State of Maryland

A Public Service Engineer III is the full performance level of engineering work in the inspection, testing, investigation and evaluation of physical facilities used by public utility companies in the production and distribution of their products and services.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other Public Service Engineers, but may supervise Public Service Commission Inspectors and clerical support staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Assistant Chief Engineer, Public Service Commission, Chief Engineer, Public Service Commission or Division Director. The work requires traveling throughout the State to physical facilities of public utility companies where conditions may be noisy, dirty and uncomfortable.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Public Service Engineer I, Public Service Engineer II and Public Service Engineer III are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over the employees.  The Public Service Engineer I performs duties under close supervision. The Public Service Engineer II performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed. The Public Service Engineer III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Public Service Engineer III is differentiated from the Assistant Chief, Public Service Commission in that the Assistant Chief, Public Service Commission has supervisory responsibility for the work of Public Service Engineers.

Conducts inspections, tests, studies, investigations and evaluations of operations in the production and distribution of products and services provided by public utility companies, such as gas, electricity, water, sewage treatment and disposal, or telecommunications;

Determines compliance with State and federal rules, regulations and standards governing the operation and quality of products and services provided by public utility companies;

Conducts field investigations of service complaints and alleged violations of the laws, rules and engineering regulations of the Public Service Commission;

Prepare reports of findings and makes recommendations on the accuracy, safety, efficiency and cost of public utility company operations as a result of inspections, investigations, tests, studies and evaluations completed;

Prepares testimony and supporting documentation for administrative hearings held by the Public Service Commission and other regulatory agencies;

Provides sworn testimony in formal Public Service Commission hearings and supports that testimony under cross examination;

Interprets safety codes, standard codes and utility rate tariffs;

Provides advice, guidance and information regarding engineering and regulation compliance to representatives of public utility companies and customers;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of engineering;

Knowledge of the engineering operations and procedures used by public utility companies;

Knowledge of the laws, rules and regulations of the Maryland Public Service Commission;

Skill in conducting inspections, engineering tests and procedures, investigations and evaluations of operations in the production and distribution of products and services provided by public utility companies, such as gas, electricity, water, sewage treatment and disposal, or telecommunications;

Ability to interpret the laws, rules, and regulations of the Maryland Public Service Commission;

Ability to analyze technical data in order to evaluate the safety, economy, efficiency, operational costs of public utility companies;

Ability to identify regulatory issues in the conduct of inspections, engineering tests and procedures, investigations and evaluations of public utility companies;

Ability to prepare reports and make recommendations based on engineering procedures, standards and practices;

Ability to communicate effectively;

Ability to use standard word processing, spreadsheets, data base and communications applications and software;

Ability to prepare and present testimony in administrative hearings;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives from public utility companies, employees and the general public.

Experience: Six years of experience, two years of engineering experience conducting inspections, tests, investigations and evaluations of physical facilities used by public utility companies in the production and distribution of products and services and four years of additional professional engineering experience.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited college or university and two years of engineering experience conducting inspections, tests, investigations and evaluations of physical facilities used by public utility companies in the production and distribution of products and services for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute professional engineering experience other than as defined above at the rate of two years for each one year of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree in engineering from an accredited college or university for the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Engineering classifications or Engineering specialty codes in the Environmental field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.