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Job Type
Full-time
Description
POSITION SUMMARY
The Powerline Lineman constructs, installs, maintains, troubleshoots, repairs, and restores overhead and underground electrical distribution systems and related infrastructure. Working under the direction of the Powerline Foreman, the Lineman performs linework from the ground, poles, structures, aerial devices, and other approved work positions in accordance with individual training, qualification, authorization, approved procedures, system status, and customer requirements.
The position supports new construction, line extensions, pole replacements, reconductoring, service work, equipment installation, planned outages, emergency response, and storm restoration. The Lineman must verify work boundaries and electrical conditions, use appropriate protective and grounding methods, maintain clear communication with the crew, and stop work when identification, clearance, switching, isolation, grounding, employee qualification, or other critical conditions are unclear.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Overhead Powerline Construction and Maintenance
- Construct, maintain, repair, replace, extend, and restore overhead electrical distribution lines, structures, equipment, and related facilities.
- Set, frame, inspect, transfer, and remove poles and install crossarms, insulators, braces, anchors, guy assemblies, grounds, hardware, and other line components.
- Install, remove, sag, dead-end, splice, tie, jumper, and repair conductor, neutral, messenger, service wire, and related materials using approved methods and equipment.
- Install, replace, connect, or remove transformers, cutouts, arresters, switches, capacitors, regulators, metering-related equipment, protective devices, and other assigned components.
- Perform service installations, equipment transfers, line relocations, reconductoring, pole change-outs, storm repairs, and other planned or emergency work.
- Verify phase, circuit, pole, structure, equipment, conductor, voltage, orientation, framing, clearances, and installation details against approved information before work proceeds.
Underground Distribution and Facility Power
- Install, maintain, repair, replace, and troubleshoot underground cable, conduit, risers, vaults, handholes, pads, grounding systems, terminations, splices, and related equipment within qualification.
- Support trenching, boring, excavation, potholing, conduit placement, cable pulling, backfill, compaction, surface restoration, and utility-locate requirements.
- Install and connect pad-mounted transformers, switchgear, sectionalizing equipment, enclosures, risers, grounding components, and services as assigned.
- Inspect cable, terminations, splices, elbows, bushings, arresters, grounds, and equipment for damage, contamination, tracking, overheating, deterioration, or abnormal conditions.
- Maintain required separation, bend radius, pulling tension, cable identification, phasing, grounding, sealing, protection, and equipment clearances.
- Do not enter vaults, manholes, excavations, or confined spaces unless entry requirements, atmospheric controls, protective systems, access, and authorization are in place.
Climbing Aerial and Elevated Work
- Climb poles and structures and work from bucket trucks, aerial lifts, ladders, platforms, and approved climbing systems only when trained, medically able, equipped, and authorized.
- Inspect poles, structures, climbing equipment, fall protection, aerial devices, work positioning, rescue provisions, and surrounding hazards before ascending or beginning elevated work.
- Maintain required fall protection, work positioning, tool control, dropped-object prevention, approach distances, and communication while working aloft.
- Evaluate pole condition, loading, attachments, lean, decay, damage, soil support, conductor tension, and adjacent hazards before climbing or altering the structure.
- Coordinate tools and materials between ground and elevated positions using approved handlines, rigging, buckets, and communication methods.
- Stop elevated work when weather, wind, lightning, equipment condition, visibility, pole stability, rescue readiness, or other conditions make continued work unsafe.
Electrical Safety Clearance and Grounding
- Participate in pre-job briefings and verify the work plan, circuit and equipment identification, employee assignments, system status, work boundaries, hazards, controls, and emergency actions.
- Treat all lines, conductors, equipment, vehicles, structures, grounds, and customer systems as energized unless their status has been established through authorized procedures.
- Follow approved switching, clearance, isolation, test, grounding, bonding, cover-up, minimum approach distance, and release procedures within individual qualification and authorization.
- Test for voltage, install and remove protective grounds, apply cover-up, use live-line tools, or perform energized linework only when trained, qualified, equipped, supervised, and specifically authorized.
- Account for backfeed, induction, stored energy, step and touch potential, conductor movement, adjacent circuits, public exposure, temporary generation, and changing system conditions.
