Project Engineering Technician

Kootenai Electric Cooperative is located in scenic North Idaho, the heart of abundant recreational opportunities. Settled in a beautiful lakefront mountain setting, it is a favorite destination for tourists. Just outside our back door are national forests, lakes, rivers, and trails offering plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, boating/water sports, fishing, hunting, golfing, snow sports, and much more. The four distinct seasons offer recreational opportunities year-round. The Coeur d'Alene/Hayden metropolitan area also offers a variety of entertainment and shopping venues and is a short 45-minute drive to Spokane, Washington and access to domestic and international air travel.

The purpose of the Project Engineering Technician is to design and stake line extensions, line maintenance and repair projects, distribution and transmission lines, and budgeted capital projects in accordance with KEC standards, ensuring completion within acceptable time frame.

Core Competencies

- Safety: Adhere to all workplace and trade safety laws, regulations, standards, rules, and practices. Use of Personal Protective Equipment as required. Take individual responsibility in managing safety risks and reporting unsafe conditions or unsafe work practices. Respond positively to safety-oriented feedback. Contribute to a culture of safety.

- Quality of Work: Produce thorough, high quality work with minimal errors. Seek feedback, make corrections as needed. Identify problems and solve them. Strive to improve processes. Work collaboratively with team members to implement systemic changes.

- Productivity: Complete assigned work in a timely fashion. Utilize slow periods productively. Produce amount and volume expected, at accepted speed.

- Technical Skills/Job Knowledge: Demonstrate appropriate level of understanding of technical skills in area of expertise, technology, products, and/or processes involved. Perform assigned duties. Keep current on changes. Competent with all technology and industry best practices necessary to perform job. Maintains necessary certification(s).

- Communication: Oral and written communication clearly convey information. Keep others informed of activities and problems in timely manner. Listen well. Respond appropriately and respectfully.

- Teamwork/Ability to Work With Others: Demonstrate ability to work in positive manner with co-workers and/or customers with differing backgrounds, opinions, capabilities, etc. Willingly share skills, competencies, and knowledge with others. Establish and maintain strong, effective working relationships. Contribute effectively to group efforts. Promote harmony. Agree to disagree without damaging relationships.

- Accountability: Maintain excellent attendance and punctuality. Arrive on-time and be prepared to work. Accept responsibility for work and actions. Be reliable.

- Integrity: Demonstrate honesty, high ethical standards, and respect for all team members, co-workers, and KEC members.

- Professionalism: Always address internal and external customers with courtesy and respect. Dress in work attire appropriate to the position. Communicate business information in timely fashion, using means of communication appropriate to the situation.

- Support of Cooperative Goals, Policies, and Procedures: Support Cooperative goals. Adhere to all Cooperative policies and procedures. Understand that internal customer and external member focus is always top priority. Contribute effectively in support of that priority.

- Problem-Solving: Use sound logic and methodology to solve problems. Explore multiple sources for answers, as required. Able to identify hidden problems. Propose solutions.

Job Responsibilities/Essential Functions

- Designs, surveys and stakes new member line extensions, maintenance requests, and capital projects to KEC and NESC standards.

- Performs power distribution system designs for subdivisions and lays designs out in design software (e.g. AutoCAD).

- Researches property ownership.

- Assists in researching existing easements.

- Assists in preparing and securing easements.

- Researches recorded plats and surveys.

- Applies for and obtains permits for modifying, replacing or installing new infrastructure in various jurisdictions, including, but not limited to, local highway districts, city, county, state, federal, and railroads.

- Sizes transformers and conductors to meet member needs.

- Meets with members or their representatives to assist with the design and plan phases of new line extensions.

- Develops and quotes cost estimates.

- Represents KEC on various utility coordinating groups.

- Works with state, county and city road relocations.

- Makes recommendations for improvements.

- Reviews invoices for accuracy.

- Ensures KEC stays within the prescribed budget.

- Assists with resolving power quality issues.

- Keeps others informed. Reports and written communication are clear, timely and relevant. Verbal communication is clear and correct. Listens and tries to understand others. Communicates effectively with varied groups or individuals.

- Enthusiastic team worker, helps others, promotes harmony among fellow workers, team members, supervisors and members. Responds well to suggestions and criticism. Adapts easily to change. Reacts well to additional or different assignments. Performs actions consistent with the objectives and goals of the Team and the Cooperative.

- Coordinates system improvements based on work plan.

- Evaluates joint use-attachment requests and produces make-ready design and cost estimates.

- May assist in training entry level Project Engineering Technicians.

- Performs other duties as directed or required.


Job Requirements

- Education/Experience:
o 2-year technical degree in engineering, applied science or equivalent experience.
o Knowledgeable of surveying.
o Customer service experience preferred.

- Knowledge/Skill
o Experience working with members/customers in various situations.
o Overhead and underground power line design.
o Knowledgeable of NESC and NEC.
o Knowledgeable of KEC internal processes, power line construction methods, materials and equipment.
o Strong understanding of agency processes (Idaho Transportation department, local municipalities, railroads, etc.)
o Experience with various types of surveying equipment.
o Effective written and verbal communications.
o Strong math skills, particularly trigonometry.
o Strong mechanical aptitude.
o Highly motivated.
o Excellent interpersonal skills.
o Attention to accuracy and detail.
o Strong PC skills and ability to effectively use current KEC computer systems, including AutoCAD.
o Valid Driver's License.
o Qualified worker as defined by OSHA 1910.269.

- Mental Demands:
o Ability to think through design and construction processes and able to lay out workable designs with realistic timelines and construction sequences.
o Ability to calculate pole, pole top assembly, conductor, guy and anchor strengths and able to assess NESC code requirements for utility installations.
o Ability to compare, copy, compute, compile, analyze, coordinate, and synthesize.

- Working Conditions/Hazards:
o Extensive travel driving to member locations. Work is completed in all types of weather.
o Must be available for unscheduled work.
o Travel may be required for training or other purposes.

Interested candidates must complete a KEC employment application at www.kec.com. This position will remain open through March 24, 2024.

Kootenai Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their disability or protected veteran status.