Electric Division Manager
City of Santa Clara Santa Clara, California, United States
- Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
- Categories: Administration and Management, Engineering
- Job Type:
- Posted: Nov 07, 2026
Job Description:
Electric Division Manager
Description
DescriptionThe City of Santa Clara’s Electric Utility Department, Silicon Valley Power (SVP) is recruiting for an Electric Division Manager in the Generation Division. This position is to lead the safe, reliable operation and maintenance of SVP’s power plants. This hands-on management role oversees technical teams, outages, contractors, budgets, and initiatives to sustain long-term asset performance.
The Department:
SVP currently provides over 746 Megawatts of power to residential and business customers within Santa Clara, of which 40 percent of comes from carbon-free renewable resources with a commitment to only procure new energy sources that are renewable and/or greenhouse gas-free (GHG) to the city. In addition to using green energy from large-scale wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric projects outside of the area, SVP employs innovative ways to locally produce electricity by operating Thermal Generation facilities utilizing Simple Cycle and Combined Cycle technologies. It is the mission of Silicon Valley Power to be a progressive, service-oriented utility, offering reliable, competitively priced services for the benefit of Santa Clara and its customers. Being competitive in the marketplace with a continuous focus on customer service, SVP can provide economic value to the City of Santa Clara and its customers while maintaining low residential rates and offering competitive rates for all customers. More information can be found Silicon Valley web site at https://www.siliconvalleypower.com.
The Position:
The current opening is in the Generation Division (Operations & Maintenance Manager). This position directly oversees the daily operations and maintenance activities required of the in-city power plants including the DVR Combined Cycle, Gianera Peaker, and three remote hydroelectric sites. The incumbent supervises a staff of up to 16 technicians on fixed and rotating shifts responsible for operating and maintaining the facilities. The Operations & Maintenance Manager works closely with other Division personnel including Plant Engineer, Compliance Manager, and administrative staff and reports directly to the Senior Division Manager.
Under general direction, the candidate will oversee the daily operations and maintenance activities of the power plants. Additional duties include, but are not limited to:
- Monitor for efficiency and safety ensuring that all applicable regulatory requirements are followed.
- Set the standard for safety & integrity by adhering to all applicable safety standards, environmental standards & treatment of employees.
- Responsible for O&M and major project spending as well as the plants' efforts to achieve reliability & performance metrics.
- Lead outage planning and execution to ensure the safety of the personnel and on-time completion of the work scope.
- Ensure that all department staff under your direction are compliant with all local, State and Federal safety regulations, including but not limited to OSHA and CALOSHA, in addition to conformance with all City safety policies & procedures.
- Direct day-to-day plant operations, preventive and corrective maintenance, equipment troubleshooting, and safe work execution.
- Plan and coordinate scheduled outages, major repairs, contractor activities, emergency response, and safe return-to-service decisions.
- Lead, coach, and develop technical staff; maintain strong operator qualifications, shift turnovers, work management, and succession planning.
- Manage operating and maintenance budgets, contracts, purchasing priorities, critical spare parts, and improvement projects.
- Partner with engineering and compliance staff to meet applicable safety, environmental, and reliability requirements, while improving plant availability, efficiency, and asset life.
As a member of the City's Unclassified Service, this is an "at-will" position and the incumbent serves at the discretion of the City Manager.
Additional Information:
Applications must be filled out completely (e.g. do not write “see resume, NA, or personnel file.”). Years of experience are considered on the basis of full-time-equivalent experience (2080 hours per year). To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a 1) Resume and 2) Respond to the Supplemental Questions 3) Provide a Cover Letter outlining relevant experience in operations and maintenance, including leadership and management experience, technical expertise, and approach to improving plant safety and reliability. The cover letter should also explain their interest in the position and how applicants’ qualifications align with the responsibilities of the Generation Division. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Application packets may be submitted online through the “Apply Now” feature on the job announcement at www.santaclaraca.gov . This position is open until filled: Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis for consideration to the position. The first application review will occur on December 3, 2026. If you are interested in applying you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, before the position is closed.
