing Date: 9/16/2026 11:59 PM Pacific


Description
The Department
Palo Alto is the only city in California that offers a full array of utility services to its citizens and businesses. Because of this, the City has a unique opportunity to partner with the Palo Alto community to enjoy the benefits and achievements of reliable, home-grown, and environmentally focused utilities. Palo Alto has a tradition of over 125 years of successful public utility operations. It is a tradition that continues to provide the Palo Alto community with safe and reliable utilities service, local decision-making over policies, utility ratemaking, environmental programs, and customized services. Learn more about our
The Position
The Substation Electrician is a skilled, journey-level position that performs a variety of skilled and semi-skilled work in installation, maintenance and repair of a substation. Workers specialize in low, medium, and high-voltage substation work, including switching, equipment maintenance and calibration. Performs skilled work in electrical construction, maintenance, climb station structures, operate aerial lift, hot washing, oil filtering and troubleshooting of electric utility facilities such as electric transmission, distribution, communication and SCADA systems.

Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be skilled in general fundamentals of electrical theory, control relaying, protection relaying, control and power switching schemes. Knowledge of tools and systems used in the trade and committed to safe work practices. The ability to communicate with others, make sound decisions, and to assimilate and understand information in a manner consistent with the essential job functions and maintain cooperative working relationships with other employees and the public is essential.
This position is part of the Service Employees' International Union (SEIU).
Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click


Benefits: The City offers a fantastic benefits package including:

• Schedule: Option of a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off
• Professional development: Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities
• Education benefits : Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change)
• Childcare support : $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change)
• Commute benefits: Incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work. The City of Palo Alto participates in the Clipper Bay Pass program ( Employee Cost: $5 per month).
• Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits

Essential Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities - essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Install, test, calibrate, troubleshoot and repair simple and complex protective relays, regulator control and
  operating devices, power transformer protective and safety devices and maintain appropriate records for
  calibration, testing and maintenance.
• Install, test, maintain and repair 115KV, 60kV, 12kV and 4kV power circuit breakers; perform periodic trip testing.
• Maintain, test and repair, 115/60, 60/12, 60/4-kv power transformers and load tap changers.
• Sample, test and evaluate insulating oil and other media and maintain appropriate records including DGA and
  dielectric test.
• Troubleshoot, repair, maintain and calibrate computer-based SCADA system, transducers, input devices, communication equipment and data transmission equipment.
• Perform substation high-voltage switching operations.
• Test, calibrate, maintain and repair distribution system line equipment such as transformers, capacitors, regulators, reclosers and associated control equipment.
• Test prior to energizing and perform fault locating of high-voltage underground cable systems
• Assists with the design, programing, installation, maintenance of PLC and SCADA functions.
• Installs, maintains and repairs electric control/protection systems both AC and DC, PLC's, Motor Control Center.
• Perform infrared scanning of substations transmission/distribution equipment

To review the full job description, click

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and
abilities, which would typically be acquired through:

• Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade; and,
• Completion of an accredited apprentice program
• Experience with solid state circuitry and computer-based test equipment, control, monitoring and analysis system
  and associated tools required

Special Requirements

• May be required to work on standby and/or pre-arranged or emergency situations
• Possession of a valid California Driver's License

Supplemental Information
Working Conditions / Physical Requirements:

• Travel from site to site; exposure to high voltage and heights; lifting, climbing and stooping.
• Hazardous conditions are an extremely critical factor of this job, working in close proximity to energized lines and equipment up to 115,000 volts.
• Work in small, confined areas.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body when lifting heavy electrical equipment during installation, or when climbing in and out of the truck cab or bucket.
• Move electrical components or fixtures weighing up to 70 pounds short distances.
• Communicate orally both face to face and using a telephone or radio when receiving or communicating status of work assignments.
• Sit for extended periods of time with the ability to move about at will when working on ground level electrical facilities.

The Selection Process:

• Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email. Governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates.
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process, and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
• The screening process for this position includes a panel interview and skills assessment preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
• More than one position may be filled as a result of this recruitment process.
• An eligible list may be established from this recruitment and may be used to fill future vacancies for up to six (6) months, or until the list has been exhausted.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
See our Benefits at a Glance Booklet for more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking
01


Have you completed the twelfth grade or the equivalent?

• Yes
• No

02


Have you completed an accredited apprentice program?

• Yes
• No

03


Please note where you completed your apprenticeship or indicate N/A if you have not completed an apprenticeship.
04


Do you have experience maintaining high voltage substation equipment, power generation equipment or industrialmanufacturing facilities? If so, please explain.
05


Give three brief examples of the duties you performed as a journeyman electrician.
Required Question