- Maintain control of clearances, grounds, tags, jumpers, temporary configurations, incomplete work, open points, and energization readiness as assigned.
- Exercise stop-work authority when system status, circuit identity, clearance, isolation, grounding, equipment condition, communication, scope, or authorization is unclear.
- Immediately report electrical contacts, flashes, switching errors, grounds or clearances out of position, utility strikes, injuries, near misses, property damage, and significant unsafe conditions.
Energized and De Energized Linework
- Perform de-energized linework after required identification, clearance, testing, grounding, bonding, and work-zone controls have been established through authorized processes.
- Perform energized work only when justified and permitted by company and customer procedures and when the required qualified employees, job briefing, work method, protective equipment, tools, observers, and rescue provisions are in place.
- Use rubber-glove, rubber-sleeve, live-line-tool, cover-up, insulated-aerial-device, or other approved methods only within documented qualification and voltage limitations.
- Inspect and protect rubber goods, cover-up, hot sticks, grounds, detectors, insulated tools, and other electrical protective equipment from damage, contamination, moisture, and improper storage.
- Maintain positive control of conductors, jumpers, hardware, tools, equipment, and body position and communicate each critical movement with affected crew members.
- Do not perform work beyond individual qualification, customer authorization, assigned voltage class, approved method, or available protective equipment.
Rigging Lifting and Equipment Support
- Plan and participate in lifting and rigging of poles, transformers, reels, conductor, structures, equipment, and materials using approved rigging, attachments, tag lines, and communication.
- Inspect slings, blocks, grips, hoists, winches, ropes, hooks, lifting points, line tools, and load-control devices before use and remove defective items from service.
- Confirm load weight, equipment capacity, setup, stability, boom and load path, clearances, landing area, exclusion zones, and designated signal person before lifting.
- Remain clear of suspended loads, bights, tensioned conductor, pinch points, pole butt zones, equipment swing radius, and anticipated load movement.
- Operate bucket trucks, digger derricks, line trucks, winches, pulling equipment, and other assigned equipment only when licensed, trained, evaluated, and authorized.
- Serve as a spotter or signal person when trained and assigned and stop movement when communication or safe clearance cannot be maintained.
Inspection Troubleshooting and Quality
- Inspect lines, poles, structures, conductor, equipment, grounds, connections, hardware, clearances, rights-of-way, and customer facilities for defects and abnormal conditions.
- Troubleshoot outages and equipment problems using system information, patrols, visual inspection, approved test equipment, operating history, and direction from authorized personnel.
- Verify completed work meets approved drawings, specifications, customer standards, manufacturer requirements, torque values, phasing, grounding, clearances, and workmanship expectations.
- Perform or support continuity, phasing, voltage, grounding, insulation, operational, and other required checks within individual qualification and authorization.
- Identify nonconforming work, damaged materials, failed equipment, incorrect installation, or unresolved defects and coordinate correction before requesting acceptance or energization.
- Protect equipment, conductor, cable, hardware, and customer property from damage, contamination, improper handling, and unauthorized use.
Jobsite Communication and Documentation
- Communicate clearly with the Foreman, system operator, ground personnel, equipment operators, spotters, signal persons, and other lineworkers through approved verbal, radio, and hand-signal methods.
- Complete or support job briefings, daily reports, time records, equipment inspections, material records, field tickets, photographs, test records, grounding records, and other required documentation.
- Maintain field redlines and accurately document installed conditions, pole and equipment information, circuit identification, measurements, material changes, and unresolved items.
- Provide complete shift turnover regarding system status, clearances, grounds, open points, temporary conditions, incomplete work, equipment condition, materials, and required follow-up.
- Interact professionally with customers, operators, inspectors, landowners, other contractors, and the public and refer scope, price, schedule, or contractual commitments to supervision.
Training and Crew Support
- Provide task-level instruction, demonstration, and guidance to Operators, Helpers, apprentices, and less-experienced line personnel within delegated responsibility.
- Prevent employees from performing climbing, electrical, equipment, rigging, or other work beyond their training, qualification, supervision, or authorization.
- Maintain assigned certifications, qualifications, medical clearances, customer credentials, and training requirements and promptly report restrictions or expiration concerns.
- Participate in drills, rescue practice, refresher training, competency evaluations, incident reviews, and continuous-improvement activities.
