Apprentice Groundman - Journeyman Lineman

DREMC is seeking an Apprentice Groundman – Journeyman Lineman.

BE A PART OF POWERING SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE!

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC) is a member-owned electric cooperative, serving an area of approximately 2,500 square miles across 17 counties in southern middle Tennessee. Our amazing team at DREMC distributes safe and reliable electricity at the lowest possible cost, promotes and facilitates economic development, and enhances the quality of life over 85,000 members across 6,500 miles of line.

Location:  Columbia, TN

APPRENTICE GROUNDMAN

Job purpose:
The Apprentice Groundman is a team-player who is willing and able to learn from peers and supervisors.  This position requires assisting a crew to ensure proper construction, service, and maintenance of electrical distribution services. The groundman position is for a six-month probation period to allow time for fulfillment of requirements to become an Apprentice Lineman I.

Job Dimensions:

Internal Responsibilities – In a courteous and professional manner consistent with DREMC policies, work with, and learn from, crew members of their assigned crew.  Takes the initiative to ask questions relating to safety. 

External Responsibilities – Communicate with members explaining the Cooperative’s plans, procedures, service programs and objectives, as necessary; to provide efficient and courteous service, resulting in good member relations.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Follows established safety rules and safety precautions, studies the American Public Power Association Safety Manual and attends scheduled safety training sessions.
2. Under close observation, and through hands-on experience, becomes familiar with the operation of all types of construction vehicles, including hydraulic digger/derrick trucks, aerial bucket trucks (such as pre-flight check), air compressors, hydraulic tools, pole trailers and trenching equipment.
3. Assists with inspection of vehicles and equipment to maintain safety and operational capability.
4. Identify materials required to build new services and/or repair existing services, including but not limited to actual name of the material and its size, color, voltage, use, etc.
5. Under close observation, use “Extendo Stick” to trip transformer to pull fuse and/or terminate service.
6. Becomes familiar with mobile radio equipment usage, call signs and procedures.
7. Become familiar with the nomenclature of RUS/DREMC specifications.
8. Becomes familiar with residential meters and displayed information.
9. Learns the basic single-phase residential connections at the point of delivery for overhead and underground service.
10. Becomes familiar with basic pole framing specifications and system voltages.
11. Emergency response coverage as needed.
12. Must reside within a twenty (20) statue mile radius of assigned office.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Must complete TVPPA Pre-Apprentice Assessment Workshop or equivalent within a six-month time frame. 

Certification/License, etc.: Must be able to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement within the six-month probationary period.  Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Ability to maintain continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information.  Possesses effective oral and written communications skills. 

EEOC: 8-Laborer | Non-supervisory | Pay Grade: 9 | Non-exempt | Residency Requirement

Position Description Effective Date: June 2025

APPRENTICE LINEMAN 1^ST – 4^TH YEAR

Job purpose:
The Apprentice Lineman is a team-player willing and able to learn from peers and supervisors.  This position begins actively training in line work with a focus on line construction.  Requirements include assisting a crew to insure proper construction, service, and maintenance of electrical distribution services. 

Job Dimensions:

Internal Responsibilities – In a courteous and professional manner consistent with DREMC policies, work with and learn from crew members of their assigned crew.  Taking the initiative to speak up for matters relating to safety. 

External Responsibilities – Communicate with members explaining the Cooperative’s plans, procedures, service programs and objectives as necessary; to provide efficient and courteous service, resulting in good member relations.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 1^st Year

Must meet the accountabilities of Apprentice Groundman position and is responsible for following:

