Engineering Specialist

JOB TITLE: Engineering Specialist

LOCATION: San Francisco or Sacramento

JOB OPENING #: 6780

OVERVIEW

The Judicial Council of California is accepting applications for the position of Engineering Specialist (Energy & Sustainability) with the Facilities Services office.

The Engineering Specialist will be responsible for analyzing and validating utility data, including electricity, natural gas, water, waste, and fuels, for courthouses in the assigned regions in Central and Southern California. The role supports sustainability-focused decision-making by identifying usage trends, verifying billing accuracy, and flagging inefficiencies. A significant focus is on maintaining high-quality data in platforms such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and the Energy Management Information System (EMIS) to support energy reduction, water conservation, and decarbonization goals.

The Engineering Specialist supports the monthly and annual reporting of energy and water use, costs, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as regulatory compliance reporting, including GHG inventory data compilation and support for Assembly Bill (AB) 802 benchmarking. Trend analysis to identify peak demand, abnormal water use, and inefficiencies is a key aspect of this work.

This position also involves conducting or supporting energy and water audits, life cycle cost analysis, and technical reviews of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in support of energy efficiency, water efficiency, and waste reduction upgrades and capital project planning. The Engineering Specialist helps identify and track utility incentives and rebates, recommends energy- and water-efficient equipment, and contributes to the development of energy, water conservation, and waste reduction policy. The position serves as the technical water and waste resource for the Sustainability Unit and provides related educational training for the field staff and court staff.

As a liaison to utility vendors, accounting, and internal stakeholders, the Engineering Specialist ensures accurate utility data management for the portfolio of over 400 facilities, with primary responsibility for utility accounts in the assigned regions and shared responsibility for portfolio-wide data quality in the EMIS and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The position validates automated utility data feeds, coordinates with accounting to resolve billing discrepancies that impact data integrity, and ensures the maintenance of high-quality energy, water, and waste data to support sustainability analysis and regulatory compliance. Additional responsibilities may include supporting renewable energy planning, zero net energy projects, electric vehicle (EV) charging strategies, and future grid optimization efforts. This position may also serve as a technical energy and water expert to Judicial Council committees on facility modifications and cost reduction initiatives.

The Judicial Council

The Judicial Council of California is the policy setting body for the state court system and has constitutionally conferred statewide rule-making authority. This authority includes developing, advocating for, and allocating the judicial branch budget. A majority of Council members are California state justices and judges; however, the Council also includes lawyers, legislators, and court administrators.

By enhancing its role as a leadership, knowledge, and service resource for the judicial branch, the Judicial Council's staff organization seeks to continue to evolve as one of California's most dynamic public service entities, focused on improving access to justice for all Californians by innovating and responding to the changing needs of the courts and the public. As a government body charged with improving the statewide administration of justice, the Judicial Council has multiple offices with diverse responsibilities relating to court policy and operations. As employees of the council, every member of staff should view and approach their work as one Judicial Council with a public service mission that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Judicial Council strives for work-life balance, including substantial vacation and holiday time. In addition, we offer an excellent benefits package, including pension, medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible spending, up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs, student loan forgiveness as part of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and retirement savings plans. In San Francisco, the office is only a 7-minute walk from the Civic Center BART station. In Sacramento, the office is minutes from downtown, just north of Discovery Park.

The Judicial Council offers hybrid work arrangements for many positions. The successful candidate will be expected to work in person at the Judicial Council's San Francisco or Sacramento office at least two days per week, based on their office leader's direction, and reside in the areas surrounding these locations. To be eligible for Judicial Council employment and participation in the Judicial Council's Hybrid Work Program, a prospective or current employee's primary residence/remote work location must be in the State of California and within a 150-mile driving radius of their assigned reporting location.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Review and validate utility bills for electricity, natural gas, water, waste, and fuels for courthouses in the assigned regions, including daily batch reviews, late bill monitoring, and accurate entry of paper and electronic invoices in the EMIS.

Monitor utility data quality across the portfolio in the EMIS and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, identify discrepancies, and coordinate corrections with utility vendors, Branch Accounting, Procurement, and other internal stakeholders.

Serve as the utility vendor liaison for the assigned regions, resolving billing discrepancies, service concerns, payment issues, and account setup for new and transferred facilities.

Benchmark energy, water, and waste performance across the Judicial Council's portfolio of over 400 facilities (use, energy use intensity, cost, and GHG emissions), and perform trend analysis to identify demand peaks, leaks, abnormal use, and operational inefficiencies.

Coordinate and review energy, water, and waste audits and retro-commissioning studies, and prepare project recommendations with estimated costs, savings, simple payback, life cycle cost analysis, and available utility incentives.

Develop and maintain energy and sustainability dashboards and monthly energy and water reports for internal and external stakeholders.

