Pipeline Safety Inspector

State of Washington•Thurston County – Lacey, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is seeking to fill two (2) Energy/Utility Engineer 3 positions to support the mission of the Pipeline Safety Division and are specifically aimed at enhancing public health and safety through regulatory compliance. These positions may be filled with a twelve (12) month in-training plan as an Energy/Utilities Engineer 1 or may be filled with a twelve (12) month in-training plan Energy/Utilities Engineer 2 to the class goal of Energy/Utilities Engineer 3. The positions primarily conduct inspections of regulated hazardous liquid and gas pipeline companies to ensure compliance with state and federal pipeline safety rules and regulations. Although these are hybrid opportunities, the successful incumbents must reside within Washington state and must be available to report to the Lacey, Washington headquarters building as needed. These positions necessitate travel throughout Washington state and occasionally other parts of the U.S. that involve overnight stays for inspections, incidents, training, conferences, and for meetings. This may occur during and/or outside normal work hours (including remote locations) that may include overnight stays.

Requirements

One (1) year of relevant work experience in federal and state enforcement of pipeline safety regulations including the design, construction, operation and maintenance of pipeline systems.
Ability to learn and apply engineering principles, technical standards, and analytical methods to evaluate complex utility, energy, telecommunications, transportation, water, or infrastructure systems.
Ability to learn to analyze engineering, operational, financial, or technical data and develop evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
Ability to learn to evaluate system performance, reliability, safety, efficiency, and compliance with applicable requirements.
Ability to learn to interpret and apply statutes, regulations, tariffs, technical standards, policies, and industry practices.
Ability to learn to assess the impacts of regulatory, operational, financial, or technical proposals on customers, regulated entities, and the public interest.
Ability to learn to develop clear recommendations that balance technical, economic, operational, and regulatory considerations.
Ability to learn to identify complex problems, evaluate alternatives, and recommend practical solutions.
Ability to learn to exercise sound professional judgment when analyzing incomplete, conflicting, or highly technical information.
Ability to learn to anticipate risks, consequences, and implementation challenges associated with proposed actions.
Ability to learn to communicate complex technical concepts and findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to learn to prepare reports, testimony, recommendations, technical memoranda, presentations, or briefing materials that support decision-making.
Ability to learn to explain technical analyses and respond to questions from stakeholders, leadership, decision-makers, or the public.
Ability to learn to independently manage multiple projects or assignments while meeting deadlines and quality expectations.
Ability to learn to plan, organize, prioritize, and coordinate work involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
Ability to learn to lead technical workgroups, project teams, investigations, or cross-functional initiatives.
Ability to learn to build productive working relationships with colleagues, regulated entities, industry representatives, consultants, governmental partners, and members of the public.
Ability to learn to facilitate discussions and work effectively with individuals holding diverse perspectives and interests.
Ability to learn to demonstrate professionalism, integrity, accountability, and respect in all interactions.
Ability to learn to maintain current knowledge of emerging technologies, industry practices, engineering methods, and regulatory developments.
Ability to learn to adapt to changing priorities, technologies, and organizational needs while maintaining high-quality work.
Two (2) years of relevant work experience in federal and state enforcement of pipeline safety regulations including the design, construction, operation and maintenance of pipeline systems.
Ability to independently apply engineering principles, technical standards, and analytical methods to evaluate complex utility, energy, telecommunications, transportation, water, or infrastructure systems.
Ability to independently analyze engineering, operational, financial, or technical data and develop evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
Ability to independently evaluate system performance, reliability, safety, efficiency, and compliance with applicable requirements.
Ability to independently interpret and apply statutes, regulations, tariffs, technical standards, policies, and industry practices.
Ability to independently assess the impacts of regulatory, operational, financial, or technical proposals on customers, regulated entities, and the public interest.
Ability to independently develop clear recommendations that balance technical, economic, operational, and regulatory considerations.
Ability to independently identify complex problems, evaluate alternatives, and recommend practical solutions.
Ability to independently exercise sound professional judgment when analyzing incomplete, conflicting, or highly technical information.
Ability to independently anticipate risks, consequences, and implementation challenges associated with proposed actions.
Ability to independently communicate complex technical concepts and findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to independently prepare reports, testimony, recommendations, technical memoranda, presentations, or briefing materials that support decision-making.
Ability to independently explain technical analyses and respond to questions from stakeholders, leadership, decision-makers, or the public.
Ability to independently manage multiple projects or assignments while meeting deadlines and quality expectations.
Ability to independently plan, organize, prioritize, and coordinate work involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
Ability to independently lead technical work groups, project teams, investigations, or cross-functional initiatives.
Ability to independently build productive working relationships with colleagues, regulated entities, industry representatives, consultants, governmental partners, and members of the public.
Ability to independently facilitate discussions and work effectively with individuals holding diverse perspectives and interest.