1. Follows established safety rules and safety precautions, studies the American Public Power Association safety manual and attends scheduled safety training sessions.
2. Under observation, operates vehicles and hydraulic equipment/tools assigned to crew.
3. Fabricates pole assemblies both on the ground and on the pole and hangs guy-wire, transformers, security lights and other equipment on de-energized poles.
4. Ties-in conductors on de-energized poles, lays underground cable, and makes connections of meter loops/bases, single phase transformers, grounds, cable terminals and other equipment.
5. Installs and removes standard, single-phase meters, learns to accurately read meters and becomes familiar with associated service cut-in/out procedures.
6. Makes splices in underground cables and overhead bare and covered conductors/cables on de-energized lines.
7. Studies the nomenclature of RUS/DREMC specifications.
8. Progressively learns the hardware and associated materials required for makeup of both overhead and underground unit specifications.
9. Learns the basic single-phase residential connections at a point of delivery for overhead and underground service.
10. Successfully climbs 150 poles during the year and must demonstrate the ability to perform pole top and bucket rescue.
11. Must reside within a twenty (20) statute mile radius of assigned office.
12. Emergency response coverage as needed.
13. Refer to Job Curriculum for additional details of the job training.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Must have completed Apprentice Groundman curriculum or equivalent.  Must complete TVPPA Lineman Apprenticeship Program: Unit I, II, TVPPA Digger Derrick/Aerial Device Lab and TVPPA Fundamentals Lab I or equivalent. 

Certification/License, etc.: Must possess a valid Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement.  Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Ability to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information.  Possesses effective oral and written communications skills. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 2^nd Year

Must meet the accountabilities of Apprentice Lineman 1st Year position and is responsible for following:

1. Follows established safety rules and safety precautions, studies the American Public Power Association safety manual and attends scheduled safety training sessions.
2. Under direct observation, works on energized primary poles to make secondary connections up to 240 nominal volts, including grounding connections.
3. Learns how to read and use a conductor sag chart from initial/final sagging tables and how to properly sag conductors.
4. Develops basic knowledge of sectionalizing equipment such as oil circuit reclosers/breakers, oil/dry type sectionalizes, substation breakers, regulating devices, control devices, capacitors and other related equipment.
5. Installs or assists with installation of security lights, streetlighting, school flasher equipment and traffic signals together with related controls and other equipment.
6. Learns how to replace lamps and perform routine maintenance on controls.
7. Observes and becomes familiar with DREMC switching procedures and interruption records.
8. Operates vehicles, hydraulic equipment/tools and other special equipment.
9. Assists with training of Groundmen and Apprentice Lineman I personnel.
10. Studies electrical theory of equipment, transformer connections and develops increasing technical proficiency.
11. Learns various operating and maintenance accounts and how to handle material charge-outs for construction work orders as well as material credit procedures for returning retired materials salvaged or excess new material originally charged out.
12. Successfully climb 100 poles during the year and must demonstrate the ability to perform pole top and bucket rescue.
13. Must reside within a twenty (20) statute mile radius of assigned office.
14. Emergency response coverage as needed.
15. Refer to Job Curriculum for additional details of the job training.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Must complete Apprentice Lineman 1st Year curriculum or equivalent.  Must complete TVPPA Lineman Apprenticeship Program: Unit III, IV, and TVPPA Construction Lab 2 or equivalent. 

Certification/License, etc.: Must possess a valid Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement.  Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Ability to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information.  Possesses effective oral and written communications skills. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 3^rd Year

Must meet the accountabilities of Apprentice Lineman 2^nd Year position and is responsible for following:

1. Follows established safety rules and safety precautions, studies the American Public Power Association safety manual and attends scheduled safety training sessions.
2. Installing and/or changing out transformers and other equipment on energized lines when work is outside the minimum approach distance of primary energized lines.
3. Maintaining energized line components such as changing insulators, crossarms and poles with use of hot sticks and related equipment under direct observation upon completion of 6 months satisfactory work under close supervision.
4. Clearing trouble on the distribution system disconnect/gang-type airbrake switches, underground elbow connections/terminators and other system devices used for line sectionalizing under observation.
5. Developing knowledge of multi-phase transformer bank connections and pole framing procedures, and the basic principles of voltage regulation and metering.
6. Increase knowledge of RUS/DREMC specifications on both single and three-phase units/drawings and learn all basic NEC/NESC clearance requirements for constructing overhead lines.
7. Increasing overall knowledge of system maps, switch number locations, substations and relating this knowledge to actual circuit sectionalizing points in the field.
8. Successfully climb 50 poles during the year and must demonstrate the ability to perform pole top and bucket rescue.
9. Must reside within a twenty (20) statute mile radius of assigned office.
10. Emergency response coverage as needed.
11. Refer to Job Curriculum for additional details of the job training.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Must have completed Apprentice Lineman 2nd Year curriculum or equivalent.  Must complete TVPPA Lineman Apprenticeship Program: Operations Lab 3 and Underground Lab 4 or equivalent. 