- Lead by example through safe work practices, professional conduct, workmanship, equipment care, communication, and accountability.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- High school diploma or GED required; completion of a recognized lineworker apprenticeship, utility training program, or equivalent education and experience is preferred.
- Three or more years of progressively responsible overhead or underground powerline construction, maintenance, utility, electrical, or closely related linework experience.
- Demonstrated competency in climbing, aerial work, line tools, rigging, grounding, conductor handling, pole work, equipment installation, and electrical hazard control appropriate to assigned duties.
- Knowledge of distribution construction methods, materials, equipment, minimum approach distances, protective grounding, cover-up, lifting, traffic control, and emergency response.
- Ability to read and apply work orders, staking information, maps, drawings, framing details, one-lines, switching or clearance information, procedures, and manufacturer instructions.
- Ability to recognize system components, voltage classes, phase identification, equipment ratings, unsafe conditions, and work beyond individual qualification.
- Valid commercial driver's license with required endorsements, or ability to obtain one within the timeframe established by the company, and an acceptable driving record.
- Ability to complete company-provided and customer-required training, qualification, medical evaluation, fit testing, and site-access requirements.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Recognized journeyman lineworker, lineman apprenticeship completion, or equivalent utility or contractor qualification.
- Experience with overhead and underground distribution, facility-power systems, line extensions, reconductoring, pole replacement, service work, storm restoration, and oilfield electrical infrastructure.
- Experience with bucket trucks, digger derricks, line trucks, pulling and tensioning equipment, grounding, cover-up, hot sticks, rubber-glove methods, and utility test equipment.
- Current first aid/CPR, pole-top or bucket rescue, flagger, defensive-driving, OSHA, H2S, rigging, equipment, or other job-relevant training.
- Experience supporting electric utilities, cooperatives, municipalities, industrial facilities, renewable-energy projects, oil and gas operators, or utility contractors.
KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Perform skilled linework while maintaining awareness of system status, approach distances, body position, protective equipment, conductor movement, crew location, and changing conditions.
- Interpret drawings, work orders, staking sheets, system information, procedures, and field conditions and identify conflicts before work proceeds.
- Use line tools, climbing equipment, aerial devices, rigging, grounding, cover-up, test equipment, and material-handling methods safely and effectively within qualification.
- Communicate critical information clearly, follow switching and clearance instructions precisely, and stop work when signals or conditions are inconsistent.
- Support less-experienced employees without allowing production pressure to override qualification, safe work practices, workmanship, or proper authorization.
- Maintain sound judgment during outages, emergency restoration, difficult weather, long shifts, energized environments, and changing customer priorities.
PHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS
This position performs physically demanding field work in rights-of-way, roadsides, yards, customer facilities, construction sites, industrial locations, and remote areas throughout the company's service territory.
- Frequently stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, twist, push, pull, grip, climb, balance, and use hands for tools, conductor, controls, and detailed linework.
- Frequently lift or carry items weighing up to approximately 50 pounds and use team lifting or mechanical assistance for heavier or awkward tools, materials, and equipment.
- Climb poles and structures and work for extended periods from aerial devices, ladders, platforms, and elevated positions while using required fall protection and work-positioning equipment.
- Work on uneven, muddy, rocky, gravel, sloped, elevated, roadside, or restricted-access surfaces around energized systems, traffic, moving equipment, excavations, suspended loads, and industrial operations.
- Work outdoors in heat, cold, wind, dust, rain, storms, noise, vibration, insects, and changing weather while wearing arc-rated clothing and other required personal protective equipment.
- Travel frequently, including possible overnight travel, and work extended shifts, nights, weekends, holidays, emergency call-outs, storm response, and on-call schedules as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
This position has no formal personnel-management responsibilities unless specifically designated. The Powerline Lineman may provide technical and task-level direction to Operators, Helpers, apprentices, and less-experienced crew members, monitor safe work and quality, and report performance or conduct concerns to the Powerline Foreman.
DISCLAIMER
This job description summarizes the position's general duties and requirements and is not exhaustive. Management may modify duties or assign additional responsibilities to meet business, legal, safety, and operational needs. Employment remains subject to applicable company policies and requirements.
Standard Safety & Supply is an Equal Opportunity Employer.