Ability to independently demonstrate professionalism, integrity, accountability, and respect in all interactions.
Ability to independently maintain current knowledge of emerging technologies, industry practices, engineering methods, and regulatory developments.
Ability to learn to adapt to changing priorities, technologies, and organizational needs while maintaining high-quality work.
Three (3) years of relevant work experience in federal and state enforcement of pipeline safety regulations including the design, construction, operation and maintenance of pipeline systems.
Applies engineering principles, technical standards, and analytical methods to evaluate complex utility, energy, telecommunications, transportation, water, or infrastructure systems.
Analyzes engineering, operational, financial, or technical data and develop evidence-based conclusions and recommendations.
Evaluates system performance, reliability, safety, efficiency, and compliance with applicable requirements.
Interprets and applies statutes, regulations, tariffs, technical standards, policies, and industry practices.
Assesses the impacts of regulatory, operational, financial, or technical proposals on customers, regulated entities, and the public interest.
Develops clear recommendations that balance technical, economic, operational, and regulatory considerations.
Identifies complex problems, evaluate alternatives, and recommend practical solutions.
Exercises sound professional judgment when analyzing incomplete, conflicting, or highly technical information.
Anticipates risks, consequences, and implementation challenges associated with proposed actions.
Communicates complex technical concepts and findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Prepares reports, testimony, recommendations, technical memoranda, presentations, or briefing materials that support decision-making.
Explains technical analyses and responds to questions from stakeholders, leadership, decision-makers, or the public.
Independently manages multiple projects or assignments while meeting deadlines and quality expectations.
Plans, organizes, prioritizes, and coordinates work deliverables involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
Leads technical work groups, project teams, investigations, or cross-functional initiatives.
Builds productive working relationships with colleagues, regulated entities, industry representatives, consultants, governmental partners, and members of the public.
Facilitates discussions and work effectively with individuals holding diverse perspectives and interests.
Demonstrates professionalism, integrity, accountability, and respect in all interactions.
Maintains current knowledge of emerging technologies, industry practices, engineering methods, and regulatory developments.
Adapts to changing priorities, technologies, and organizational needs while maintaining high-quality work.
Must attend and successfully complete all federal PHMSA training and certifications within three (3) years of completing the first (initial) course.
Must maintain Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPPER) and annual refresher course.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in engineering with a focus on mechanical, structural/civil, or related field from an accredited institution whose accreditation is recognized by the US Dept. of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or a foreign equivalent.
Equivalent education or experience may be substituted for the degree on a year-for-year basis.
Licensed professional engineer.
Experience evaluating regulated utility systems.
Knowledge of utility operations, infrastructure planning, system reliability, asset management, or emerging energy technologies.
Experience interpreting or applying utility regulations, tariffs, technical standards, industry guidelines, or public.
Experience conducting engineering, economic, financial, statistical, risk, or cost-benefit analyses to support decision-making.
Experience evaluating utility investments, capital projects, rate impacts, resource planning, or operational performance.
Experience preparing technical reports, recommendations, presentations, testimony, briefing materials, or other decision-support documents.
Experience presenting technical information to leadership, decision-makers, stakeholders, or public audiences.
Experience leading complex technical projects, multidisciplinary teams, investigations, or cross-functional initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities while delivering high-quality work products.
Experience using engineering, modeling, forecasting, statistical, GIS, database, or data visualization tools to support analysis and recommendations.
Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional learning through education, training, certifications, professional licensure, industry participation, military service, apprenticeships, or other relevant experiences.

Responsibilities

Conducts independent complex standard and specialized inspections and assessments of both interstate and intrastate gas and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities, operations, and maintenance in order to determine compliance with state and federal regulations.
Investigates natural gas incidents and hazardous liquid accidents to determine cause, operator responsibility and potential violations of Federal and State Pipeline Safety Standards.
Prepares a written report of findings and conclusions with potential recommendations for enforcement actions.
Reviews and analyzes records pertaining to operators’ compliance with Federal Pipeline Safety Standards (i.e., 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) sections 191 through 199), and state gas and liquid pipeline safety rules as defined by Washington Administrative Codes (WAC).
Conducts compliance activities to include, but are not limited to, review of operation and maintenance manuals, operation and maintenance activities, evaluation of operator’s design and operation of equipment, pipelines, pipeline pressure control and overpressure protection devices.
Performs activities that include calculations of pressure relief capacity, safe operating pressures, corrosion control procedures to preserve integrity of steel pipe systems, odorization monitoring operation and maintenance plans, emergency plans and procedures to ensure public safety during an emergency.
Compiles, prepares, enters, and updates records, data, reports and other information in program databases, files, and other storage media in order to document inspection and investigative findings.