Exam Bulletin - Senior Control Engineer (Supervisor)

Department of Water Resources

Exam Code: EX-1545

Examination Plans Included:

  • SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR) - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR): $11,977.00 - $14,989.00 per Month

View the SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR) classification specification.

Application Instructions

This is not a timed exam. If you request a Reasonable Accommodation your account will be locked and you will not be able to proceed with the exam until the request is processed.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR) - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

    1545

For SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR), once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 9 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-01545

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00103658 - SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR)

Graduation from a four-year college curriculum with major work in electrical, electronic or computer engineering. Progressively responsible engineering experience on control system equipment comparable to that of the statewide water facilities, may be substituted for a college education on a year-for-year basis. and

Either 1

Two years of experience in the California state service performing the duties of an Associate Control Engineer.

Or 2

Five years of professional control system, electrical, electronic or computer engineering experience, including at least two years in the design, development and application of control systems utilizing complex electronic circuitry, combinations of electronic, electro-mechanical and hydraulic equipment, digital logic techniques, data transmission and interface equipment at a level of responsibility comparable to that of an Associate Control Engineer.

Position Description

00103658 - SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR)

This is the first supervisory level of the class series. Under general direction, incumbents supervise a staff of engineers and technicians. Incumbents plan, organize and direct major technical engineering studies to determine control requirements and develop an automatic, computerized, control system to remotely operate and optimize operation of statewide water facilities; participate in the design and preparation of plans and technical specifications of the more complex features of the control systems used in the statewide water facilities; direct process computer evaluation and selection studies, involving analysis of logic information flow, input-output and interface equipment, maintenance procedures and diagnostic programs and make appropriate recommendations; has charge of the design of operational logic and coordinates and directs programming of process computers; perform the more difficult engineering analysis and direct the engineering analysis of data from field tests and plant operation of control system equipment and installations for conformance with operational standards, design plans and specifications; review and recommend operation, maintenance and testing procedures, manuals and training programs; plan and review simulated operations malfunctions and recommend the necessary design and program modification; review cost estimates of control system and instrumentation equipment; maintain contact with manufacturers and keep abreast of the availability of materials and equipment as well as current developments in the field; prepare technical reports and dictate correspondence. Advise management on complex statewide water facilities control system projects and represent the department(s) on technical matters, related to the statewide water facilities control systems. Administrative responsibilities include staff management, planning and budgeting.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

Possession of a certificate of registration as an Electrical or Control System Engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1CalHR Online ExamN/A100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:
  1. Engineering theory and practices, terminology and trends in control systems engineering, supervisory control and data acquisition of dynamic systems for industrial processes including: dynamic stability, feedback loops, economic and failure analyses, data handling, interfacing, digital logic, computer use and programming, designing, developing, testing, optimizing, maintenance, and modification of control systems similar to those used on the statewide water facilities.
  2. A high level of expertise in at least one major area of control work such as: system network design, software development or management, control strategy design, energy management system, artificial intelligence.
  3. Principles and practices of effective supervision, management, organization, budgeting.
  4. The Department's Equal Employment Opportunity policies and procedures, and the State's collective bargaining system.
Ability to:
  1. Analyze control requirements for flow processes.
  2. Design and develop control systems, determine operation criteria and select equipment.
  3. Integrate control systems with communication systems, develop and maintain software, develop test and maintenance procedures and interpret plans and specifications.
  4. Maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the course of work, and prepare clear and concise reports.
  5. Plan, organize, and direct the work of an engineering and technical staff.
  6. Prepare comprehensive reports and correspondence.
  7. Establish and maintain effective and cooperative public relations with participating representatives of contracting organizations and other government entities.

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the SENIOR CONTROL ENGINEER (SUPERVISOR) Classification will be established for:

  • Department of Water Resources

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Senior Control Engineer (Supervisor) Training and Experience Exam Preview

Instructions:
Rate your experience performing specific job-related tasks.

Respond to each of the following statements by indicating how the statement applies to you. You are required to respond to every question and provide relevant examples. Also, indicate the references who can verify the information provided.

In responding to each statement, you may refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE, whether paid or volunteer, your EDUCATION, and/or FORMAL TRAINING COURSES you have completed.

