Electrician III Salary $56,337.11 - $64,648.13 Annually Location Norfolk, VA Job Type Permanent Full-time Job Number 13874 Department General Services Division Facility Maintenance Opening Date 02/26/2026 Closing Date 3/8/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Description The Department of General Services, Facilities Maintenance Division, is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and supporting the operational integrity of City of Norfolk facilities citywide. This includes administrative buildings, public safety facilities, recreation centers, libraries, the Central Energy Plant, City Hall, pools, the Virginia Zoo, Nauticus, and the City's major cultural and entertainment venues operated under SevenVenues. Facilities Maintenance provides skilled trade services including electrical, HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, and general maintenance while supporting preventive maintenance programs, emergency response operations, regulatory compliance, energy reliability, and coordination with contractors and vendors.
The division supports a diverse portfolio of facilities that include high-occupancy public assembly venues, secure facilities, critical infrastructure, and historically significant buildings. The Electrician III is a highly skilled, senior-level electrical position responsible for installing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing complex electrical systems across City of Norfolk facilities. This position performs advanced electrical work involving feeders, circuits, lighting systems, control devices, and temporary power installations, and serves as a technical lead on projects requiring independent judgment and code-compliant execution.
The Electrician III functions as a subject-matter expert in electrical systems, provides guidance to other electricians, assists with planning and estimating work, and coordinates with supervisors, contractors, and facility stakeholders. Work is performed in occupied public buildings, critical infrastructure environments, and outdoor venues, often requiring strict safety practices, coordination with other trades, and adherence to electrical codes and City standards. This position supports both routine maintenance and emergency response operations and may be designated essential for inclement weather and emergency events.
Installs, maintains, and repairs electrical systems, equipment, and components including feeders, branch circuits, panels, lighting systems, control devices, and associated wiring.
Troubleshoots electrical malfunctions using testing instruments, schematics, and blueprints to identify root causes and implement corrective action.
Makes electrical connections; installs conduit, boxes, wiring, fixtures, switches, receptacles, breakers, heaters, and related devices.
Performs work on complex commercial and institutional electrical systems, including three-phase power, motor controls, lighting controls, and emergency power systems.
Replaces bulbs, ballasts, electronic controls, and resets breakers, heater controls, and electronic timers.
Provides temporary power for events, construction, and special projects by running wiring and establishing safe electrical connections.
Supports electrical needs for City events and facility operations, including temporary lighting, power distribution, and system tie-ins.
Assists with planning and estimating electrical projects, including material takeoffs and labor needs.
Coordinates work with contractors and guides them through City facilities to ensure work aligns with scope, safety standards, and operational constraints.
Maintains electrical tools, equipment, and materials; tracks supplies and assists with requisitions and purchasing in accordance with City procedures.
Functions as a lead electrician by providing technical guidance, training support, and work direction to other electricians as assigned.
Oversees work quality, ensures adherence to electrical codes and safety standards, and assists supervisors with inspection and follow-up.
Communicates effectively with supervisors, facility staff, vendors, and contractors to support safe and efficient operations.
Performs general maintenance tasks as assigned, including supporting other trades during facility emergencies.
Assists with hanging banners, flags, and other electrical or facility-related support activities.
Education/Experience
Work requires knowledge of a specific vocational, administrative, or technical nature which may be obtained with six months/one year of advanced study or training past the high school equivalency. Junior college, vocational, business, technical or correspondence schools are likely sources. Appropriate certification may be awarded upon satisfactory completion of advanced study or training.
Required: Four (4) years of experience as an Electrician. Experience reading blueprints, technical manuals, and electrical schematics. Experience installing, troubleshooting, and repairing commercial or institutional electrical systems.
Additional Information & Requirements
Valid Drivers License required.
State Masters Electricians License.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM; Occasional overtime and weekend work may be required. Position is designated as essential and will be required to report to work during City closures due to inclement weather and other emergencies.
Signing Bonus: This position is eligible for a $5,000 signing bonus. Regular full-time and permanent part-time employees may receive paid holidays, vacation and sick leave, employer paid pension plan, basic life insurance, voluntary participation in medical and dental, Section 457 deferred compensation, long-term disability, optional life insurance for self, spouse and children, medical and dependent care reimbursement plans, access to membership in credit union and employer provided parking.
