Description

Hiring salary will begin $150,000.  Salary is dependent upon qualifications.  Valid applications must include cover letter, resume, and salary requirements.  Requisition is open until filled with the weekly review of applicants starting 2/3/26.    

Provides highly responsible strategic leadership with primary oversight in work planning, organizing, and directing the City’s electric operations including the installation, maintenance, and repair of electric distribution system and components, ensuring compliance with regulations.  Position manages the department budget and capital expenditures, staff, and related work as necessary.  Work involves setting policies and goals under the direction of the City Manager.  Departmental supervision is exercised over all personnel within the department.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

• Works effectively as a member of the City Manager’s Leadership Team to plan, execute, and evaluate organization-wide strategies that achieve City Council’s vision and goals and important community needs;
• Development and evaluation of programs, policies and procedures necessary to ensure safe and effective management of staff and daily operations
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with City officials, associates, business owners, contractors, architects, engineers, regulatory agency representatives and the general public;
• Plans, organizes, directs, oversees, and coordinates the department activities with a focus on operational efficiency, reliability, and financial sustainability. 
• Oversees the operation, maintenance, and repair of the electric distribution system and components, including tree trimming, substation maintenance, transformer and pole replacement.
• Directs and oversees department recruiting, selection, training, performance evaluation, and staff development, coaching and disciplinary action. 
• Develops and administers the department’s operating and capital improvement budgets, ensuring fiscal responsibility, rate equity, transparency, and alignment with strategic objectives. Directs the forecasting of additional funds for staffing, equipment, materials, power purchases, and other expenditures; monitors and approves spending; and implements quarterly budget adjustments as needed.
• Forecasting electric loads and needs; planning and implementing short-term and long-term power resource planning to ensure efficient organization and completion of work.
• Directs the planning, design, and implementation of the City’s infrastructure improvements for new businesses, developments, customers, and City projects.
• Represents the City on related boards, associations, cooperative agencies, and at local, regional, and state meetings; attends public hearings and delivers presentations on departmental proposals, projects, and activities.
• Interacts with customers on utility issues, rate questions/interpretation, complaints, policy questions, and other issues.
• Facilitates the analysis of future power purchase agreements with City Administration, the Blue Ridge Power Agency, and electrical utility consultants.
• Oversees and conducts rate structure analysis including cost of service studies, loan sharing impacts, and financial modeling to ensure fair and sustainable electric rates.
• Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.  Researches and prepares reports and projects, develops and implements program, presents technical data to City staff, Utility Commissions, and others as needed.
• Performs various administrative tasks such as approval of work orders, invoices, timecards, entering and retrieving data, conducting meetings, etc.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of Electric generation, transmission, and distribution operations and maintenance; Engineering principles and practices governing the operation of an electric utility system; laws, ordinances, regulations and statues which govern an electric utility system;  management principles and practices; local government processes, organization, and budgeting; safety and occupational hazards and accident prevention methods related to the operation of an electric utility system; knowledge of occupational hazards and required safety precautions in a utility work setting. Strong communication skills both oral and written to effectively engage with elected officials, staff, customers, consultants, engineers, and the public. 

Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in electrical engineering, business management or related field with a minimum of 5 to 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in public utility planning, operations and/or service or equivalent combination of education and experience. Knowledge of and general understanding of electrical utility budgeting and accounting. 

Requirements

Physical Requirements

This work requires the regular exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work frequently speaking or hearing and occasionally requires standing, walking, sitting, using hands to finger, handle or feel, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, pushing or pulling and lifting; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, using of measuring devices, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work occasionally requires exposure to outdoor weather conditions and exposure to the risk of electrical shock; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Special Requirements

Valid driver's license in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Preferred: Possession of a Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.