DPU Hiring Event - Gas and Water Field Specialist, Senior

Gas & Water Field Specialist, Senior Positions

Join us at the DPU Hiring Event! This position is a part of our hiring event on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Midtown Green. If you're selected to move forward, our department will reach out directly to schedule your interview. Please note this position is subject to a pre-employment background check and/or drug screening. Anticipated hiring range $45,285 - $60,375.

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities Water Utility Division is seeking qualified candidates to fill Gas & Water Field Specialist, Senior positions. These positions will work within the Field Operations group for DPU. This section responds to emergencies, turns gas and water on or off, and provides routine maintenance for the gas and water system.

Incumbents serve as an Essential employee, which means that the incumbent is required to work when the City is closed due to public emergencies, critical or hazardous conditions, or inclement weather. The selected candidate may be required to work 24 hour on-call, weekend and holiday call duty as scheduled. These positions are for the 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM shifts.

Duties Include But Are Not Limited To

• Investigating gas and water leaks and making recommendations;
• Responding to fire and carbon monoxide calls;
• Verifying meter information such as readings, street numbers and billing information;
• Consulting with customers on proper operation of appliances and safety of customers;
• Maintaining all Meter Reading & AMR maintenance equipment;
• Entering meter readings on data terminals;
• Performing non-automated & missed reads manually to obtain manual billing read;
• Performing monthly random sample meter reading audits;
• Performing 1st & 2nd line AMR maintenance;
• Driving mobile routes utilizing DCU & MC2 Meet/communicate with internal and external customers;
• Performing other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Two years of experience in gas/water pipelines, plumbing, or related field
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

PREFERRED TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience installing or repairing gas lines (Residential or commercial);
• One year of related experience and/or experience in labor related to customer service;
• Candidate must have the ability to obtain a Operator's Qualification (OQ's) within 6 months of employment;
• At least one (1) year of plumbing or pipefitting work and/or equivalent combination of experience working on gas lines;
• At least one (1) year of HVAC work and/or equivalent combination of experience

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires a valid Driver's License and a valid Commonwealth of Virginia Driver's License within 30 days of hire.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Gas/Water pipeline maintenance and repair (e.g. placing a sleeve to stop a leak, hot tapping)
• Gas/Water meter maintenance and repair
• Electronic meter reading technology (e.g. FC300 Field Collection System)
• Pipe fitting and plumbing
• GIS maps
• Service Suite
• Appropriate safety/OSHA rules and procedures, particularly those concerning gas

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Oral and written communication
• Using hand tools such as shovels and wrenches
• Using heavy equipment such as backhoes and dump trucks
• Using gas detection equipment (combustible gas indicator)
• Driving a work truck (CDL required)
• Pre-trip vehicle inspections

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Identify hazardous situations
• Follow standard operating and safety procedures
• Multi-task
• Train others

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to reach extending hands and arms in any direction, stand, push, pull, lift, finger (picking, pinching or otherwise working primarily with fingers), grasp applying pressure to an object with fingers or palms, talk, see, and hear. The employee is frequently required to climb, balance, stoop, crouch, crawl, walk, feel and use substantial repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and fingers. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be heavy work, exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at View email address on click.appcast.io.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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Benefits

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice". The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.