City of Tacoma

Power Systems Engineer

City of Tacoma$98K — $184K *
Energy & Utilities
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field required.
  • 0-1 years engineering experience for Associate level.
  • 2 years engineering experience for Power Systems Engineer role.
  • 4 years professional engineering experience for PE level position.
  • Washington State Licensed Professional Engineer qualification required for PE roles.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the primary contact for customers about new service installations.
  • Develop design drawings and coordinate with teams on large projects.
  • Create working documents for electrical service construction.
  • Interpret engineering documents and specifications accurately.
  • Manage permit applications and coordinate utility easements.
  • Develop standards and specifications for equipment and processes.
  • Consult with stakeholders throughout the construction process.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and families.
  • Paid holidays and various leave options including sick and vacation leave.
  • Participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System.
  • Continued education and advancement opportunities.
  • Wellness programs and incentives for employees.
Full Job Description
Salary: $98,280.00 - $184,808.00 Annually
Location : Tacoma, WA
Job Type: Non-Classified
Job Number: T0440-26C
Department: Power
Division: Power - T&D
Opening Date: 07/07/2026
Closing Date: 7/21/2026 4:00 PM Pacific

Position Description
Tacoma Power's Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Section is seeking a Power System Engineer (Power Systems Engineer, Associate, Power Systems Engineer, or Power Systems Engineer, PE level) to join their team! In this role you will perform New Services Engineering duties in the preparation, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of new construction engineering projects. Assignments require a technical expertise within the field of electrical engineering and project management.

Responsibilities Include:
  • Serve as the first point of contact for customers seeking information about the installation of new electrical services or modifications to existing ones.
  • Develop design drawings for the installation of utility infrastructure and coordinate design with drafting department and field personnel for all large residential plats, commercial and industrial projects to ensure the layout and placement of electrical facilities are incompliance of all applicable codes, construction standards, and secured easement corridors for placement of Tacoma Powers electrical infrastructure; includes electrical design, high voltage equipment components, and materials for primary and secondary conductors to the lot corners or point of delivery.
  • Develop all working documents for new electrical service construction including work order packets for line crews, design drawings using computer design programs, material reservations, and information for mapping and archive documentation.
  • Interpreting engineering drawings, tables, specifications, and schematics.
  • Obtain and request material reservation, apply for governmental permits, request and coordinate utility easements, request and coordinate equipment locate requests, coordinate and organize planned high voltage outage arrangements with customers, clients and account executives. Serve on process improvement teams to enhance processes and productivity.
  • Develop standards and specifications for new equipment, component usage, rule changes, and processes.
  • Consults with customers, contractors, developers, builders, and other governing agencies during all phase of the construction process from project inception to project completion.
  • Develop and communicate construction costs to our customer base, using customer service policy and handbooks as a guide to ensure compliance to Tacoma Power Utilities Construction Standards and all established laws and codes; Washington Administrative Code (WAC), National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), and National Electrical Code (NEC) requirements.
  • Analyze new or existing electrical loads for our residential, commercial, and industrial customers to determine if additional electrical infrastructure is required.

Qualifications

Power Systems Engineer, Associate
Minimum Education*
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field.

Minimum Experience*
0-1 years depending upon assignment.

Power Systems EngineerMinimum Education*
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field.

Minimum Experience*
2 years of engineering experience in a power utility.

Power Systems Engineer, PE
Minimum Education*Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field.
Minimum Experience*4 years of professional level engineering experience in a power utility.

Washington State Licensed Professional Engineer.

*Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis

Licensing, Certifications and Other RequirementsSome positions may require individuals to pass a comprehensive personal risk assessment (background check) prior to employment and every five years thereafter as required by federal regulatory requirements (NERC-CIP)
Selection Process & Supplemental Information
Apply

All interested individuals mustapply online and attach a resume and cover letter that includes major responsibilities and accomplishments related to the position.

Appointment is subject to references and passing a background check.

Compensation & Benefits
Pay Details:
Annual Salary: $98,280 - $184,808.00

If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.

Get Assistance

For assistance with the application process or questions regarding this job announcement please contact the Human Resources office at (253) 591-5400 by 4:00 p.m. of the closing date of the job announcement.

For technical difficulties using the Neogov system, call the applicant support line at 1-855-524-5627 between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.

Communication with the City of Tacoma

We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from Tacoma.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk email folders.
The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.
01

Do you have a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field?*Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis
  • Yes
  • No

02

Do you have the following experience and/or training? Please check all that apply.*Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis
  • 0-1 years engineering experience
  • 2 years of engineering experience in a power utility
  • 4 years of professional level engineering experience in a power utility
  • Washington State Licensed Professional Engineer

03

One of the City's Principles that guides us is Equity. Describe what equity means to you and describe any experience you have working with diverse groups of people.
04

Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.
  • Job Interest Card notification
  • Professional organization
  • Military organization
  • City of Tacoma employee
  • Online job board posting
  • Word of mouth
  • LinkedIn
  • Tacoma Training & Education Program (TTEP)
  • Indeed
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Careers in Government
  • Government Jobs
  • Outreach Event
  • National Diversity Network
  • African American Job Network
  • Disability Job Network
  • Asian Job Network
  • Latino Job Network
  • Retirement Job Network
  • LGBT Job Network
  • Veteran Job Network
  • Other

05

Please provide specific information regarding how you learned about this job opening. Thank you, your feedback will be used to evaluate our success reaching the public and refine our methods for future job postings.
Required Question

About City of Tacoma

The City of Tacoma is a local government organization that provides a range of services to residents and businesses in Tacoma, Washington. These services include public safety, transportation, utilities, and parks and recreation. The City of Tacoma was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Tacoma, Washington.
Learn more about City of Tacoma
Size
3,000 employees
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