Tasks:
  1. Preparing workload projections, budgets, schedules, schedule revisions, and/or project (i.e., tasks, work items) prioritization to effectively and efficiently manage organization resources. 
  2. Reviewing and approving of systems logic to confirm that schemes are developed accurately, properly programmed, tested and individual settings are correctly calculated. 
  3. Preparing and reviewing project charters, and resources agreements (i.e., workload estimates, budgets) for capitalized and extraordinary projects. 
  4. Coordinating maintenance activities with operations and/or maintenance staff for control and protection system repair, replacement, and upgrade to meet maintenance plan requirements. 
  5. Working effectively with other groups to ensure Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), data transmission, data interface, equipment and alarming functions are integrated correctly into protection and control schemes. 
  6. Coordinating with stakeholders/customers to adequately plan, schedule, and execute according to project schedules. 
  7. Serving as project coordinator/manager for large scale protection and control retrofits across multiple facilities and/or systems. 
  8. Planning, leading, organizing, and controlling contracting processes for engineering services contracts (i.e., specialized service agreements) for procuring new protection and control systems, modernization of existing systems and equipment. 
  9. Performing project management and coordination with an emphasis on cost control, risk management, schedule management, and Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) to produce project deliverables. 
  10. Performing contact administration to ensure services and products, acquired through contract, are delivered timely, and meets business requirements. 
  11. Planning, leading, organizing and controlling work to analyze system disturbances or events and recommend corrective action plans to management. 
  12. Leading staff in assessing and documenting the integration of complex protection and/or control system equipment including Protective Relays, Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), Real-Time Automation Controllers (RTACs), Digital Fault Recorders (DFRs), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) hardware. 
  13. Developing and maintaining a highly skilled professional staff to meet the organization’s mission through assigning and distributing work, monitoring and evaluating performance, preparing annual performance reports, determining training needs, and approving training needs. 
  14. Providing regular written status updates and reports (i.e., project, regulatory compliance, work scope, cost, schedule, position planning, and hiring) to management. 
  15. Overseeing the development and implementation of controller/relay settings utilizing information from studies, physical design parameters, technical guides, and sound engineering judgment. 
  16. Overseeing the development, implementation, and tracking of corrective action plans when protection and control system deficiencies are identified. 
  17. Leading the design and implementation of automated management systems in protection and control with provisions for Quality Assurance. 
  18. Serving as the job manager and/or acting as the second-level supervisor during their absence, as directed. 
  19. Managing the definition, design, implementation, and documentation of system requirements to standardize maintenance procedures, determine system reliability, evaluate operating costs and equipment modifications. 
  20. Overseeing and/or developing and implementing project initiation and project management documents to facilitate, monitor, and control project work. 
  21. Overseeing and/or developing and implementing physical designs incorporating safety, reliability, and minimizing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). 
  22. Planning, leading, and controlling work on essential protection and control systems analysis, including arc flash studies, fault studies, load flow studies, and protective device coordination studies so that automatic systems function effectively. 
  23. Tracking changes related to protective relaying by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) and the industry in general. 
  24. Preparing documentation, reports, and correspondence to manage stakeholder expectations. 
  25. Overseeing and/or developing and implementing demolition and construction drawings (i.e., Panel, Singleline, Three-line, Schematic, Logic and Connection Diagrams) using aided design/drafting tools. 
  26. Providing summary reports to management of planned completed work to ensure resources are efficiently utilized. 
  27. Overseeing and/or reviewing the utilization of relevant software packages (i.e., Aspen One-Liner, EasyPower, Mathcad etc.) in the course of system analysis and settings development for protection and control. 
  28. Reviewing utility system requirements, proposed specifications and systems developed by other service providers or contractors to ensure compliance with industry standards. 
  29. Overseeing, reviewing, and/or designing protection and control system logic and document functions with logic diagrams in automated design/drafting tools. 
  30. Analyzing potential protection and control solutions, including new or modified software and/or hardware to ensure compliance with standards. 
  31. Directing and coordinating staff in the development of formal written operating instructions to support operation and maintenance functions. 
  32. Developing, conducting, and coordinating training to enhance knowledge and skills in protection and control systems. 
  33. Overseeing and/or developing a complete Bill of Materials (BOM) and specifications for protection and control panels. 
  34. Overseeing and/or modifying and managing protection and control logic diagrams with computer design/drafting tools. 
  35. Overseeing and/or utilizing software packages (i.e., Mathcad, EasyPower, Aspen One-Liner and Relay Database, and AutoCad) to produce engineering and design drawings. 
  36. Analyzing regulatory requirements to ensure that policy documents align. 
  37. Collaborating and communicating with stakeholders/customers to ensure that new policies and procedures are understood and implemented. 
  38. Acting as Subject Matter Expert in validating and mitigating North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Alerts to ensure responses are timely and appropriate. 
  39. Managing activities of scope, schedule and cost for protection and control projects of varying size. 
  40. Coordinating with project participants and stakeholders to ensure integration requirements are met, understood, and documented, including data transmission paths, fiber installation, switch configuration and Supervising Control Data Acquisition (SCADA) point commissioning. 
  41. Overseeing and/or designing and configuring high-speed electrical protection, energy management and control systems for the most complex facilities (i.e., Pumping Plants, Generating Plants, and High Voltage Switchyards. 
  42. Providing Quality Assurance feedback for work generated by journey-level engineers to ensure quality control. 
  43. Overseeing staff in the utilization of analytical tools (i.e., event reports, sequence of event reports, real time monitoring systems) to ensure protective and control actions were appropriate for a given system condition. 
  44. Coordinating with compliance (i.e., regulatory, Quality Assurance/Quality Control) personnel to ensure that corrective action plans adequately address any compliance violations. 
  45. Developing protection and control system procedures to meet utility best practice and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standard requirements. 
  46. Developing and/or maintaining a quality control program to ensure reliability of systems. 
  47. Developing Commissioning and maintenance test plans that support best practice and compliance with the regulatory requirements of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), grid operators such as California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the State Fire Marshal and other relevant agencies. 
  48. Providing more complex theoretical and/or hands-on training to other engineers, operators, and technicians in use of control and protection devices. 
  49. Supervising staff to ensure work is being performed in compliance with the quality control program and the quality standards of the contract, if applicable. 
  50. Supervising, planning, organizing, and directing work on the organization’s energy management, control and protection systems to ensure high operational availability. 
  51. Supervising staff that work with databases and other software for storing, accessing, and reporting evidence of North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) compliance. 
  52. Supervising and leading staff in planning, organizing, coordinating, and executing all phases of construction/commissioning work on protection and control systems for generators, motors, transformers and transmission lines. 
  53. Supervising work for completeness and conformance to plans, specifications, and applicable codes during fabrication, programming, assembly, installation, and testing.

Testing Departments

  • Department of Water Resources

Contact Information

Technical questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Department of Human Resources
CalCareer Service Center
1810 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (866) 844-8671
CalCareer@Calhr.ca.gov

Administrative questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of Water Resources
Department of Water Resources
P. O. Box 1079
Sacramento, CA 95812
Phone: (916) 653-4838

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of Water Resources reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.
Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)