THIS RECRUITMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THIS, OR OTHER DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS BESIDES THE POSITIONS LISTED ABOVE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT IN THIS CLASSIFICATION, YOU SHOULD APPLY TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY UTILIZE THE APPLICANTS FROM THIS RECRUITMENT. MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS. ONLY THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE THE BEST COMBINATION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION WILL BE INVITED TO TEST OR INTERVIEW. APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR POSITIONS ADHERING TO ALL APPLICABLE CITY POLICIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CMD 033- EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES .
The annual salary range for this position is $224,921.16 - $300,943.47. This position may be filled at or near the minimum of the salary range.
Typical Duties
Follow this link to view the entire Class Specification, which includes more information on Typical Duties and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
Minimum Qualifications
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in engineering, business or closely related field; and
- Four (4) years experience at a responsible level in engineering, administration, marketing, rate setting, resource planning, power contracts, power trading, risk management, communications, information technology, power operations, or maintenance in the electric utility industry or related field are required.
Possible Substitutions:
- Eight (8) years of applicable electric utility experience may be substituted for the education requirement.
- An advanced engineering or business degree may be substituted for up to two (2) years of the experience requirement.
Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of Santa Clara will not sponsor, represent, or sign documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.
The City of Santa Clara is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of Santa Clara is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 615-2080 or [email protected] .
City of Santa Clara Benefit Summary Overview for Bargaining Unit #9E
Unclassified Electric Utility Management Employees Association
This summary provides a brief overview of the City of Santa Clara’s benefits available to Bargaining Unit #9E employees in 2026. In the event of any conflict between the information in this summary and the applicable official plan documents, City Manager’s Directives (CMDs), Personnel and Salary Resolution, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the applicable official plan documents, CMDs, Personnel and Salary Resolution, or MOU will prevail over this summary. Benefits are subject to change.
Retirement:
- Membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
- Classic Employees: 2.7% @ age 55 formula -employee pays 8.00% of gross pay, minus $61 bi-weekly
- New Employees: 2.0% @ age 62 formula - employee pays 7.00% of gross pay
- Medicare and Social Security (FICA)
- Employee pays 6.20% up to $11,439 (Social Security) and 1.45% (Medicare) of gross pay
- The City contributes up to 100% of the premium of the Kaiser (Region 1) plan for Employee Only and Employee + 1 Dependent plans, and up to 90% of the premium of the Kaiser (Region 1) plan of the Employee + 2 or More Dependents plan
- Employees electing health coverage with premiums above the City health contribution will pay additional premium costs from salary on a pre-tax basis
- No cash difference is paid if an employee elects a plan cheaper than the max City contribution
- To be eligible for the City’s contribution toward health, employees must be on a paid status for at least 80 hours in the month prior to the month of coverage
- Coverage is effective as early as the first day of the month after date of hire
- Employees hired on or after 1/1/2023 who opt-out of City-offered health insurance and provide annual attestation and acceptable proof of alternative required coverage for themselves and their tax family, if applicable, are eligible for a cash-in-lieu amount of $250/month. Contact Human Resources for more details
- Choice of two Delta Dental plans; enrollment is mandatory
- City pays lowest cost employee only plan; additional cost is paid by employee
- Coverage is effective as early as the first day of the month after date of hire
- Choice of two VSP plans
- City pays lowest cost employee only plan; additional cost is paid by employee
- Coverage is effective as early as the first day of the month after date of hire
- City contributes $50.00 a month toward employee’s VEBA account
- Account funds may be used to pay for qualified medical expenses after separation from the City and after age 50 (pre-tax)
