Water Meter Specialist Lead

City-of-Santa-Cruz,-C; Santa Cruz (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Santa Cruz Water Meter Shop seeks a Water Meter Specialist Lead to guide field staff in meter maintenance and data management. You will investigate complex metering issues, train technicians, and supervise workflow to ensure system integrity and timely maintenance.

You will lead data entry, warranty tracking, and coordination with contractors while maintaining safety and compliance across field operations.

Qualifications

• High school degree or equivalent.
• Two years of customer service experience.
• Two years of experience with mechanical and technical tasks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and train Water Meter Specialists; assign work and priorities.
• Perform meter maintenance, testing, and repairs, including troubleshooting.
• Use MDMS and related systems to manage data and work orders.
• Coordinate with contractors and field staff; ensure safety and compliance.
• Maintain records, inventory, and warranty materials; prepare shipments.

Skills

Customer service

Mechanical aptitude

Technical aptitude

Reading maps

Education

High school degree or equivalent

Tools

MDMS

ERP

GIS

CRM

CMMS

Job description

The current vacancy is for Water Meter Specialist Lead in the Water Department.

The City of Santa Cruz Water Meter Shop is responsible for maintaining the metering system that collects and records water billing reads for approximately 25,000 water accounts. The Water Meter Specialist Lead serves as the chief contact that will lead, train and distribute work for the water meter field staff for meter maintenance, both physical and technological. The Lead ensures the system’s integrity and compliance by investigating and troubleshooting the water metering equipment and/or interval data that is identified as problematic, including resolving complicated metering issues such as looped or cross-connection services and performing backflow testing. Additionally, the Lead oversees and tracks warranty equipment, inputs data and prepares the warranty equipment for shipping. This is a full-time, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. position.

To learn more about the City of Santa Cruz's Water Department, please visit https://www.santacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Water-Department

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill other Regular, Full Time, Part Time, Limited Term, and Temporary Water Meter Specialist vacancies that may occur during the life of the list. The eligible list established from this recruitment is valid for up to one year from the date established unless the list is extended or abolished by the Human Resources Director.

Recruitment #27-030

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The following process may be changed as deemed necessary by the Human Resources Director. The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

On Thursday, 11/19/26 recruitment will close. All application materials must be received by the Human Resources Department by 5:00 pm; postmarks are not accepted.

Basic Function

Under general supervision, the Water Meter Specialist Lead provides work direction and technical assistance to staff maintaining the City’s metering infrastructure; performs the most difficult or complex maintenance work of the metering system; demonstrates a working knowledge of applicable regulations, policies, procedures and work methods associated with meter maintenance; and acts as the chief contact in the field for troubleshooting both physical and technological problems.

May include, but are not limited to, those duties listed below.)

