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Construction & Maintenance Substation Supervisor
Salary
$158,288.00 - $222,892.80 Annually
Location
Tacoma, WA
Job Type
Non-Classified
Job Number
P1460-25B
Department
Power
Division
Power - T&D
Opening Date
10/22/2025
Closing Date
11/5/2025 5:00 PM Pacific
Description
Benefits
Questions
Position Description
Tacoma Power is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Construction & Maintenance Substation Supervisor to lead our critical construction and maintenance crews responsible for across our substations and switchyards. This role is essential to ensuring the safe, reliable, and compliant operation of our substations, switchyards, and the high-voltage underground network, directly supporting our mission to deliver clean, reliable services essential to the community's quality of life.
This position provides hands-on leadership, technical guidance, and daily direction for approximately 15-30 journey-level professional and technical staff. You'll be the driving force behind daily operations, guaranteeing all work adheres to rigorous safety standards, regulatory requirements-including NERC, FERC, and WECC-and internal procedures. This position requires serving as a back-up subject matter expert for regulatory compliance and being part of the 24/7 on-call rotation for system emergencies and restoration efforts.
Key Responsibilities
Supervision & Leadership
Provide daily leadership and direction to crews engaged in the maintenance and construction of substations, switchyards, and the high voltage underground system.
Monitor and enforce safe work practices and compliance with policies, procedures, and union contracts through regular crew visits and site inspections.
Develop and mentor staff through performance reviews, and apprentice/journey-level development programs.
Respond to and investigate outages, safety incidents, and personnel issues, coordinating root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Work Management & Coordination
Plan, prioritize, and assign daily and long-range maintenance and construction activities, ensuring crews are properly staffed, equipped, and supplied.
Oversee the creation, assignment, and tracking of work orders and notifications in SAP to support accurate asset management.
Collaborate with engineers, account executives, contractors, and internal and external partners to plan and execute complex projects.
Compliance & Regulatory Oversight
Ensure all maintenance and construction activities meet applicable NERC, FERC, WECC standards, along with federal, state, and local regulations.
Maintain and update accurate records in SAP and other systems to ensure accuracy for regulatory reporting and audits.
Act as the back-up subject matter expert for regulatory standards, supporting internal/external audits and training staff on evolving requirements, including cyber security and critical infrastructure protection procedures.
Budget & Data Maintenance
Develop, maintain, and monitor the biennium budget expenditures for the Substations cost center.
Review and approve accounting for labor, training, contracts, and material costs to ensure expenditures remain within budget.
Maintain accurate records of equipment, maintenance plans, and work activities in SAP and other systems to support Tacoma Power's asset management program.
Create and assign work orders and notifications, very coding, and audit documentation including as-builts, timecards, safety forms, and incident reports.
Emergency Response
As assigned, serve as the On-Call Supervisor (24/7 coverage) to respond to situations that could cause outages, damage to the electrical system, or hazardous conditions; direct and coordinate
Participate in the Incident Command System (ICS), serving as Duty Supervisor or Incident Commander until relieved, and acting as a backup to the Branch Manager during major restoration events.
Qualifications
Minimum Education*
High School Diploma or equivalent and completion of an electrical apprenticeship, or completion of a 2-year trade/technical school specializing in electrical, machining, fabrication or heavy equipment trades; OR
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics or directly related field
Minimum Experience*
6 years of related industry experience, including:
Four (4) years as a journey electrician working on high voltage equipment, journey hydroelectric or power generation mechanic or operator working on power generation equipment. OR
Six (6) years as a Hydro Utility Worker. OR
Six (6) years as a NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) certified system operator.
AND
At least one (1) year of lead/supervisory experience.
*Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education
Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements
Incident Command Certification
First Aid/CPR Certification
State of Washington Driver's License
Some positions may require additional licenses and / or certifications, including:
Qualifying journey-level high-voltage electrical certification
Completion of annual training and passing comprehensive personal risk assessment (background check) prior to employment and every five years thereafter as required by federal regulatory requirements (NERC-CIP) and/or NERC BITO or RC Certification
Selection Process & Supplemental Information
City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We're committed to eliminating racial and other disparities, and we actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.
The City of Tacoma believes that diversity of thought, background, and experience contributes to our success and innovation. If you're passionate about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. 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.
Apply
Interested individuals should apply online by completing the application and attaching a resume and cover letter by the closing date and time listed on the job announcement. Applications received without attaching the required materials may not progress in the selection process.
Compensation & Benefits
Pay Details:
Hourly Rate: $76.10 - $107.16
Annual Salary: $158,288.00 - $222,892.80
Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma (https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/human-resources/employee-benefits/)
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
Select your educational background.
High school diploma or equivalent and completion of an electrical apprenticeship
High school diploma or equivalent and completion of a 2 year trade/technical school specializing in electrical, machining, fabrication or heavy equipment trades
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics or directly-related field
None of the above
02
Select which best describes your experience.
6 years of related industry experience, including: four (4) years as a journey electrician working on high voltage equipment, journey hydroelectric or power generation mechanic or operator working on power generation equipment
6 years as a Hydro Utility Worker
6 years as a NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) certified system operator
None of the above
03
Do you have 1 year of lead/supervisory experience?
Yes
No
04
Do you have a Washington State Driver's License or the ability to obtain one at time of appointment?
Yes
No
05
Please describe your experience with high voltage underground systems, in reference to construction and maintenance of network systems. If you do not have this experience, please include N/A.
06
Please list network underground equipment that you have installed or planned the work for installing. If you do not have this experience, please include N/A.
07
Please share your experience coordinating work for substations and switchyards. If you do not have this experience, please include N/A.
08
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.
09
Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.
Job Interest Card notification
Internet search
Professional organization
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Union job posting
City of Tacoma employee
Online job board posting
Word of mouth
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SEED
TTEP (Tacoma Training and Education Program)
Indeed
Facebook
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Careers in Government
Government Jobs
NWPPA
Outreach Event
10
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
Employer
City of Tacoma
Address
Human Resources Department 747 Market Street Tacoma, Washington, 98402-3764
Phone
253-591-5400
Website
http://www.tacoma.gov
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