Utilities Clerk

Utilities Clerk

The City of Puyallup is hiring an Utilities Clerk to join the Utility Billing team. If you have strong customer service and clerical skills, are able to successfully defuse upset customers, and have a desire to serve a community, we encourage you to apply! The Utilities team is part of the Finance Department and is comprised of a supervisor, accounting technician and three utilities clerks.

It is impactful to join Team Puyallup and provide meaningful work in support of public service and the well-being of our community. We value our culture of demonstrating excellence in our work, being service focused, supporting collaboration, and having integrity in all that we do. We encourage those that share these values to apply to our open positions and/or forward to colleagues who may be ready for their next career advancement opportunity.

The successful candidate will perform a variety of clerical accounting work and provide primary customer service for the Utility Billing division of the Finance Department. The employees are responsible for assisting utility customers, contractors, escrow and title agencies, and other City departments with a variety of water, sewer, storm field and utility billing services. Extensive attention to detail is required. Failure to provide timely utility related information could result in a delayed closing and/or violation of legal requirements.

The City of Puyallup is a community of 43,000 and is situated at the foot of scenic Mount Rainier. The city is known as a regional commercial center, and serves its residents and neighbors with a strong, diversified economy. Our employees live in and support a community that has excellent schools, amazing parks and recreational activities, and a vibrant downtown with a variety of restaurants and retail establishments.

Essential Functions

• Serve as primary contact for the Utility Billing Division and responds to questions regarding utility bills, including rates and billing codes, estimated final billings, past due and disconnect notices, payment arrangements, leak adjustments, and senior/disability discounts.
• Receipt payments from a variety of sources, balance cash drawer, post daily payment files to individual accounts, reconcile daily deposits, process autopay batch file with the bank and process returned payments and NSFs.
• Receive and process customer requests to start, stop, or transfer utility services and process related partial billings.
• Perform collection activities, including prepare past due and disconnect notices, generate penalties on past due accounts, prepare weekly non-payment disconnect list, and process utility payment extension requests.
• Coordinate work orders with the Water Division for leak detection and process leak adjustments per Puyallup Municipal Code.
• Prepare estimated and final payoff billings for escrow and title companies.
• Process and monitor hydrant use applications and deposits.
• Issue intent to lien letters and process lien filing and release forms with Pierce County in accordance with the Revised Code of Washington.
• Work with contractors on meter installs and water turn-on for new construction.
• Assist in developing and maintaining public information materials, such as rate sheets, utility assistance agencies, leak adjustment policy, and payment extension forms.
• Provide backup for billing, account reconciliation, and processing meter sheets and new permits.
• Assist with periodic review and update of utility billing policies and update of utility procedure manual.
• Perform clerical duties such as processing returned mail, scheduling appointments between customer and Water Division, filing and records retention/archiving, copying, recording, posting and indexing.
• Complete special projects and requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Customer service best practices.
• Puyallup Municipal Code related to utility functions.
• Washington State laws governing liens.
• Billing, accounting, and bookkeeping practices and principals.
• Office procedures and practices, including data entry, word processing, filing, record-keeping and answering telephones.
• Business grammar, spelling, and arithmetic.
• Proper methods of handling, receipting and maintaining records of money received/disbursed.
• Computers, computerized/online accounting systems and spreadsheets, and other standard office machines.
• Microsoft Office Suite software, with a working knowledge of Outlook, Excel and Word.

Ability to:

• Communicate clearly and concisely through both written and verbal communication.
• Logically organize a work area which encompasses a variety of tasks.
• Prepare letters, memos and other documents using standard word processing software.
• Make routine arithmetic computations and tabulations accurately and with reasonable speed.
• Understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Perform required duties accurately and in an efficient manner.
• Deal with the public tactfully and courteously in person and on the telephone, and effectively de-escalate angry or upset customers.
• Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work.
• Work in a self-directed manner and exercise sound judgement.
• Effectively schedule and prioritize incoming work to meet firm deadlines.
• Maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive and confidential information.

Education and Experience: Graduation from high school or GED. Two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in financial office work, administration or financial management; or a combination of education, experience, and training that indicates the ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position listed above.

Physical Characteristics and Work Environment

Constant use of sight, hearing, and speech abilities to perform essential functions and communicate with others. Constant fine finger manipulation and use of hands and arms in reaching/handling/fingering/grasping while operating office equipment and computers, preparing written documentation, handling paperwork, etc. Frequent sitting, may be extended at times, while doing desk activities. Frequent bending/twisting at waist/knees/neck while working at desk, worktable, or moving from sitting to standing position. Frequent standing in combination with walking (short distances) throughout work shift in office areas. Occasional lifting/carrying up to 30 pound file boxes, documents, etc. Occasional pushing/pulling force up to 10 pounds opening doors, drawers, and moving materials. Occasional climbing on step stools, ladders and stairs. Communicates verbally with customers, city staff, and the public in one-on-one settings, and over the telephone, sometimes in hostile situations. Works primarily indoors in an office environment with low noise levels.