Utility Services Specialist Senior - Austin Energy

AustinTexas; United States; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Austin Energy is seeking a Utilities Services Specialist Senior to support customer service and field operations in Austin, TX. Under supervision, you will collaborate with supervisory staff to focus on delivering quality service to customers.

Responsibilities include resolving complex issues, coordinating field deployments, analyzing data, and ensuring accurate billing practices while guiding a dispatch team as needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; four years' utility/customer service experience.
• Experience in customer/consumer service for utility/construction or related services.
• Knowledge of city practices, policies, and utility billing procedures.

Responsibilities

• Resolves complex meter/customer service issues and coordinates resolution.
• Provides information on services, operations, laws, policies, and procedures.
• Extracts data from databases and produces statistical reports and analysis.
• Coordinates field deployments and ensures maintenance of utility equipment.
• Investigates billing records to assess fees and charges from errors or tampering.
• Leads dispatch activities and mentors others when applicable.

Skills

Communication

Data analysis

Customer service

Time management

Leadership

Organization

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

MWM (Mobile Workforce Management)

CC&B

Permitting system

Job description

About This Position

Under general supervision, this position collaborates closely with supervisory and lead staff to assure sustained focus on providing quality service to customers.

Job Description

Under general supervision, this position collaborates closely with supervisory and lead staff to assure sustained focus on providing quality service to customers.

Purpose

Under general supervision, this position collaborates closely with supervisory and lead staff to assure sustained focus on providing quality service to customers.

Duties, Functions and Responsibilities

• Communicates, mediates, and negotiates with customers to resolve complex meter/customer service issues and initiates the resolution of issues.
• Provides information to citizens, external and internal customers, regarding organization, services operations, laws, policies and procedures.
• Assists in policy/procedure development and implementation processes.
• Extracts data from various databases containing historical data, utility installations, and inventory monitoring and produces statistical reports and detailed analysis of utility services.
• Coordinates utility requirements for internal and external customers, determines proper equipment necessary to meet the customers utility demand.
• Evaluates metering data, determining specialized needs, and assigns appropriate classification.
• Resolves customer inquiries related to establishing utility services, billing processes and procedures, costs and service rates, service regulations, and availability of services.
• Schedules and coordinates the deployment of field personnel delivering utility services and ensures proper maintenance of utility equipment.
• Researches and determines fiscal requirements in connection with subdivision development, re-subdivision and commercial utility service extensions.
• Researches and investigates utility billing records and various technical utility service records to assess fees and charges from tampering, equipment failures, and billing errors.

Responsibilities - Supervisor and/or Leadership Exercised

• May lead others.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must possess required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience and be able to explain and demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, that the essential functions of the job can be performed.
• Knowledge of City practice, policy, and procedures.
• Knowledge of the applicable principles, laws, rules, regulations, and practices of utility service operations.
• Knowledge utility billing procedures, fee schedules, or rate structures.
• Knowledge of general construction practices.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in using computers and related software.
• Skill in data analysis and problem solving.
• Skill in handling multiple tasks and prioritizing.
• Skill in planning and organizing.
• Skill in handling conflict and uncertain situations.
• Skill in interpreting blueprints plans and maps.
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and changes in priorities.
• Ability to lead others.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with City employees and the public.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited high school or equivalent, plus four (4) years' experience in customer/consumer service for utility/construction or related services.

Licenses and Certifications Required

• Texas Class C Driver License.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience serving in a Lead dispatch role in a water, gas, or electric utility including providing technical leadership, training, and guidance to others
• Experience with Oracle's Mobile Workforce Management or equivalent
• Experience using a building permitting system
• Experience supporting a field operation including processing service orders, forecasting and workforce management
• Experience with residential and commercial electric meter installations
• Skill in verbal and written communication to effectively translate business and technical requirements to non-technical internal and external customers
• Database experience and the ability to collect data in a variety of formats to perform data analysis and quality checks
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Experience working with a table-based customer billing system such as Customer Care & Billing (CC&B)

Notes to Candidate

As part of the Distribution Field Services team, the Utility Services Specialist Senior serves in a lead role, works with dispatch staff, performs quality validations, and coordinates daily fieldwork to meet customer and stakeholder needs. The ideal candidate possesses strong time management, analytical and communication skills. The candidate can also work cross-functionally to provide internal and external customer support and drive process improvements.

Working with Austin Energy provides a number of health and welfare benefits such as low-cost medical, dental, vision, paid leave time, a highly competitive retirement plan, career development opportunities and more.