Centrally located in the heart of Iowa, Ames is a vibrant, progressive community with more than 66,000 residents providing an excellent quality of life. Home to Iowa State University, Ames offers year-round recreation opportunities, diverse cultural offerings, a stable economy, safe neighborhoods, and a high-achieving school district.

General Information

The City of Ames is conducting a recruitment to establish a Civil Service eligibility list for this classification. The list will be valid for up to one year from the date of certification by the Ames Civil Service Commission and may be used to fill one or more vacancies in this classification. In addition, City of Ames Civil Service employees who have previously held Civil Service status in this classification and are interested in voluntarily demoting or laterally transferring into the current vacancy must submit their application by the deadline.

Assists in the operation and maintenance of the City of Ames power generating facilities; serves as the Power Plant Manager’s chief assistant and a Power Plant Manager in their absence; performs related work as required.

In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must submit their online application by the deadline listed on this posting. Your application includes complete responses to the supplemental questions. Please keep in mind that submission of a resume in lieu of work history on your application or answering the supplemental questions is not sufficient.

Compensation Philosophy: The City of Ames has a compensation philosophy for our merit salary ranges that provides growth for employees as they gain experience and expertise in their roles. The minimum pay of each range is intended to reflect an employee's qualifications that meet the position's minimum requirements. The median of any range is for an employee who can reasonably meet all expectations of the position responsibilities without initial or extensive training. The City may consider a candidate's education, experience, and skills that are above the minimum requirements when considering a salary closer to the median. The median salary for this position is $116,335.   

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package can be viewed at:  City of Ames Benefits

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program:  The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please visit:   PSLF Program

 

 

Examples of Essential Job Functions

Plans, assigns, and supervises the work and the personnel assigned to the operations and maintenance of the electric generating plant and combustion turbine peakers; manages the Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrument & Control work functions; assists with the development of the operating and maintenance budgets and capital improvement plan (CIP), schedules, coordinates, and services major overhaul of plant equipment; makes recommendations concerning alterations and improvements to the plant;   reviews plans and specifications relating to installation and repair of plant equipment; enforces plant safety program including training of employees, acquisition of safety equipment, development of safety policies and procedures, and compliance with laws and regulations related to safety; schedules the work shifts of operating personnel; responds to emergency calls regarding plant problems and power outages and takes appropriate corrective action; inspects plant facilities and equipment to ensure proper operation; coordinates RDF operation with the Resource Recovery Plant   Performs skill improvement and skill assessment for assigned personnel as well as annual evaluations.  Reports to the Power Plant Manager.
 
Each employee is expected to continually strive to bring shared values to life through our Excellence Through People organizational culture. ETP values include: committing to continuous improvement; inspiring creativity and innovation; being customer driven; making data-driven decisions; committing to diversity, equity and inclusion; championing employee involvement; striving for excellence; having fiscal stewardship; acting with honesty and integrity; exhibiting leadership; choosing a positive attitude; respecting one another; promoting safety and wellness; and cultivating teamwork. For leaders, this includes creating a work culture that brings these values to life. For all employees, this includes maintaining a Total City Perspective. The purpose of ETP is to deliver exceptional services to the public at the best price, and for employees to experience an enjoyable and stimulating work environment. 

Other Job Functions:  Assists in planning and coordinating the scheduling of power and transmission requirements with the Energy Procurement Coordinator and Plant Operators; assists in planning and scheduling outage replacement power; assists in handling energy and transmission tagging duties; assists in employee hiring and disciplinary actions; operates light-duty vehicles; participates in collective bargaining on the management team; adjusts grievances.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Completion of post-high school mechanical and electrical technical courses equivalent to an associate’s degree and three years of experience in the operation of an electric generating plant and two years experience in a lead worker or supervisory capacity; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in the operation of a natural gas fired electric generating plant preferred. A total of five years of experience in the operations of an electric generating plant including two years in a lead worker or supervisory capacity will be considered to have met these requirements. Experience operating or maintaining simple cycle combustion turbines desired.
 
