Assistant Electric System Director

Town of Clayton; Clayton (NC); On-site; USD 92,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement pension plan

401K membership

Paid Vacation

Sick and Holiday Leave

State Health Plan

Job summary

The Town of Clayton seeks an Assistant Electric System Director to help plan, organize, direct, and manage the Electric Department’s operations, including system planning, construction, maintenance, reliability, and customer service.

This role is a key member of the leadership team, supporting the Electric Director and potentially acting in their absence. Responsibilities include budget administration, CIP development, and coordination with engineers, contractors, and public officials.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or certificate in Electrical Technology required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, Public Administration, or related major; First Aid/CPR preferred.
• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in electric utility construction, maintenance, operations, or line work; supervisory experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, organizing, and directing overall Electric Department operations.
• Participate in policy development and strategic initiatives to align operations with Town goals.
• Represent the department before Town Manager, Council, boards, and external partners.
• Serve as acting Electric Director when assigned or in Director’s absence.
• Plan, organize, and direct electric utility operations including construction, maintenance, outage response, reliability, and customer service.
• Oversee staff, contractors, and resources; coordinate crews.
• Establish performance standards and monitor service levels.
• Assist with long- and short-range system planning; CIP development.
• Support department budget and allocate resources.

Skills

Electric distribution

Staff supervision

Policy development

Strategic planning

Budget management

Customer service

Contract negotiation

Education

Associate degree in Electrical Technology

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related

First Aid and CPR certification preferred

Tools

IT systems

Electrical mapping tools

Work management software

Metering systems

Job description

* Salary Grade SG 412* * Recruitment Salary Range starting at: $92,281.00*

** Salary offered will be determined based on directly related experience **

* Work Location is 501 Atkinson St. Clayton, NC (Johnston County) *

The Town of Clayton is seeking applicants for a Assistant Electric System Director for the ElectricDepartment. The Town of Clayton employs more than 340 full‑time staff in areas including police, fire, and electric utilities. The Town of Clayton also offers a range of PT positions including positions in Parks & Rec, Library, and Cultural Arts.

The Town of Clayton is the fastest growing town in Johnston County, which is the fastest growing county in the State of North Carolina. The vision for the Town of Clayton includes a thriving town where growth contributes to the quality of life enjoyed by long‑time residents and newcomers alike; easy access but with an atmosphere that feels smaller than it is; a system of parks and greenways that connect people and places; neighborhoods with a variety of quality living options; a town that offers opportunities for people to live, create, shop and eat; a bustling and historic downtown, and businesses that are successful, growing, and investing in the community.

Performs difficult professional, technical, and administrative work assisting in the planning, organizing, directing, and management of the Town’s electric utility system and departmental operations.

An employee in this class serves as a key member of the Town’s leadership team and supports the Electric Director in overseeing all aspects of electric utility operations including system planning, construction, maintenance, reliability, customer service, and administrative functions.

Work includes participation in organizational strategic planning, policy development, capital improvement programming, and coordination with other departments, elected officials, outside agencies, and the public. The position exercises independent judgment in managing operations, personnel, and resources and may act on behalf of the Electric Director when assigned.

Work is performed under the general direction of the Electric Director and is evaluated through conferences, reports, and results achieved.

• Assists in planning, organizing, and directing the overall operations of the Electric Department
• Participates in policy development and strategic initiatives to align departmental operations with Town goals
• Represents the department before the Town Manager, Council, boards, and external partners
• Serves as acting Electric Director when assigned or in the Director’s absence
• Plans, organizes, and directs electric utility operations including construction, maintenance, outage response, reliability, and customer service
• Oversees and evaluates work of staff, contractors, and partners vs. primarily coordinating crews
• Establishes performance standards and monitors service levels to ensure efficiency and quality
• Assists with short- and long‑range system planning
• Participates in capital improvement program (CIP) development and infrastructure expansion planning
• Supports and helps administer the department budget
• Evaluates and recommends resource allocations, staffing, equipment, and capital investments
• Oversees and manages electric system projects rather than primarily assisting with documentation
• Participates in contract development, negotiation, and administration
• Coordinates with engineers, developers, contractors, and other agencies
• Provides leadership and direction to staff and supervisors rather than primarily assisting with coordination
• Oversees hiring, performance management, discipline, and professional development
• Supports training and promotes safe work practices
• Responds to complex service issues, outages, and public concerns
• Maintains relationships with customers, public officials, and external agencies
• Performs other duties as assigned

• Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of electric distribution systems, electric utility operations, loading, capacity, maintenance, and basic system design.
• Thorough knowledge of materials, tools, vehicles, equipment, and methods used in the construction, maintenance, and repair of overhead and underground electric distribution lines and related facilities.
• Thorough knowledge of occupational hazards, applicable safety practices, personal protective equipment, and emergency procedures associated with electric utility work.
• Working knowledge of governmental budgeting, purchasing, inventory control, personnel practices, and customer service practices related to municipal utility operations.
• Working knowledge of information technology, mapping, work management, metering, reporting, and other technical resources used in electric utility operations.
• Skill in supervising, training, coaching, motivating, communicating with, and coordinating the work of field crews and support staff.
• Skill in reading and interpreting electrical plans, maps, drawings, specifications, work orders, standards, and related technical documents.
• Ability to plan, assign, coordinate, inspect, and evaluate electric utility construction, maintenance, repair, and outage restoration work.
  
• Ability to assist with long- and short-range planning and to recommend improvements that support system reliability, safety, efficiency, and customer service.
  
• Ability to prepare accurate records, reports, estimates, schedules, and project documentation.
  
• Ability to respond effectively to emergencies, outages, customer concerns, and changing operational priorities.
  
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with public officials, employees, contractors, utility companies, customers, and the general public.
  
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written forms.

Education and Experience:

• Associate’s degree or certificate in Electrical Technology, Electric Utility Technology, or a closely related major field required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering, Construction Management, Public Administration, or a related major field preferred. First Aid and CPR certification preferred.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in electric utility construction, maintenance, operations, or line work, preferably in a municipal electric utility environment, including supervisory or lead worker experience, is preferred.

OR

Depending on the position, the Town may consider an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above, unless otherwise subject to any other requirements set forth in law or regulation.

Applicants may be subject to a criminal background check. Effective October 1, 2025, in accordance with North Carolina state law, all applicants for positions that involve working with children in any capacity are required to undergo criminal history record checks conducted by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Credit and motor checks are required for some administrative, finance and operational positions. Applicants will be required to take and pass a Pre-Employment Drug and Alcohol screen once they are verbally given a conditional offer of employment. Depending on the position, employees may be subject to random drug and alcohol screens throughout their employment. Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).

Town of Clayton employees enjoy many benefits including a retirement pension plan, 401K membership, Paid Vacation, Sick and Holiday Leave, State Health Plan, and various other benefits. Benefits information can be found by going directly to the Town of Clayton website at: https://www.townofclaytonnc.org/251/Benefits.

When a salary range is posted, the actual salary will be based on relevant competencies, knowledge, skills & abilities, internal equity and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position. The Town of Clayton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Hiring salary will not exceed hiring pay range unless approved by the Town Manager.

Applications may be reviewed to determine if applicants education and experience is more applicable to other vacant positions within the Town.