Meter Services Specialist

City of Tulare•Tulare, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Step up your career: Lead our field team as a Water Meter Specialist! Are you an experienced utility professional ready to transition into a leadership role? The City of Tulare is seeking a skilled, proactive leader to serve as our Water Meter Specialist. In this role, you will be the ultimate subject matter expert, balancing advanced technical fieldwork with the responsibility of guiding and mentoring our field crew. If you excel at data troubleshooting, thrive in a dynamic outdoor environment, and are ready to lead by example, this is your next career milestone! Why This Role Matters As a Water Meter Specialist, you are the backbone of our utility operations. You won't just oversee daily field routes; you will manage our cutting-edge Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI), reconcile critical database discrepancies, and solve complex field customer service issues. This position bridges the gap between field technical accuracy and high-level team coordination.

Requirements

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth (12th) grade and two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in public agency water distribution system operations and the maintenance, data tracking, or repair of water meters, including significant public contact, with at least one (1) year of experience performing work equivalent to Water Meter Reader I, at the City of Tulare.
Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class C California driver’s license by time of appointment.
Possession of, a State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Water Distribution Operator Certificate, Grade D1.

Nice To Haves

Additional coursework or certifications in water technology, electronics, or smart utility networking may substitute for up to one (1) year of the required experience.

Responsibilities

Plan, schedule, assign, and review the daily work of the field crew.
Provide hands-on training and mentorship to lower-level Meter Readers.
Utilize advanced AMI software networks to program, calibrate, diagnose, and replace complex residential and commercial water meters and transmittal endpoints.
Review field route progress to meet strict billing timelines.
Reconcile technical database discrepancies with real-world physical readings.
Install, test, and repair water services, meter boxes, and backflow assemblies.
Relocate hydrant meters and monitor hydrants to prevent unauthorized water use.
Step in to resolve complex customer complaints, investigate leaks or system tampering, and coordinate water shutoff operations safely.
Plans, directs, and participates in the reading, recording, and reporting of water consumption data; and monitors progress on field routes to ensure completion within established billing timelines.
Coordinates and performs the installation, testing, maintenance, and repair of water services, meters, boxes, and backflow assemblies.
Oversees and assists with installing, maintaining, and repairing meter communication modules and network infrastructure.
Performs a variety of skilled duties in support of the Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) including reading, building, programming, installing, activating, calibrating, inspecting, diagnosing, replacing, and routing AMI meters and/or registers.
Utilizes AMI software to install, program, read, troubleshoot, diagnose, inspect, and replace AMI meters and transmitting devices.
Activates, programs, and troubleshoots handheld meter reading devices; loads meter reading routes and maps with meter locations onto devices; performs computer data input/output by uploading and downloading data to and from handheld meter reading units.
Reconciles discrepancies between computer database records and physical meters in the field; ensures that customer issues related to the AMI and metering system are investigated and addressed in a timely manner.
Disconnects and connects customer services by turning meters and service valves off or on using a list of delinquent accounts, payments, and new service requests; posts non-payment notices, sign-ups, or shut-down notices.
Assists in coordinating and scheduling water shutoff operations for non-payment.
Assigns new meters to established routes and updates the sequential or chronological order of meters within routes to maximize efficiency.
Checks for leaks or broken meters, reports water use violations and evidence of tampering, and assists customers in resolving water volume and pressure problems.
Reads water meters in varied terrains and in all weather conditions; records figures using handheld computers or in meter books; observes condition of meters or other unusual conditions relative to the need for repair; maintains meters, boxes, lids, and landscaping directly surrounding meter boxes.
Operates a variety of hand and power tools and equipment used in the maintenance and repair of water meters; makes field repairs to water meters and performs routine maintenance; generates requests to Maintenance and Operations for larger structural repairs.
Responds to customer complaints and requests for service; maintains simple records and logs; reads and interprets maps and diagrams in the performance of the work; completes technical field reports as necessary.
Assists in maintaining a parts inventory.
Installs, relocates, and repairs hydrant meters.
Monitors City hydrants to detect and prevent unauthorized water use.
Performs safety and service inspections of assigned truck and equipment.
Responds to emergency service calls as needed.
Performs related duties as assigned.