• Leads, trains, and advises Water Meter Specialists; informs staffing strategies and priorities for distributing maintenance work to field personnel; trains field staff in the standard use of the Meter Data Management System (MDMS) for maintenance activities and serves as first contact for field staff in addressing system issues.
• Generates and completes computerized records, including meter maintenance work, installation and removal work, and test results.
• Reads, tests, and maintains metering equipment using specified tools and electronic devices; troubleshoots problems with tools and electronic devices; updates software and maintains tools and electronic devices in good working order.
• Creates data flags and groupings within the MDMS to organize resolution of errors and alarms for prioritization in the field; reviews readings or other interval data to identify irregularities at service location and prepares work orders for testing or maintenance of metering equipment.
• Makes repairs to water meters and related equipment.
• Investigates water metering equipment and/or interval data identified as problematic to ensure that metering system is operable and meet standards, including reprogramming of units of measure, adjusting communication intervals or reestablishing network connectivity.
• Operates a variety of equipment and tools associated with meter reading and maintenance activities, which may include: utility truck, forklift, radio communications equipment, cellular phone, portable computerized meter reading device, meter locator, weed eater, trimmer, cutting torch, wrench, shovel, pick, hacksaw, hand tools, tig welder, arc welder, bench grinder/buffer, angle grinder, skill saw, impact wrench, reciprocating saw, concrete saw, rotary hammer drill, air ratchet, pneumatic tools, portable compressor and generator.
• Resolves complicated metering issues such as looped or cross-connected services, backflow, swapped services/serial numbers, missing read data, transmission interval changes, and accuracy disputes.
• Coordinates with contractors, vendors, and/or telecommunications personnel in the field to resolve network communications issues.
• Coordinates updates of technologies used by field staff, including meter reading software, handheld equipment, dongles, etc.
• Coordinates safety inspections of fleet and meter operations work site; ensures field personnel outfit and maintain trucks and work site with required tools, supplies, materials, etc. for efficient and safe job performance.
• Oversees and tracks warranty equipment; inputs data for warranty returns; scans, tracks, and prepares warranty items for shipping.
• Monitors inventories and stock for all new water meters, repairs, and transmitting devices.
• Assist customers, contractors, or other members of the public in understanding or resolving the most difficult issues related to metering or meter data.
• Organizes, dispatches, and tracks service orders for meter testing and repair program; aggregates test data for further analysis.
• Performs other related duties that may be reasonably expected as part of this classification.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position performs in both the office and field environment. Position requires sitting, standing, walking on level and slippery surfaces, reaching, twisting, turning, kneeling, bending, stooping, squatting, crouching, grasping, and making repetitive hand movement in the performance of daily duties. The position also requires both near and far vision when inspecting work and operating assigned equipment and fine coordination in using a computer keyboard. The need to lift, carry, and push tools, equipment and supplies weighing up to 65 pounds is also required. Additionally, the incumbent in this mostly outdoor position works in all weather conditions, including wet, hot, and cold. The incumbent may use chemicals which may expose the employee to fumes and dust and air contaminants. May be exposed to biohazards and/or hazardous chemicals. The nature of the work may also require the incumbent to use power and noise producing tools and equipment and drive motorized vehicles.

Some of these requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations.The minimum qualifications for Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are the following:

Education and Experience

• High school degree or tested equivalent and,
• Two (2) years of work experience involving customer service, and
• Two (2) years of work experience involving a combination of mechanical and technological aptitudes and abilities.

Knowledge

• Effective customer service standards and techniques.
• Basic mechanical principles related to the operation of water metering equipment, including meters and meter reading equipment.
• Basic mathematics, such addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, percentages, and unit conversions.
• Personal computer equipment and applications for performing data entry and analysis.
• Safe work practices.
• Proficiency with MDMS and a working knowledge of the ancillary customer-information systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Geographical Information System (GIS), Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) and Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).

Skills

• Dexterity to work with small meter parts.
• Mechanical and technical aptitude and in which to
• Basic computer skills including typing 30 WPM.

Abilities

• Effectively coordinate with other pertinent positions in the Division such as the Environmental Programs Analyst, Utility Accounts Specialist, and Meter Operations Supervisor.
• Troubleshoot and solve a range of simple to complex technical problems logically and efficiently.
• Organize, prioritize, and follow up on work assignments.
• Learn new mechanical and technical procedures and tasks.
• Analyze data, recognize patterns and anomalies within hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly data sets.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing includinginformation of a technical nature in a business-friendly and user-friendly (non-technical) language.
• Use small hand tools and equipment to install, test, maintain, and repair meters.
• Disassemble meters to replace parts and successfully reassemble.
• Read and understand water meter billing and other related documents.
• Understand and follow oral and written instructions.
• Maintain accurate records.
• Read and follow street maps.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships and act in a courteous manner when dealing with the public.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Willingness to wear a uniform.
• Successfully pass a full criminal record / background check including confirmation of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (CLETS) record check from the Department of Justice (DOJ) obtained through Live Scan fingerprinting and a criminal record history from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Licenses and Certificates

• Possession and continued maintenance of a valid California driver's license and a safe driving record.
• Possession and maintenance of a California Department of Public Health (CDPH) D2 Certification.
• Possession and maintenance of a Certification as a backflow prevention device tester.
• Maintain forklift Certification.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with the Santa Cruz area streets plan.
• Experience installing or repairing plumbing.
• Experience operating compressors, generators and/or forklifts.
• Experience working in a utility customer service office.

• Utility Account Services Manager
• Water Meter Operations Supervisor
• Water Meter Specialist Lead
• Water Meter Specialist I/II