Job Details

Salary: $23.20 - $27.45 Hourly
Location : Portsmouth, VA
Job Type: Part-Time Regular
Job Number: FY2025-01252
Department: Public Utilities
Opening Date: 01/22/2026
Closing Date: 2/5/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

General Statement of the Job & Essential Functions
GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB
Under general supervision, this position will locate and mark underground (water and sewer) utilities. This position works within a general outline of work to be performed; develops work methods and sequences under general supervision. Reports to Water Distribution Superintendent.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Locates and marks existing city-owned underground infrastructure to include, but not limited to, water and sanitary sewer lines up to the city and utility Right of Way. Reviews work assignments to determine facilities to be located and determines routes effectively. Prepares reports to document activities and to related damaged utilities.

Investigates damaged utilities and refers service call for repairs.

Determines tools necessary to locate underground utilities. Plans and sets up traffic safety devices for safe access in order to locate and mark underground infrastructure.

Interacts with staff, contractors, developers, utility companies, and customers to discuss and determine the scope of work.

Ensures the safety of city equipment, private property, and others by following proper safety procedures, watching for pedestrians, private property, overhead utility lines and other utilities or obstructions.

Performs routine checks and preventive maintenance on equipment; identifies and reports equipment malfunctions; cleans equipment as needed.

Performs other duties as assigned. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Knowledge of Job: Has considerable knowledge of the proper procedures for operating, inspecting and maintaining assigned equipment. Has some knowledge of traffic laws and regulations governing the operation of assigned equipment. Has considerable knowledge of occupational hazards, safety precautions, and safety regulations to perform assigned duties. Is able to exercise considerable tact, courtesy and discretion in contact with contractors, developers, utility company representative, customers, and the general public. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts within department and division, and with co- workers and the general public.

Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under "Essential Job Functions."

Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, city policy, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.

Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to city policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time- off requests.

Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.

Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.

Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with city policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.

Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staff, representatives from organizations, and the general public so as to maintain good will toward the department and project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons in order to maintain good will within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees, professionals and the general public.

Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establish a personal schedule accordingly. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines and events.

Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.
Education, Experience & Special Requirements
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Requires a high school diploma or GED and any combination of education and experience equivalent to two years of full time work utilizing electronic locating devices and underground or utility construction related work.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to obtain certification as a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Work Zone Safety for Temporary Traffic Control three months of employment and maintain this certification while employed in this position.

An acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and sex offender registry check.

A valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.

This position requires pre-employment medical evaluation and substance abuse testing and is subject to random alcohol and controlled substance testing.

Physical Demands
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIREDTO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of electronic locating devices such as GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar), GPS instrumentation, metal detectors, magnetic detectors, probing rods, computers/tablets, tape measurer, distance finders, small hand tools, copiers, facsimile machines, telephones, etc. Must be able to exert up to 75 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Light Work involves walking, bending, lifting, and standing for periods of time.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communications: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of technical manuals, procedure manuals, and charts to solve practical problems; composes routine and specialized reports, records, forms, etc. Requires the ability to prepare reports, correspondence, records, forms, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagrammatical form; deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently using Standard English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas, to add and subtract, multiply and divide. Must be able to utilize decimals and percentages; interpret graphs.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of tools and devices such as computerized locating devices, computers/tables, and operate hand tools, switches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under minimal levels of stress when confronted with persons acting under stress.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking - expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving nature of sounds by ear).
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTSThe City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.This is a class description and not an individual position description. A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.
01

Please select the highest level of education completed.

• Less than High School
• High School Diploma or GED
• Some College
• Associates/Vocational/Technical
• Bachelor's Degree or Higher

02

Are you able to obtain a certification as a Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Work Zone Safety for Temporary Traffic Control three months of employment and maintain this certification while employed in this position.?

• Yes
• No

03

Do you have a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record?

• Yes
• No

04

Do you have at least experience two years of full time work utilizing electronic locating devices and underground or utility construction related work.?

• Yes
• No

Required Question