UTILITY LOCATE TECHNICIAN

Fulton County; Alpharetta (GA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Fulton County’s Public Works Department seeks a Utilities Locate Technician in Alpharetta, GA to locate water and sewer mains using electronic locating equipment, GIS and GPS data, and blueprints. The role supports field crews and requires reading locate tickets and coordinating with UPC tickets.

Minimum education is a high school diploma or GED with two years’ utility locating experience; an associate degree is preferred and a valid Georgia driver's license is required.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED required; an associate degree is preferred.
• Minimum of two years’ experience locating underground utilities.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Locate water and sewer mains and appurtenances using electronic locating equipment and GIS/GPS data.
• Assist Engineering with GIS and GPS data acquisition.
• Access UPC locate tickets and support traffic control during field work.
• Support utility crews in repairs and flushing of distribution systems.
• Read locate tickets to determine underground locations and complete required paperwork.

Skills

GIS data interpretation

GPS operation

Blueprint reading

Safety awareness

Education

High School diploma or GED

Associates degree (preferred)

Tools

Electromagnetic locators

GPS units

GIS mapping tools

Job description

RECRUITMENT IS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

THE POSITION IS LOCATED AT 11575 MAXWELL ROAD, ALPHARETTA, GA

Minimum Qualifications:

High School diploma or GED required Associates degree preferred; supplemented by two years experience locating underground utilities, working outdoors in all types of weather conditions and confined spaces; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Specific License or Certification Required:

Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver's license.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities

Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Veterans’ Preference:

Qualifying veterans will be given preference in the form of a guaranteed invitation to interview for any position to which they applied and have been found to have met the minimum qualifications. Veterans’ preference provides for hiring preference on initial appointment only. To see the full Fulton County Veterans’ Preference Policy and Procedure, please click here.

Examination:

The examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience, accomplished by analysis of the application. Application must document that the applicant possesses the minimum knowledge, skills, education and experience as listed to be rated as qualified. If selected, an official, accredited college transcript is required, at time of employment, for all degrees/course work used to qualify for this position.

Purpose of Classification:

The purpose of this classification is to perform operational duties related to locating water and sewer mains, services, and appurtenances utilizing electronic locating equipment, blueprints, system maps, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) data, including assisting work crews in repairing and flushing water distribution systems and controlling traffic. Utility Locate Technician is distinguished from Utility Locate Coordinator in that the former does not supervise assigned staff but performs operational duties related to locating sites where utility mains, services, and related appurtenances exist; whereas the latter supervises assigned staff and coordinates various utility locating activities.

Essential Functions:

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Utilizes electronic locating equipment, blueprints, system maps, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) data to locate water and sewer mains, services, and appurtenances.

Assists the Engineering Division with GIS and GPS data acquisition.

Accesses the Utility Protection Center (UPC) to obtain locate tickets as required.

Provides assistance to utility crews in controlling traffic, repairing and flushing water distribution systems and resolving system locate problems.

Reads and interprets locate tickets to determine the location area for underground utilities.

Completes locate request paperwork as required.

Additional Functions:

Performs other related duties as required.

For Applicants With Prior Military Service:

We strongly encourage veterans, prior military and transitioning service members to apply. Many of the competencies and transferable skills developed through military service directly support success in this role, including:

Customer service under pressure: Provided calm, clear, solutions-focused support to contractors and residents during urgent locate requests using mission-driven military customer service discipline.

Operational planning and execution: Applied structured military planning to organize locate zones, prioritize tickets, and complete field tasks efficiently through disciplined operational planning.

Adaptability and rapid problem solving: Quickly adjusted to incomplete data, unexpected site conditions, and map conflicts using agile military-style problem solving.

Team cohesion and communication: Maintained strong coordination with contractors and county teams through clear, concise, mission-oriented military team communication.

Safety and risk awareness: Identified hazards and enforced safe-digging practices using military risk-assessment-based safety awareness.

Technical and equipment proficiency: Operated electromagnetic locators, GPS units, and mapping tools with precision, drawing on advanced military technical proficiency.

Performance Aptitudes:

Data Utilization: Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others regarding the application of procedures and standards to specific situations.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations with fractions; may include ability to compute discount, interest, and ratios; may include ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights, and measures.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagrammatic form. Involves semi-routine standardized work with some latitude for independent judgment concerning choices of action.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, genetics, age, disability or sexual orientation.