Posting number: 2026-00318
Department: Seattle Public Utilities
Division: Water Line of Business
Job classification: Electrical Engineer, Associate
Posting type: Open & Promotional
Categories: Engineering
SummaryPlease DO NOT attach resumes and cover letters, as they will not be considered in the review of candidate's qualifications.
An online application, including responses to the supplemental questionnaire, must be fully completed for consideration.
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is looking for a talented Associate SCADA Engineer (classified as Electrical Engineer, Associate) to help drive innovation and reliability across the city’s essential infrastructure. In this role, you’ll play a key part in engineering design, electrical and industrial safety, standards compliance, system maintenance, planning, and commissioning. Your expertise will directly support SPU’s critical control systems—making you a vital contributor in every stage of project delivery and system integration. Are you an experienced industrial control panel design engineer? Do you thrive in fully documented design cycles? Do you enjoy bringing control panel deployments to life and ensuring seamless integration? Does decoding and applying industry standards energize you?
Are you skilled in developing design specifications, guidelines, control narratives, loop descriptions, instrumentation diagrams, and integration plans? If so, you’ll be right at home supporting SPU’s major lines of business—water treatment, water distribution, drainage and wastewater, and solid waste. This role specializes in providing top-tier engineering support for control panels, instrumentation, and control systems central to industrial operations.
If this technical challenge fits your strengths and interests, this could be the opportunity you’ve been searching for. Let’s build the future of Seattle’s infrastructure together—let’s grow together!
If this position’s technical specialization is within your comfort zone, then this might be the job you are looking for! Let's grow together!
About Seattle Public Utilities (SPU): Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a Community Centered Utility whose mission is to foster healthy people, environment, and economy by partnering with our community to equitably manage water and waste resources for today and future generations.
About Seattle Public Utilities (SPU): Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a Community Centered Utility whose mission is to foster healthy people, environment, and economy by partnering with our community to equitably manage water and waste resources for today and future generations. We deliver high quality, vital services, across four major lines of business: providing water, solid waste, drainage and wastewater services for Seattle residents and businesses. In addition, SPU provides drinking water for 1.5 million regional customers in Seattle and other municipalities. Our customers depend on us to deliver high quality, reliable, and cost-conscious utility services and to achieve the highest benefits possible for every investment we make.
For more information about Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), please visit:
- SPU Workplace Expectations (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader)
- Strategic Business Plan
- Shape Our Water Plan
SPU commits to Our City Values and Race and Social Justice as core principles that guide our work. We actively take steps to dismantle systemic racism and increase service equity. We value diverse life experiences and strive to create a workplace that is welcoming to all. We take steps to be inclusive and equitable in our recruiting, hiring, and promotional opportunities.
Why join us?
We know work isn’t only about what you do, it’s also about who you work for and with! SPU provides a fun and family-friendly work environment that supports a work life balance, including:
- Hybrid work schedule opportunities as agreed by the employee and their supervisor and may be subject to change based on business needs.
- Family-friendly and multicultural work environment.
- Generous benefits package.
- Free public transportation options.
- City pension plan with employer/employee contributions.
- Growth potential and advancement opportunities.
- This position will support instrumentation and controls integrations and assist the Sr. SCADA Engineer in providing control system engineering support services across all lines of business within SPU.
- Evaluating and planning the resolution of deficiencies in instrumentation and process safety.
- Supporting SPU instrumentation and control project design cycle and submittal review across all lines of business in SPU as needed.
- Developing test plans in support of SPU instrumentation and control commissioning and integration activities.
- Proactively checking on the revision statuses of code standards to support Instrumentation and control engineering best practices.
- Applying project controls and activity management support.
- Applying Instrumentation and control change management.
- Applying customer care principles – clear communication, listening carefully, respond promptly, transparent, and empathetic towards clients and colleagues.
- Applying and interpreting national and international standards.
Experience: Requires a minimum of three (3) years of applied experience as a support engineer in the field of instrumentation and controls design and support.
Education: Bachelor's degree in physics, process, chemical, computer science, electronics, electrical, mechanical, or industrial engineering, or a closely related engineering field, which provides preparation to do professional engineering work.
Licenses:
- Current Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility.
Working Environment/Physical Demands:
- May support incident response emergency services as an on-call resource to the standby duty supervisor as needed.
- Most work is performed in a normal City work/office environment.
- Field assignments may entail exposure to all types of weather, traffic, hazardous/toxic substances, potentially energized equipment and work in or near construction sites.
- May be required to stand, walk, or bend for extended periods of time.
- May be required to work nights, evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
- Overnight travel may be required.
- This hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
Desired Qualifications:
- Strong written and verbal articulation skills.
- Strong control panel design skills.
- Strong instrumentation and controls design skills.
- Strong understanding of industrial standards and norms.
- Experience applying UL508A Safety standard for industrial control panels design and fabrication, along with UL2416 Safety and performance standard for technology communications and rack systems.
- Experience applying ISA-105 standards in testing practices and its business application.
- Knowledge of ISA 5.0 Documentation of Measurement and control instruments i.e., instrument certification and audit sheets, as well as ISA 5.4 Loop drawings, and ISA 88 Process descriptions, models and terminologies i.e., control narratives/descriptions.
- Knowledge of IEC 61508 Analysis of process risks and hazards, as well as the application of part 1, 2, and 3 of standard IEC 61511 for Safety Instrumented system life cycle management.
- Experience applying OSHA29 CFR 1910.119e standards to perform process hazard analyses (PHA), OSHA Standards for machine guarding 29CFR 1910.212, as well as knowledge of NSI/ISA 84.91 Standard for maintaining and applying interlocks.
- Knowledge of NEC | NFPA 70 & 79 standards on electrical installations and control panels, Article 409 Industrial control panels, short circuit ratings calculations and NFPA Class 1 Flammable gases or vapors, Class 2 Combustible dust, and Class 3 Ignitable fibers.
This position allows for the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule. Employees will be required to come into the office, a minimum of three days per week. Individual schedules will be agreed upon by the employee and their manager. Supplemental informationThis is a continuous posting, and the first review will occur on 7/24. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
How to apply: An online application including response to the supplemental questionnaire must be fully completed for consideration. Please DO NOT attach resumes and cover letters, as they will not be considered in the review of candidate's qualifications.
The full salary range for this position is $62.32 - $72.73 hourly.
- This hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SME 14.17.
- Applicants will be provided with an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
- SPU’s safety program requires a pre-employment medical assessment as a condition of employment in this position.
Who may apply: The City of Seattle encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experience. This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.
More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Zachary Brown at zach.brown@seattle.gov.
Employer
City of Seattle
Address
Seattle Municipal Tower
700 5th Avenue, Suite 5500
Seattle, Washington, 98104
Website http://www.seattle.gov/jobs| Learn more about Seattle Public Utilities at www.seattle.gov/util/and check us out on social media.