Meter Reader

All applicants of this position will be required to complete an online Civil Service exam after the application deadline. Applicants will receive the exam invitation via the email address used on their application.

Owensboro Municipal Utilities

Meter Reader

Job Description

Job Code: 068

Exempt: No

Civil Service: Yes

Random Drug Screen: No

Residency Requirement: No

Department: Customer Service and Shared Services

Reports To: Billing Supervisor

Location: Main Office

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF POSITION

The intent of this description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees on this job. Employees may be required or assigned other related activities, projects, or tasks other than those specifically presented in this description. The requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability needed. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Under the routine supervision of the Billing Supervisor, reads and records monthly electric and water meter data from a predetermined route of OMU customers. Requires some judgment in applying well-established procedures and methods, such as recording complex data.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accurately records electric and water meter readings into a hand-held meter reading device.
• Drives to meter route, ensures actual reads are recorded to avoid possible estimations and notes any discrepancies.
• Picks up meter reading equipment, and tools from office daily. Responsible for utilizing these tools in a safe and efficient manner.
• Ensure meters are functioning correctly and reports any defects to supervisor.
• Safely operates and maintains an OMU vehicle. Also safely accesses meters on customers' properties while assessing potential risk such as obstructions and animals.
• Reports any form of meter tampering, theft of services, or system infrastructure issues to supervisor.
• Maintains a positive attitude while interacting with OMU customers throughout the day while also maintaining the confidentiality of customer data.
• Ability to conduct advance planning of work in order to complete assignments regardless of weather or other obstacles.
• Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty mentioned satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Mental alertness and adaptability to office and field area work routines. Equivalent to four years high school or GED, with particular emphasis during high school in office skills, shop skills, or others, plus 7 to 11 months related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Ability to read and understand documents such as policy manuals, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to prepare and interpret bar graphs.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

Ability to use common sense understanding in order to carry out detailed written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few known variables in situations of a routine nature.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Valid Driver's License

PREFERRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Not indicated.

SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED

Basic: 10-Key, Alphanumeric Data Entry

INITIATIVE AND INGENUITY

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under immediate supervision, performs general assignments of work, with periodic check of performance by supervisor.

PLANNING

Limited responsibility with regard to specific assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work operations.

DECISION MAKING

Performs work operations which permit infrequent opportunity for decision-making of minor importance and which would only affect the operating efficiency of the individual involved to a slight degree.

MENTAL DEMAND

Light mental demand. Operations requiring intermittent directed thinking to carry out predetermined procedure or sequence of operations of limited variability. Operations requiring intermittent attention to control machine or manual motions.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING

Repetitive. Activities or duties using a pre-determined set of processes or directions coupled with nearby supervision. Learned things in situations where choice is simple or patterned.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORK OF OTHERS

Responsibility for work of others: Not indicated.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR FUNDS, PROPERTY and EQUIPMENT

Occasionally responsible for organization's property where carelessness, error, or misappropriation would result in moderate damage or moderate monetary loss to the organization. The total value for the above would range from $5,000 to $150,000.

ACCURACY

Probable errors of internal scope should ordinarily be detected within the department or office in which they occur, but may affect the work of others within the unit, requiring additional expenditure of time to trace errors and make all necessary corrections. Errors would require a moderate amount of time to correct.

ACCOUNTABILITY

FREEDOM TO ACT

Defined. Semi-repetitive prescribed processes and procedures with nearby supervision.

ANNUAL MONETARY IMPACT

The amount of annual dollars generated based on the job's essential duties / responsibilities. Examples would include direct dollar generation, departmental budget, proper handling of organization funds, expense control, savings from new techniques or reduction in manpower.

None. Job does not create any dollar monetary impact for the organization.

IMPACT ON END RESULTS

Modest impact. Job has some impact on the organizations end results, but still from an indirect level. Provides assistance and support services that facilitates decision making by others.

PUBLIC CONTACT

Regular contacts with patrons, either within the office or in the field. May also involve occasional self-initiated contacts to patrons. Lack of tact and judgment may result in a limited type of problem for the organization.

EMPLOYEE CONTACT

Contacts occasionally with others beyond immediate associates, but generally of a routine nature. May obtain, present or discuss data, but only as pertains to an immediate and specific assignment. No responsibility for obtaining cooperation or approval of action or decision.

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTERS

Occasional use of complex machines and equipment (desktop/laptop computer and software, road and production machines and equipment, etc.)

WORKING CONDITIONS

Outside working environment, wherein there are disagreeable working conditions part of the time.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously exposed to outdoor weather conditions; occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock, work in high, precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

The following physical activities described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and expectations.

Highly repetitive, moderately physical. Highly repetitive type of work which requires somewhat diversified physical demands of the employee.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; frequently required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; occasionally required to stand, sit, climb or balance, talk or hear, taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision; distance vision; color vision; peripheral vision; depth perception; and ability to adjust focus.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Knowledge and Abilities

Ability to write legibly and operate meter reading equipment similar to a hand-held tablet. Ability to make simple mathematical calculations rapidly and accurately. Ability to work under adverse weather conditions and frequent contact with dogs.