- City pays for $50,000 of Basic Life Insurance coverage
- Coverage is effective the first of the month after one calendar month of employment
- Additional optional insurance may be purchased by the employee for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and/or dependent children
- Employee pays 1.3% of gross pay (includes Paid Family Leave)
- 7 day waiting period. Weekly paid leave for absences due to non-work related injuries/illnesses. Benefit is based on past earnings. Refer to edd.ca.gov for more information
- Up to 8 weeks of benefits within a 12-month period to care for a family member or to bond with a new child
- No waiting period. Weekly paid leave benefit. Benefit is based on past earnings. Refer to edd.ca.gov for more information
Long Term Disability (LTD) Insurance:
- Benefit is 60% of basic wage up to $13,333; max $8,000/month
- City paid benefit. City pays $.207/$100 of insured earnings
- 60 calendar day waiting period
- Coverage is effective the first of the month after one calendar month of employment
- Voluntary plan through Nationwide Retirement Solutions
- Employee may contribute up to the lesser of the IRS maximum or 100% of gross compensation into a pre-tax 457(b) account or a post-tax Roth 457(b) account (or a combination of the two accounts) subject to IRS rules
- Additionally, the City contributes $300 a month toward employee’s 457(b) account. This dollar amount will factor into the above mentioned IRS rules and limits
- Employee may contribute up to $3,400 per year in pre-tax dollars to a health care spending account
- Employee may contribute up to $7,500 per year in pre-tax dollars to a dependent care spending account
- Employee may contribute up to $340 per month in pre-tax dollars to a commuter benefit plan
- Vacation is accrued bi-weekly, cannot use vacation during first 6 months of City service
- For 1 - 4 years of service: 10 days (80 hours)/year
- For 5 - 9 years of service: 15 days (120 hours)/year
- For 10 - 15 years of service: 21 days (168 hours)/year
- For 16 - 20 years of service: 22 days (176 hours)/year
- For 21+ years of service: 24 days (192 hours)/year
- Maximum accrual is 480 hours
- Once per year, employees can elect to convert up to 80 hours of accrued vacation to cash to be paid out in up to two cash-outs the following calendar year
- Sick leave is accrued bi-weekly for equivalent of 96 hours per calendar year with no maximum accrual
- Up to 48 hours/year of accumulated sick leave may be used for family illness
- Up to 32 hours/year of accumulated sick leave may be used for personal leave
- Employee may convert sick leave to vacation once per calendar year (annual maximum conversion is 96 hours sick to 48 hours vacation)
- Partial sick leave payoff provision on retirement depending on years of service
- 120 hours of management leave credited to employees each January 1st
- New employees hired between January 1st and June 30th receive 120 hours of management leave their first year
- New employees hired between July 1st and December 31st receive 60 hours of management leave their first year
- Unused management leave may be carried over from one calendar year to the next; however, an employee may never have more than 180 hours of “banked” management leave
- Seventeen paid eight-hour holidays per year (13 & 4 holidays between 12/25 to 1/1 of following year)
- $80/month in lieu of carrying a City-issued cell phone
- Department Heads receive $320/month (up to $520, with City Manager approval). Assistant Department Heads and Division Managers can receive $200/month (Up to $500 with City Manager approval)
Tuition Reimbursement Program:
- Up to $2,000 per fiscal year for tuition reimbursement
- Confidential counseling to employees and dependents. Up to maximum of five (5) consultations per family member per incident per year
- City paid benefit
- Employees who retire from the City with at least ten (10) years of service shall receive reimbursement to help cover retiree single health insurance premiums. The reimbursement maximum includes the PEMHCA minimum.
- Up to age 65, retirees are eligible for reimbursement up to $438/month in 2026 (amount adjusted annually)
- After age 65, retirees are eligible for reimbursement up to $262/month in 2026 (amount adjusted annually)
- An employee shall be eligible to work a 9/80 alternate work schedule according to the conditions, criteria, and requirements set forth in City Manager's Directive 71. Requests to work a 9/80 schedule shall be made through or by the Department Head to the City Manager. The City Manager must approve the schedule and the City Manager or Department Head (for employees other than Department Heads) may terminate the schedule at any time.