Public Utilities Engineer II

Public Utilities Engineer II

This listing closes on 8/12/2025 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada).

Employer

State of North Carolina

Salary

$67,852.00 - $118,741.00 Annually

Location

Wake County, NC

Job Type

Permanent Full-Time

Remote Employment

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number

25-09... PS

Department

Dept of Commerce

Division

Utilities-Public Staff

Opening Date

07/30/2025

Closing Date

8/12/2025 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Job Class Title

Public Utilities Engineer II

Position Number

60081057

Section

Public Staff

Salary Grade

NC20

DESCRIPTION

BENEFITS

QUESTIONS

Description of Work

Are you a highly skilled Engineer looking to find meaningful work and positively impact the lives of the residents of North Carolina? If your answer is yes, then we want you to join our team at the Public Staff - North Carolina Utilities Commission and make a difference.

The NC Department of Commerce, Public Staff - North Carolina Utilities Commission is looking for a Public Utilities Engineer II. This position is assigned to the Water, Sewer, Transportation, and Telephone section within the Public Staff.

This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including health insurance, as well as retirement.

Salary Grade: NC20

**Recruitment Range: $67,852 - $93,297

***This is a repost and previous candidates need not to reapply in order to be considered.***

The primary purpose of this regulatory engineering position is to fulfill the Public Staff's legislative mandate by providing technical engineering expertise and expert opinions to the Manager of the Engineering Section and the Director of the Water, Sewer, Transportation, and Telephone Division, as well as to the Public Staff's Executive Director and other division directors and staff within the Public Staff, regarding a wide range of water and sewer utility issues.

Responsibilities include review of utility companies' proposals for changes in operation or rates; utilities response to federal and state regulations; reviews and special studies; preparation and delivery of expert engineering testimony at hearings before the NC Utilities Commission (NCUC) on major portions of utility companies' proposals.

At the Public Utilities Engineer II level, the engineer performs responsibilities on utility filings of a moderate to high degree of complexity and scope with a moderate level of supervision by the Manager of the Engineering Section.

Note to Current State Employees: The salary grade for this position is NC20. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as, or lower than, their current position. If selected for this position, a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience, funding availability, and internal equity. Based upon those factors, a pay increase MAY result.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies

NC Department of Commerce uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals.

The Minimum Education and Experience (E&E) is REQUIRED to qualify for this position. All work history and education (including accurate dates of employment/attendance) must be documented on the application. Transcripts may be attached to supplement education and work experience. This may include internships, volunteerism, and full and part-time work. Supplemental Questions are also a required part of the application: answers must reference education or work experience listed on the application.

"Resumes may be attached as a supplement to the application but are not a substitution for a complete application."

Management Preferences- Optional: These skills are not required but managers may choose to interview/select applicants who demonstrate Management Preferences.

Intermediate knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge of engineering principles and practices as applied to the design, permitting, construction, operation, maintenance, and expansion of wells, water treatment plants, water distribution systems, wastewater treatment plants, or wastewater collection systems.

Basic knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge of rates and rate structures of public utilities.

Experience, or ability to, critically analyzing and communicating in written and oral expert testimony, detailed engineering information, guidelines, and standards/statutes/codes/regulations to various audiences. In addition, the ability to quickly process, compare, and formulate positions in settlement negotiations and communicate in a persuasive manner.

Experience establishing and maintaining cooperative and effective relationships with fellow employees, regulators, utility representatives, other state and federal officials, and utility customers.

Ability to lead task force meetings and coordinate, facilitate, and participate in a collaborative approach to complete tasks and assignments.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an equivalent combination of education and experience. If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

Bachelor's degree in an applicable field of engineering from an appropriately accredited institution and three (3) years of experience in utility operational or regulatory engineering work;

Or

An equivalent combination of education and experience.

Necessary Special Qualification May require registration as a professional engineer by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

Supplemental and Contact Information

About the Public Staff

The Public Staff is an independent agency created in 1977 to review, investigate, and make appropriate recommendations to the North Carolina Utilities Commission with respect to the reasonableness of rates charged and adequacy of service provided by any public utility and with respect to the consistency with the public policy of assuring an energy supply adequate to protect the public health and safety. The Public Staff shall intervene on behalf of the using and consuming public in all Commission proceedings affecting rates or service. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Petition the Commission to initiate proceedings when in the public interest.

Intervene in all certificate applications and assist the Commission in analysis.

Make recommendations to the Commission with respect to standards, regulations, or practices.

Investigate formal and informal complaints affecting the using and consuming public.

Intervene in all proceedings for franchise transfers, mergers, and consolidations of public utilities.

Review, investigate, and recommend action to the Commission regarding affiliate contracts.

About the Department of Commerce

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state's lead agency for economic, community and workforce development. The department works with local, regional, national and international organizations to fulfill its mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians.

Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer who embraces an Employment First philosophy which consists of complying with all federal laws, state laws and Executive Orders. We are committed to reviewing requests for reasonable accommodation at any time during the hiring process or while on the job.

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