Special project/grant employees are generally eligible for the same benefits of regular full-time employees; however, retirement, life insurance and participation in health plans vary depending upon funding and authorization. Temporary/seasonal and part-time employees are generally only eligible for employer provided parking and access to membership in credit union.
Retirement If you are hired October 5, 2010, or after to a position with City of Norfolk Retirement System benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.
If you are hired January 1, 2022, or after to a position with Virginia Retirement System (VRS) benefits, you will be required to contribute five percent (5%) of your salary toward your retirement benefit. This will be a pre-tax payroll deduction.
The Tuition Assistance Program is established to encourage employees toward continued self-development and education. Permanent full-time and permanent part-time classified, unclassified permanent, full-time special projects, and constitutional employees who have completed six months continuous service will be eligible to apply. The applicant's school of enrollment must be an accredited institution.
NOTE: The benefits described above are broad generalizations. The specific benefits that an employee may be eligible for are governed by City regulations, as applicable to job type. Non-City Positions listed with a job type designation of "Non-City" are not subject to the benefits descriptions above. Refer to the content of the job posting for information regarding these positions.
Supplemental Questions
01 The following Supplemental Questions are specific to the position for which you have applied to assist the hiring manager in screening applications for specific experience being sought. Please be specific in answering these questions as they will be used to evaluate which applications will be given further consideration in the process. Do not answer "see resume" or "see application" as these are not valid answers. Please note that if you are invited to be interviewed by the department, your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification. I understand and will answer the following supplemental questions completely and thoroughly.
02 If you were referred for this position by a current City of Norfolk employee, please provide the employees full name, department, and job title, and your relationship to the employee. If not, please indicate by typing "N/A."
03 Please select the highest level of education you have completed.
High School Diploma/GED Some College (6 months or more) Vocational/Technical Degree Associates Degree Bachelors Degree Masters Degree or higher
04 How many years of experience do you have as an electrician?
Less than 4 years 4-5 years 5-6 years 6 years or more
05 When troubleshooting a three-phase, 480-volt motor that repeatedly trips overload heaters, which is the MOST appropriate first step?
Replace the overload heaters with higher-rated units Measure line and load current on all three phases and compare readings Replace the motor starter Reset the overload and return the motor to service
06 What condition would MOST likely cause a three-phase motor to draw uneven current across phases?
Incorrect lamp ballast Phase loss or high resistance in one phase Excessive ambient temperature Grounded neutral conductor
07 What is the PRIMARY purpose of equipment grounding in electrical systems?
To reduce voltage drop To provide a reference for phase balancing To create a low-impedance path for fault current to clear overcurrent devices To stabilize motor speed
08 When installing temporary power for an outdoor public event, which factor is MOST critical for safety?
Using extension cords longer than 100 feet Matching receptacle color coding Ground-fault protection and proper bonding of equipment Operating at higher voltage to reduce amperage
09 What tool is BEST suited for verifying the integrity of a grounding electrode system?
Clamp-on ammeter Megohmmeter Earth ground resistance tester Non-contact voltage tester
10 When reading electrical blueprints, what does the symbol "H-O-A" typically indicate?
Hand-operated alarm High-output actuator Hand-Off-Auto control selector Hazardous operation area
11 A breaker trips immediately upon energizing a circuit. Which condition is MOST likely?
Overloaded lighting circuit Short circuit or ground fault Voltage imbalance Thermal expansion
12 What is the PRIMARY consideration when coordinating electrical work in occupied public facilities?
Completing work as quickly as possible Minimizing material costs Maintaining safety, code compliance, and uninterrupted operations Avoiding coordination with other trade
13 Do you have a valid drivers license?
Yes No
14 Do you have a state-issued Master Electrician's License?
Yes No
15 Do you have the legal right to work in the United States and, upon employment, can you provide documentation to verify this?
Yes No
16 Please provide an explanation of any periods of unemployment that are 30 days or longer. Indicate N/A if you have not experienced any periods of unemployment.
17 Are you a current or previous City of Norfolk employee?
Yes - I am a current City of Norfolk Employee Yes