Serve as the technical resource for Facilities Services on water efficiency and waste reduction, including plumbing fixtures, irrigation controls, water metering, leak detection, and recycling and composting programs, and contribute to related policies and technical standards.

Support renewable energy, battery storage, EV charging, and capital project work, including utility incentive applications, energy model reviews, and analysis of financing options.

Compile annual GHG inventory data, including refrigerant, diesel, fleet fuel, and staff travel data, and support AB 802 benchmarking and other regulatory reporting.

Provide training to Facility Management field staff, service providers, and court staff on energy and water conservation, utility incentive programs, and Title 24 energy code updates.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree, preferably in a directly related field that would provide the knowledge and skills necessary for technical facility and construction engineering. An additional four (4) years of professional experience as noted above may substitute for the bachelor's degree. Or, additional directly related experience and/or education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Experience reviewing, validating, or processing utility bills and maintaining utility account data for a multi-site portfolio.

Experience with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and an energy management information system or utility bill management platform.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with a data visualization tool such as Power BI.

Knowledge of building systems, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, lighting and controls, plumbing, and irrigation, and of energy and water auditing.

Experience with life cycle cost analysis and utility incentive programs, such as California Energy Design Assistance, custom incentives, and on-bill financing.

Knowledge of GHG inventory protocols, such as The Climate Registry and California Air Resources Board methods, and of California building benchmarking requirements under AB 802.

Knowledge of waste reduction, recycling, and composting programs, and of water conservation strategies.

Ability to explain technical findings clearly, in writing and in person, to audiences without a technical background.

Professional Engineer license, Certified Energy Manager certification, LEED Accredited Professional credential, or similar.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS

Valid driver's license.

OTHER

Please note, if you are selected for hire, verification of employment eligibility or authorization to work in the United States will be required.

HOW TO APPLY

This position is open until filled and requires the submission of our official application, responses to the supplemental questions, and a resume. To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by 5:00 P.M. on November 6, 2026.

To complete an online application, go to job opening #6780 at

To complete the online application, please click the Apply for Job button.

The Judicial Council provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who request such accommodation. Reasonable accommodation needs should be requested through Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io. Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) is available by dialing 711. Once connected, provide the relay operator with the number for Human Resources: View phone number on click.appcast.io.

PAYMENT & BENEFITS

$6,909 - $9,673 per month

Please note due to statewide fiscal conditions, the posted salary range is subject to a temporary 3% reduction. In exchange for this reduction, judicial branch employees accrue an additional 5 hours of paid personal leave per month through June 30, 2027.

Some highlights of our benefits package include:

Health/Dental/Vision benefits program

14 paid holidays per calendar year

Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave

1 personal holiday per year

Up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs

CalPERS Retirement Plan

401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans

Employee Assistance Program

Basic Life and AD&D Insurance

FlexElect Program

Pretax Parking

Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)

Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility

The Judicial Council of California Is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Supplemental Questions

To better assess the qualifications of each applicant, we will review your responses to the following questions. For each response, name the employer or organization where you did the work and the approximate dates. If you are describing academic, internship, or volunteer work, say so.

Your responses should not exceed three pages in total, which is roughly one page per question. Write from your own direct experience. The interview panel will draw its questions from these responses and will ask you for specifics about the data, decisions, and outcomes you describe.

1. A large part of this position is reviewing utility bills and keeping utility data accurate across hundreds of accounts. Describe your direct experience reviewing, validating, or entering utility bills or utility data for multiple facilities or meters. In your response, address:

a. The portfolio, including the number of facilities, accounts, or meters, the commodities involved (electricity, natural gas, water, waste, or fuels), and the period you worked on it;

b. The tools or platforms you used, such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a utility bill management system, a spreadsheet, or a database, and the checks you ran to catch errors;

c. A specific billing or data error you found, how you detected it, who you worked with to correct it, and whether the result was a credit, a corrected record, or a process change; and

d. How you tracked bills that were late, missing, or estimated.

2. Describe a time you investigated an unexpected change in energy or water use at a building. In your response, address:

a. The building type and approximate size, the data you were looking at (for example, monthly bills, interval meter data, or building automation trends), and the size of the change;

b. How you ruled out a billing, metering, or data error, and how you accounted for differences in weather or occupancy;

c. The cause you found, the building system or operating practice involved, and who you worked with to confirm it; and

d. What was done about it, and how you verified that use returned to the expected level.

3. Describe an energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, or renewable energy project that you personally analyzed. In your response, address:

a. The facility, the existing condition, the measure you evaluated, and the alternatives you compared;

b. How you estimated costs and savings, the financial method you used (for example, simple payback, net present value, or life cycle cost analysis), and the key assumptions behind it;

c. Any utility incentive, rebate, or grant involved, and what it took to secure it; and

d. Who made the decision, how you presented your analysis to them, and what was decided.