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Job Description
Description
Join a nationally respected municipal utility that has proudly served the community since 1896. The City of Palo Alto is the only city in California to own and operate a full suite of utility services - electric, fiber optics, natural gas, water, and wastewater - delivering safe, reliable, environmentally sustainable, and cost-effective services to residents and businesses.
As a CPAU employee, you support a community-owned utility where decisions are made locally and customers benefit from reliable infrastructure, fair rates, and exceptional service.
Why Join CPAU?- Serve a community-owned utility with local impact
- Work with modern, well-maintained infrastructure
- Be part of a team committed to safety, reliability, and service excellence
- Contribute to safe, reliable, and sustainable energy services
- Competitive public sector salary and excellent benefits
- Power your career while helping power a community.
- Apply today to join the City of Palo Alto Utilities team.
To learn more about the City of Palo Alto's Utilities, please click HERE .
Benefits
Learn more about some of the great benefits the city offers:
Commuter Benefits
Childcare Benefits
Parental Leave Benefits
Health Benefits
Retirement Benefits
Position Overview
Under general supervision, performs journey-level work in the construction, maintenance, and repair of overhead and underground electrical transmission and distribution systems, and performs related duties as required.
Distinguishing Features
This classification is distinguished from the Lineperson/Cable Splicer Trainee by rubber glove certification, administered by the City in compliance with Title 8 - Electric Safety Orders.
More than one position(s) may be filled from this posting.
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:- Climbs power poles and steel towers.
- Works on energized lines, low voltage and high voltage.
- Constructs, maintains and repairs overhead and underground electrical system and equipment up to 60 KV.
- Performs high voltage field switching, including working with energized high voltage equipment with approved hotline tools.
- Performs rubber glove work on voltages up to and including 21,000 volts.
- Drives and operates specialized vehicular equipment.
- Required to work on ladders, and at times, out of an aerial lift bucket.
For full job description, please click HERE.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities which would typically be acquired through:
- Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.
- Completion of an apprenticeship as an electrical lineperson.
Supplemental Information
The Selection Process:- Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email. Governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates.
- The screening process for this position may include a practical exam, panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
- NOTE: First review of applications will take place after March 9th. Applicants may be contacted to participate in recruitment process at any time while this job posting is open.
Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
This position is represented by Service Employee International Union (SEIU).
Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan, to learn more click HERE.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: 4/26/2026 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
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City of Palo Alto
Show moreThe Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-NewsCity Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
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