Telecommunications Technician II

Telecommunications Technician II

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is seeking an experienced journey-level Telecommunications Technician to join our Telecom Operations and Maintenance team. Telecommunications Technicians are the backbone of SMUD's smart grid, supporting the entire lifecycle of SMUD's communications systems including installing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and providing system administration for advanced communication control, monitoring and telemetry systems to ensure reliable and resilient power delivery.

Reporting to a Senior Telecommunications Technician and/or the Manager, Telecommunications Operations and Maintenance, these journey-level professionals maintain critical infrastructure. With expertise in legacy telecom circuits, modern networks, and electrical systems, they enable real-time physical security and electrical grid monitoring and automation while minimizing service disruptions.

Employee Benefits:

• Competitive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage
• Retirement through Public Employees Retirement System 457 and 401(k) plans available
• Flexible Savings Account
• Short and Long Term Disability
• Employee and Spouse Life Insurance

To further assess your qualifications for this position, please link your skills to the requirements of the job by responding to the questions listed below. Failure to provide a cover letter responding to the listed questions may prevent your progression in the selection process for this position.

Please list all telecom-related systems and associate equipment you have experience installing and commissioning and describe your level of experience with each. Please list all telecom-related systems and associate equipment you have experience maintaining and troubleshooting and describe your level of experience with each. Please list all telecom-related systems and associate equipment you have performed system administration on and describe your level of experience with each. Please describe your experience with utility-scale (gas, water, electric, and/or sewage) communications systems.

Purpose Telecommunications Technicians safely and effectively construct, modify, install, test, repair, adjust and operate telephone, telecommunications, control, and monitoring systems and equipment at the journey level. Telecommunication Technicians report to a Senior Telecommunication Technician or as directed by the Supervisor. Telecommunications Employees in this classification develop and maintain a detailed knowledge of SMUD telephone and telecommunication systems and sub-systems in order to analyze system problems and take prompt remedial action with minimum service disturbance. These positions reside in Telecommunications and Telephone Services.

Nature and Scope Performs the work at a journey level and does not act in a lead capacity. Technicians may work independently under broad guidelines and are given wide latitude in making decisions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Properly handles hazardous material such as lead solder, paint, cleaning fluids, etc.
• Secures authorization before working on vital equipment.
• Verifies factory specifications.
• Constructs and installs new telecommunications systems and equipment.
• Operates, monitors, investigates, tests and assures proper performance of telecommunications systems and equipment, including test equipment.
• Performs preventive and repair maintenance on telecommunications systems and equipment.
• Thoroughly documents the work performed.
• Keeps Senior Telecommunications Technicians and the Supervisor informed of work progress, schedule changes, project scope changes and other issues affecting the outcome or cost of assigned tasks.
• Recommends system refinements to improve reliability.
• Provides technical support to the users of telecommunications systems and equipment.
• Participates in evaluating existing and prospective telecommunications systems and test equipment for safety, reliability, operability and maintainability.
• Fosters a positive and harmonious working relationship with staff and customers.
• Trains apprentices.

Required Education:

• Two (2) years of formal schooling in electronics or equivalent demonstrable experience.

Required Experience:

• Four (4) years of experience as an Apprentice Telecommunications Technician, Telecommunications Technician or equal to be considered for the Journeyman position.

Required Licenses/Certificates:

• Newly hired Telecommunications Technicians must possess and maintain a current FCC General Class Radiotelephone license or equivalent certificate or acquire one of these within one year of hire.

Knowledge Of:

• State and Federal safety rules and regulations.
• Advanced electronic and telecommunications theory; AC and DC electrical theory; electrical and electronic components such as microprocessors, transistors, relays, transformers, optical isolators, linear and non-linear devices, synchronous and non-synchronous devices, etc.
• Telecommunications systems and equipment including telephone, leased circuits, microwave radio, wireless mesh networks, fiber optics, multiplex, two-way radio, SCADA, telemetry, power-line carrier, personal computers, cabling/wiring systems including copper, fiber optics, coax, etc., and local/wide area networks.
• Telecommunications standard industry practices for construction, operation, performance monitoring, maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Standard SMUD Procedures and department procedures.
• Design Change Notice (DCN) or equivalent drawing and configuration control processes.
• FCC rules and regulations.
• National Electric Code, National Electric Safety Code and Natural gas Safety.
• Locations of SMUDs facilities and equipment.

Skills:

• To work safely and effectively.
• Construct, configure, operate, monitor, troubleshoot and maintain telecommunications equipment.
• Proficiency is initially required in at least one of the four categories listed below at the time of hire.
• Two-way radio systems including conventional analog/digital radio (VHF/UHF) and/or 900 MHz simulcast trunked radio and paging systems.
• Wide band communication systems including analog, spread spectrum and digital microwave radio; DTL, SSBSC, digital and SONET multiplex systems; T1 and T3 systems; single and multi-mode fiber optic communications systems; local/wide area networks and digital access cross connect systems (DACS).
• Control and monitoring systems including equipment and systems for stream flow, cloud seeding, remote wireless metering systems, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition; AM/SSB power line carrier analog and digital protective relaying schemes including check back schemes, FSK and digital telemetry systems, security systems, load management control systems and personal computers.
• Telephone systems and equipment including CBX, KEY telephone systems, trunking, voice response systems, voice mail, local exchange carriers, long distance carriers, bypass carriers, analog and digital circuits, FAX machines and Cellular telephones.
• Ability to perform basic maintenance to restore equipment to service in all four of the above areas is strongly desired.
• As time progresses, Telecommunications Technicians are expected to gain knowledge and ability in all four areas through training classes, on-the-job training, reading product literature, review of maintenance manuals, etc.
• Construct, operate, monitor and maintain miscellaneous support systems and equipment including back-up generation, solar power, DC power, GPS/network timing, UPS, chart recorders and lightning and ground fault protection.
• Operate specialized telecommunications test equipment such as transmission line test sets, frequency selective level meters, service monitors, spectrum analyzers, interference analyzers, communications system analyzers, SINAD meters, optical time domain reflectometers, pair scanners, network link analyzers, power meters, arc fusion splicers, wiring analyzers, data circuit analyzers, earth ground evaluation equipment and SWR meters.
• Operate general test equipment, such as oscilloscopes, multi-meters, tone/signal generators, oscillators, Watt-meters, frequency counters, dummy loads, variable power supplies, personal computers with applicable software, plotters and chart recorders; utilize specialized tools, such as crimpers, strippers, pin insertion and extraction devices, fiber optics cleavers and other applicable hand tools.
• Write complex operating and testing procedures related to telecommunications, telephone control and monitoring systems.
• Perform mathematical calculations including algebra, geometry and trigonometry.
• Read, interpret and apply technical information related to electronic, mechanical and electrical equipment and circuitry.
• Interpret schematics, wiring, diagrams and blueprints to troubleshoot telecommunications problems.
• Conduct field and lab repair of printed circuit boards and modules.
• Handle electronic components properly.
• Use accepted soldering techniques and/or highly specialized soldering equipment, such as soldering irons, the Ungar SMR 1000 and the Chipmaster SMD 1000 workstation for surface mount components as used in modern telecommunications equipment.
• Climb communications radio towers; install, adjust and maintain antenna/transmission systems, weather monitoring equipment, video cameras and tower lights does not apply to Telecommunications