Field Representative II

Salary: $24.05 - $30.57 Hourly
Location : Albany, OR
Job Type: Regular, Full-time
Job Number: 00867
Department: Public Works
Division: Utility Billing
Opening Date: 10/17/2024
Closing Date: 10/31/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
General Description
The City of Albany is seeking a dedicated Field Representative II to join our Public Works Utility Billing Department. This role focuses on providing exceptional customer service to residential, commercial, and industrial utility customers.
This position will manage the collection of delinquent accounts, resolve customer complaints, verify meter readings, and performs service maintenance work on water meters. Responsibilities also include for initiating and terminating service as needed. Communication with customers will take place through phone calls, written correspondence, and in-person visits, along with other related duties as required. Apply today to join our dedicated city team and contribute to the success of our community.
The general working hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Salary Information:
Effective January 1, 2025, this position will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (salary increase) of two percent (2.0%).
Benefits include:

• Excellent medical, vision and dental benefit package for the employee and qualified family members with low monthly out-of-pocket Currently, the employee-paid premium is approx. $51/mo. for employee-only coverage up to a max of $147/mo. for family coverage.
• City-paid contribution to a VEBA Trust account for out-of-pocket healthcare expenses. Currently, the annual contribution is $1,000 for employee-only and $2,000 for employee plus dependent(s).
• Paid time off -

1. 10 paid holidays plus an additional 24 hours of "floating holiday" pay per year
2. 8 hours of sick leave per month
3. 8 hours of vacation leave per month, with progressive increases

• Excellent retirement benefits -
  • City-paid participation in the Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (OPSRP and IAP)
  • City-paid contribution into pre-tax deferred compensation plan

In addition, other benefits such as education reimbursement, employee assistance program, basic life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for healthcare and child care expenses.

Essential Functions/Duties & Responsibilities

1. Compiles reports for shut-offs and cut-ins of water service in residential, industrial, and commercial locations; use reports in the field to cut in or cut out customers; operate company vehicle safety while adhering to city and state laws, as well as properly maintaining vehicle to factory specifications.
2. Reports to service locations that are to be shut off for non-payment of delinquent accounts; runs reports and informs customers of non-payment and delinquent status by phone, letter, or personal contact at residence.
3. Leaves door hangers at locations for non-payment, returned bank items, voided contracts or other issues.
4. Maintains and replaces meters; repairs or replaces meter boxes and lids that have been damaged; maintains all tools and equipment issued by the City.
5. Investigates customer complaints or inquiries by telephone or personal interaction at residence or commercial location; verify possible leaks that may exist and communicate findings to customer and office; re-check readings on an as needed basis to measure abnormal consumption and determine possible causes for water consumption level.
6. Advises customers on city policies and procedures.
7. Uncovers buried meters, trims overgrown trees and grasses around meter box areas and/or notify customers of problems of meter boxes being overgrown by debris.
8. Represents the City of Albany by responding to the public, citizens, its employees, and others in a prompt, professional, and courteous manner while continuously maintaining a positive customer service demeanor. Regards everyone, internal and external, as a customer and deliver the best service possible in a respectful and patient manner.
9. Works to create a high-performance work culture by demonstrating a positive attitude and modeling the City's mission, vision, and values. Conducts self with high integrity, proactive in conserving City resources, and seeks and incorporates customer feedback for ongoing performance improvement. Demonstrates continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
10. Acts ethically and honestly applies ethical standards of behavior to daily work activities and interactions. Builds confidence in the city through own actions.
11. Effectively promotes and supervises a safe work environment. Complies with all safety rules and performs work in a safe manner. Ensures staff maintain a safe working environment in compliance with Federal, State, and City health and safety guidelines and regulations.
12. Demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion.
13. Serves as a member of various City committees as assigned.
14. Assists other staff in the performance of their duties as assigned.
15. Arrives to work, meetings, and other work-related functions on time and maintains regular job attendance.
16. Operates a motor vehicle safely and legally.
17. May provide training and orientation to newly assigned personnel.
18. Adheres to appropriate attire, grooming, and hygiene standards established for the position.
19. Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

Supervision/Lead Work Exercised
SUPERVISION RECEIVED/REVIEW OF WORK
Works under the general supervision of the Public Works Customer Services Supervisor.
Lead Work/Coordination of Work of Others
This is a non-supervisory position. Lead work and coordination of work of others is not a typical function assigned to this position. Incumbents in this position may provide training and orientation to newly assigned personnel.
Qualifications & Requirements
Education and Experience:
A high school diploma or its equivalent
And
One year of experience working with computerized billing software and fieldwork
OR
An equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Experience with a utility company or water department is preferred.
Special Requirements:

1. Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon driver's license.
2. The individual shall not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual or others in the workplace.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of: meter reading devices and sizes and types of water meters; methods and procedures for setting, testing, maintaining, and repairing water meters; utility billing procedures; and computer software related to work, including computer devices for meter reading purposes and software for data entry.
Skill in: operation and minor maintenance of a variety of hand and power tools, vehicles, and equipment; and the operation of listed tools and equipment used.
Ability to: lift and install various sized meters; accurately read and record data from various types of meter dials; operate and repair small/light equipment, such as power tools; perform mathematical computations accurately; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; understand and carry out written and oral instructions; work independently in performance of regular assignments; establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other departments, and the public; operate computers for data entry word processing and/or accounting purposes; work under pressure with frequent interruptions and occasional contact with angry, difficult customers; operate small office equipment, including copy machines or multi-line telephone systems.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment is regularly outdoors in outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to wet, cold, hot, and/or humid conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to the risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Travel includes regular trips to various locations around the city.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The factors described herein are representative of, but not all-inclusive of, those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Detailed information may be available in a supplemental Job Task Analysis document.
The work is medium work which requires exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Balancing: sufficient to maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Climbing: sufficient to ascend or descend ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Crawling: sufficient to move about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Crouching: sufficient to bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Feeling: sufficient to perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Fingering: sufficient to pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
• Grasping: sufficient to apply pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Handling: sufficient to pick, hold, or otherwise work, primarily with the whole hand.
• Hearing: sufficient to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling: sufficient to bend legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Lifting: sufficient to raise objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Mental Acuity: sufficient to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Pulling: sufficient to use upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Pushing: sufficient to use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Reaching: sufficient to extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping: sufficient to bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Talking: sufficient to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Visual Acuity: sufficient to observe violations of codes, to effectively operate standard office equipment; ability to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, drawings, etc.; and to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment, by both day and night.
• Walking: sufficient to move about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or move from one work site to another.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT USED
In the performance of job duties, the employee will use a computer and various software programs; motor vehicle; meter reading device; telephone; copy and fax machines; and other related tools and equipment.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Develops safe work habits and contributes to the safety of self, coworkers, and the public. Incumbent may be issued additional safety equipment, as needed, for visits to various City worksites. This may include items such as boots or other protective footwear, gloves, safety vest, or other similar equipment when required for the conditions of the worksite.
The City of Albany offers a generous benefits package to employees and eligible dependents.
This position is represented by American Federation of State, County, and Municipal employees (AFSCME). For a complete and detailed overview of the AFSCME benefits package,
Salary and benefits are subject to negotiation and, therefore, may change as a result of negotiations.
01
What is your education background? (select the highest level achieved)

• Did Not Complete High School
• High School Diploma or GED
• Technical College
• College Credit Hours Completed Towards a Degree
• AA Degree
• BA or BS Degree
• MA or MS Degree
• PhD

02
Please list your degree field. (If no degree, type N/A)
03
Have you worked for a municipal government before?

• Yes
• No

04
How many years of work experience do you have in water meter, related field meter reading, or meter repair?

• None
• 1-2 years
• 3-4 years
• 5 or more years

05
If you answered that you have experience in the question above, please describe your experience. (if none, put N/A below)
06
Do you understand that work will take place outside and in all weather conditions? One should expect to spend up to 90% of their day in-the-field.

• Yes
• No

07
Are you available to work the designated hours with the understanding that additional hours may be required at times?

• Yes
• No

08
The job duties, physical demands, work environment & conditions, and job requirements of this position are outlined in the job description. I acknowledge being able to meet the demands, conditions, and requirements of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Yes
• No

09
Do you possess a current Oregon Driver's License or have the ability to obtain this upon hire?

• Yes, I currently possess a valid Oregon driver's license
• No, ability to obtain upon hire
• No

10
Have you received any of the following traffic convictions? Select all that apply.

• One class "A" infraction conviction during the past thirty-six (36) months?
• More than one class "A" infraction conviction between the past (36) and (60) months?
• More than one class "B" infraction conviction during the past twelve (12) months?
• More than two class "B" infraction convictions during the past thirty-six (36) months?
• More than two class "C" infraction convictions during the past twelve (12) months?
• More than three class "C" infraction convictions during the past thirty-six (36) months?
• Any misdemeanor driving convictions within the past twenty-four (24) months?
• Any felony driving convictions within the past sixty (60) months?
• None

Required Question