Licenses and Certificates:  Transmission Operator NERC certification or the ability to successfully acquire certification within six (6) months if required. Must possess a valid driver's license.
 
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:  Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, practices, methods, equipment and processes of an electric generating plant; considerable knowledge of the  occupational hazards and necessary safety rules and precautions related to operating an electric generating plant; familiarity and working knowledge of NERC (MRO) and MISO desired; extensive knowledge of the principles and techniques of supervision; knowledge of overall electric utility operations including joint electrical operations with interconnected electric utilities; working knowledge of personal computers and software applications.

Considerable skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with subordinates, superiors, utility officials, contractors, vendors, and City employees from other departments and divisions; skill in maintaining records and preparing reports; skill in using plant operating data to identify areas where the efficiency or effectiveness of the plant can be improved
 
Considerable ability to plan, schedule, supervise, and inspect the work of plant personnel; ability to determine facts, analyze information, and make decisions accordingly with the respect to generating station operations; ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; ability to operate light vehicles.

Supplemental Information

General Physical Characteristics:  The work involves sitting 45 percent of the time; sitting and using arm/leg controls 5 percent of the time; standing (but not walking) 35 percent of the time; standing and walking 15 percent of the time; routinely lifting objects from 10 to 25 pounds; occasionally lifting objects from 25 to 50 pounds; infrequently lifting objects over 50 pounds. 
 
Vision Requirements:  The minimum standard for use with those whose work deals largely with preparing and analyzing data and figures, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, extensive reading, visual inspection involving small defects or parts, use of measurement devices, or assembly of parts at distances close to the eyes; color vision is required due to the color coding of equipment status indicating lights and screen graphics
 
Required Physical Activities:  Climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, finger dexterity, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing, repetitive motions.  All the above activities may need to be done under emergency conditions requiring quick response times.
  
Environmental Conditions:  The work is performed inside and/or outside and includes being exposed to extreme heat, noise, vibration, mechanical hazards, electrical hazards, chemical hazards and atmospheric conditions that may affect the respiratory system or skin.   Certain conditions may require the use of a respirator and/or other personal protective equipment (PPE). Working with poor lighting in confined spaces is common.

Examples of Equipment Used on the Job:  Telephone; general office equipment; audio-visual equipment; DCS computer network; personal computer, SCADA computer network and peripheral equipment; word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics, communications and scheduling software; two-way radio; cell phone; electric system  transmission maps; architectural, mechanical and electrical drawings; a variety of printed materials; measuring tools and special purpose diagnostic equipment; hand tools; power tools; a variety of chemicals; a variety of safety equipment and clothing; light vehicle.

<b>Veteran’s Preference Points</b>

The City of Ames provides Veteran's Preference Points for Civil Service positions. A copy of your DD214 and, if applicable, proof of disability, must be attached with your application (or faxed to 515-239-5297) prior to the close date of the posting in order to receive Veteran's Preference Points.  

<b>Selection Process:</b>

The selection process consists of an evaluation of education and experience; phone interview;  on-site interview, which will include a manager meeting; and completion of reference checks and a criminal background check, which includes a sex offender registry check. All candidates will be notified by email of their application status.

**Preference may be given to applicants possessing qualifications above the minimum.**

Depending on the number of qualified candidates, the City may forego phone interviews.

 

E-Verify Process:

The City of Ames participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each applicant’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. All candidates who are offered a position with the City of Ames must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity on their first day of employment. Please be prepared to provide required documents on your first day of employment. For additional information regarding acceptable documents for this purpose, please contact Human Resources at 515-239-5199 or go to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services web page at: http://www.uscis.gov. 

NOTE: Applicants with disabilities may submit requests for ADA testing or interview accommodations to the Human Resources Department prior to the test or interview.

The City of Ames is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Human Resources Department at 515-239-5199.