WTE Electrical & Instrumentation Technician

City of Spokane•City of Spokane, WA

About The Position

Responsible for installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical, instrumentation, and distributive control equipment throughout the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant, including low-, medium-, and high-voltage electrical distribution equipment. The role supports safe, efficient, and reliable plant operation and may include related work as required. The technician performs preventive maintenance and repairs across plant operating systems, steam turbine and generator equipment, and mobile equipment such as cranes. Duties also include maintaining and calibrating instrumentation and control systems, troubleshooting electrical circuits and controls, programming and modifying PLCs, and assisting with CEMS operation and maintenance. The position responds to system failures, supports planned and emergency startup and shutdown activities, completes outage work, and maintains records and spare-parts inventory. The technician works with other technicians, engineers, operations staff, environmental personnel, and contractors. The role includes guiding and training less experienced staff and following plant safety procedures, including LOTO, hot work, arc-flash, and confined-space protocols. The technician may act as a confined-space entrant or attendant and assist with emergency retrieval efforts until emergency services arrive.

Requirements

Associate degree or equivalent trade school education related to electrical engineering, industrial electronics/instrumentation, control systems, or a closely related field; qualifying maintenance and repair work experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.
No work experience is required under the open-entry requirements.
A valid driver’s license is required and must be maintained throughout employment.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications to be invited to take the examination.
The examination includes a supplemental questionnaire and training and experience evaluation (20%) and a multiple-choice examination (80%).
The online examination requires access to a computer.
The training and experience evaluation must be submitted online at the time of application.

Responsibilities

Perform scheduled preventive maintenance on plant electrical, instrumentation, and control equipment, including systems related to plant operations, the steam turbine, generator, and mobile equipment such as cranes.
Install, maintain, calibrate, and repair instrumentation systems and equipment in accordance with applicable regulations and plant standards.
Troubleshoot and repair electrical circuits, switchgear, electrical components, and motor controls, including DCS, PLC, and SCADA systems.
Program and modify PLCs to improve system efficiency and meet operational needs.
Assist plant and environmental personnel with operation, calibration, and maintenance of the CEMS.
Respond to and resolve electrical and instrumentation malfunctions, failures, and outages using diagnostic tools and equipment.
Identify potential and recurring problems and recommend or take corrective actions.
Assist with startup and shutdown of electrical and control systems during planned or emergency operations.
Complete work orders and project work during plant outages.
Provide guidance and training to less experienced staff on electrical and instrumentation systems and maintenance and troubleshooting practices.
Complete work in accordance with safety standards and follow LOTO, hot work permit, arc-flash, confined-space entry, and other plant safety protocols.
Act as a confined-space entrant and attendant and assist with emergency retrieval efforts until emergency services arrive.
Support adherence to and implementation of environmental regulations, particularly those involving emissions monitoring, instrumentation, and control systems.
Maintain accurate and up-to-date maintenance records and reports on equipment performance and condition.
Assist in maintaining an up-to-date inventory of electrical and instrumentation spare parts and tools.
Work with technicians, engineers, and operations staff to support efficient and reliable plant operation.
Provide support and oversight to contractors.
Perform related work as required.