Field Investigation Specialist (Senior Water Service Technician)

Date Opened: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 12:00 AM

Close Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2025 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte Water Department

Salary: $24.00 - $25.75 Commensurate with Experience

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

Charlotte’s local government, with more than 9,000 employees and a total budget of $3.65 billion budget, works hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone – a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play.

Charlotte Water is an enterprise department of the City of Charlotte and one of the largest public water and sewer service providers in the southeast with over 330,000 customer accounts and over 1100 employees. Our service area includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Mint Hill, Matthews and Pineville. Charlotte Water’s FY 26 budget is $651 million and a five-year capital program of $2.2.28 billion. We enjoy the highest credit ratings from Moody’s and S&P Global as a result of sound financial planning and management and strong support from our City Council. We value competent, skilled candidates with a customer service focus to work in a team environment.

SALARY:

$23.18 - $25.74 Commensurate with Experience

JOB SUMMARY:

A Field Investigation Specialist is responsible for conducting high usage investigations stemming from high meter readings and customer complaints, identifying discrepancies in metering equipment and providing appropriate corrective actions, identifying city and private leaks and educating customers on the differentiating circumstances, performing pressure tests to address low pressure complaints, submitting emergency work orders when pressure tests read below city standards, analyzing and communicating usage and billing data to successfully troubleshoot metering equipment and direct field actions to resolution or escalation, performing all service order work at performance levels of a Water Service Technician and Field Investigation Specialist. A Field Investigation Specialist has daily and recurring customer interactions and will need exceptional soft skills to educate and communicate with both internal and external customers. This role directly reports to the Field Operations Supervisor of the assigned zone but will be subject to operate outside of the assigned zone when specific work needs are present. The Field Operations Supervisor also allocates other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:        

• Completes high usage and low-pressure service orders.
• Conducts high bill investigations to address high usage complaints.
• Performs comprehensive field inspections of metering equipment for proper operation and provides maintenance replacements as needed (transmitter, register and transmitter, and/or water meter).
• Inspects water meter connections for leaks and replaces material as needed to repair leaks (washers and/or expansion wheels).
• Evaluates field conditions to determine if there is an irregularity or condition at the service address that would cause high consumption or unknown usage to occur and report findings.
• Communicates with customers on identified leaks, our meter reading process, metering equipment functionality and reasons for work performed.
• Applies necessary soft skills to de-escalate and educate customers. Limit further complaints that may lead to supervisor escalation.
• Evaluates usage data and billing history to troubleshoot high usage service orders and high bill investigations.
• Evaluates usage data and billing history to direct customer communication and/or corrective field actions. Field Investigation Specialist makes determination if high usage service orders/ complaints are a result of changes in rates, days of service, associated utility services fees and/or identified city or private leaks. Notifies the customer of findings.
• Informs customer on Charlotte Water’s practices in meter reading and billing processes, responsibilities and limitations for service repairs on private property issues.

• Receives and completes all assigned service work orders within a specified time period to meet SLA’s and production standards.
• Records accurate water meter readings and enters pertinent service order notes associated with field actions and findings, work performed, customer interactions and any notable conditions at each service order completed.
• Reports any meter box deficiencies or service line repairs (emergency and non-emergency).
• Navigates Customer Information System to help analyze usage data to apply appropriate field actions.
• Navigates technology applications to pinpoint and or update water meter location.
• Communicates with Customer Service Operation Center of field findings that require emergency escalation.
• Performs preventative maintenance and daily inspections of vehicle, Panasonic Tablet, IMR and all assigned equipment and critical assets for proper function. Reports malfunctions or deficiencies.
• Reports on fire hydrant leaks, water main leaks and other distribution issues in a timely manner. 
• Performs other work tasks and duties as assigned or required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• High school diploma or GED from an accredited school.
• Two (2) years of related work experience preferably experience in customer service and water utility operations.

Licenses, Certifications or Registrations:

• Requires a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
• Must obtain and maintain a city driver's permit.
• Desires AWWA Meter Technician Certification.

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Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of water utility operations.
• Knowledge of principles of customer service.
• Advanced soft and hard skills.
• Advanced verbal and writing communication skills.
• Basic computer and technological skills.
• Skill in reading map.
• Mechanical inclination.
• Ability to follow directives and instructions.
• Ability to be coached and developed.
• Self-sufficient and independent work ethic.
• Possess leadership qualities and ability to train.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Ability to lift up to 60 pounds. Getting in and out of a vehicle continuously during a scheduled work shift. Walking, balancing, standing, stooping, pulling, pushing, reaching, lifting, grasping, handling, kneeling, crouching, digging, repetitive motion, manual dexterity, utilizing hand tools, speaking, auditory perception, mental acuity, expressing ideas by spoken word, shouting above noises, and visual acuity in equipment. Ability to think independently and make decisions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:     

Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires adaptability to change and immediate response to shifts in goals, priorities, and work needs. Requires working outdoors in all weather conditions, near traffic, and tolerating foliage, seasonal pollen, dirt, dust, mud, water, insects, pests, reptiles, and animals; flexibility to change in reporting schedule including weekends and overtime as needed, and the ability to report for emergency situations.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

This job description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to accurately reflect the position activities and requirements. Management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and assign other duties at any time.  This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email Careers@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.