Department of Public Utilities, City of Orangeburg
Application
Details
Posted: 05-Feb-25
Location: ORANGEBURG, South Carolina
Type: Full Time
Salary: $88,836.80 - $142,126.40 / yr
Categories:
Mechanical Engineering
Years of Experience:
5 - 10
The purpose of this position is to direct and manage operations and staff involved in operating, constructing and maintaining electric plants, sub-stations, and related components for the Electric Division for the Department of Public Utilities (DPU).
Essential Functions:
Manages, directs, and evaluates assigned staff;
Organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work;
Manages, coordinates and participates in preventative and emergency maintenance and repairs of electric plants, sub-stations and related components;
Manages and coordinates construction of sub-stations and transmission lines;
Manages high voltage switching;
Maintains inventory of equipment, tools and supplies;
Assists in developing, planning and implementing strategic plans, goals, and objectives for the division in the area of electric power delivery;
Assists in developing budget for the division;
Ensures compliance with all applicable codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards, guidelines, policies and procedures;
Maintains an awareness of new technologies, technical methods, trends, and advances in the profession;
Processes a variety of documentation associated with department/division operations, within designated timeframes and per established procedures;
Operates a personal computer and other electronic devices;
Communicates with supervisor, DPU employees, outside agencies, customers, the public, and other individuals.
Minimum Qualifications:
BS Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or a related field required; supplemented by five years of experience in planning and designing electrical, mechanical, or communication systems, to include lead or supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
Must reside within a radius of Orangeburg, SC that allows for a 30-minute maximum response to call outs and emergencies.
Specific License or Certification Required:
Must possess and maintain a valid South Carolina driver’s license.
Possession and maintenance of a South Carolina Professional Engineer’s license is preferred.
Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities:
Must have extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering as to electrical systems; and the ability to make independent decision in the design and layout of projects; to develop solutions to problems encountered during the design of projects; to analyze complex mechanical and electrical systems and equipment and direct repair of same; and to exchange ideas and give instructions in a clear legible and/or audible manner.
About Department of Public Utilities, City of Orangeburg
The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is a wholly owned enterprise of the City of Orangeburg. The DPU sells retail electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services to the greater Orangeburg area. The DPU has a staff of approximately 180 full-time employees. The Administrative Division is the service company of the DPU and has a staff of 65 full-time employees, consisting of Accounting, Billing, Customer Service, Field Service, Geographic Information Services, Information Technology Services, Human Resources and Fleet Maintenance areas. Collectively, these areas serve both the internal operating Divisions of the DPU as well as the 55,000 +/- citizens and rate payers. Our employee’s strive to provide the highest level of customer service each day.
The DPU has nearly 24,000 multi-utility accounts. The DPU’s customer service and billing staff handles nearly 10,000 calls per month and nearly 6,000 monthly in person visits. The customer service and billing area are the first staff members who customers encounter when dealing with a customer service or billing issue and go through great effort to ensure customers’ needs are met with care and compassion.
The DPU’s accountin...g staff handle processing of nearly 12,000 invoices per year, issuing more than 700 payments per month and over 3,000 purchase orders per year. They also handle the processing of over 250,000 customer payments per year and nearly $100,000,000 of receipts per year. The accounting staff helps to ensure that projects and work orders are tracked and accounted for properly and that business is conducted efficiently and effectively for operational purposes.
The DPU Field Service area ensures that the DPU’s customer utility meters are read accurately on a monthly basis. The Field Service area also helps ensure inspections of the metering facilities are provided adequate access and surrounding areas maintained as provided by the DPU’s General Terms and Conditions. Utility locating and routing of routine service work are also handled by the Field Service group with great care to ensure utility stakeholder needs are met.
The DPU’s Information Technology staff ensures that the DPU is on the leading edge of digital and electronic capabilities. The staff ensures that the operations of the DPU run efficiently and securely on a daily basis while constantly enhancing the offerings to the operational divisions of the Department and customers.
The DPU’s Fleet Maintenance area handles the procurement as well as the repairs and maintenance of nearly 110 on-road vehicles and numerous other pieces of equipment which are vital to the day to day operations of the DPU. The staff maintains the DPU’s assets to the highest standards and the staff is versed in nearly all forms of mechanical upkeep. From rebuilding hydraulic parts to diesel motors, there are no tasks to large or complex for the Maintenance Facility staff to tackle.