Certification/License, etc.: Must possess a valid Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement.  Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Ability to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information.  Possesses effective oral and written communications skills. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES 4^th Year

Must meet accountabilities of Apprentice Lineman 3rd Year position and is responsible for following:

1. Follows established safety rules and safety precautions, studies the American Public Power Association safety manual and attends scheduled safety training sessions.
2. Constructs single-phase tap lines, lift-pole service extensions and other initial service facilities without direct observation when requested.
3. Metering single-phase, instrument transformer and/or self-contained meter locations and acquiring knowledge of three-phase instrument transformer metering.
4. Understanding operational functions of sectionalizing equipment including automatic reclosing devices and sequences utilized equipment.
5. Testing line sections for fault locations, patrolling lines and isolating/repairing trouble causes without direct field observation when capable.
6. Performing substation switching and maintenance under observation when required.
7. Successfully climb 50 poles during the year and must demonstrate the ability to perform pole top and bucket rescue.
8. Must reside within a twenty (20) statute mile radius of assigned office.
9. Emergency response coverage as needed.
10. Refer to the Job Curriculum for additional details of the job training.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Must have completed Apprentice Lineman 3rd Year curriculum or equivalent. Must complete TVPPA Lineman Apprenticeship Program: Troubleshooting Lab 5 and the TVPPA Lineworker Apprenticeship Final Exam or equivalent.

Certification/License, etc.: Must possess a valid Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement.  Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Ability to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information.  Possesses effective oral and written communications skills. 

EEOC: 6-Craft | Non-supervisory | Pay Grade: 9 | Non-exempt | Residency Requirement

Position Description Effective Date: June 2025

LINEMAN I, II, JOURNEYMAN

Job purpose:
The Lineman position performs the construction, operation, and maintenance of electric distribution lines for the efficient, reliable distribution of electricity to members. 

Job Dimensions:

Internal Responsibilities: Work with, and learn from, crew members of their assigned crew.  Taking the initiative to speak up about matters relating to safety. 

External Responsibilities: Communicate with members explaining the Cooperative’s plans, procedures, service programs and objectives as necessary; to provide efficient and courteous service, resulting in good member relations.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Must meet the requirements of the Apprentice Lineman position and are responsible for the following:

1. Follows established safety rules and safety precautions, studies the American Public Power Association Safety Manual and attend scheduled safety training sessions.
2. Operates and maintains vehicles and hydraulic equipment/tools and other specialty equipment, including chain saws and other hand-operated tools.
3. Constructs all required specifications safely and in a professional manner without supervision.
4. Assumes foreman duties, such as directing line crews, as needed.
5. Works energized lines with hot-line tools or with aerial bucket truck.
6. Performs switching assignments on the distribution system or in substations, as needed.
7. Investigates, and corrects- equipment and/or control malfunctions or makes temporary bypass adjustments until proper repair/replacement can be scheduled.
8. Keeps constantly aware of system feeds and alerts other personnel of changes in line feed direction, location of open points, installed grounds, joint-use hazards, and other conditions necessary for safely working lines.
9. Completes material records, enters time worked electronically, and other forms of paperwork related to work orders, transformers, oil circuit breakers/reclosers, meters, vehicle reports, and other equipment/facilities, as needed.
10. Trains and/or assists with the training of Apprentice Lineman, Groundmen, as needed.
11. Stakes minor service extensions, replaces missing pole/anchor-guy stakes, and makes necessary field revisions to work orders, as needed.
12. Responsible for stocking and maintaining warehouse and other Cooperative related facilities and assisting with construction material inventory.
13. Expected to be available for emergency related work after regular business hours and required to participate in Cooperative’s mandatory on-call program.
14. Emergency response coverage as needed.
15. Must reside within a twenty (20) statute mile radius of assigned office.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Lineman I

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Must have completed Apprentice Lineman IV curriculum or equivalent with a minimum of four (4) years’ experience in linework.

Certification/License, etc.: Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement required.  Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet. TVPPA or equivalent Lineman certification.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: A broad understanding of the utility industry is desired.  Able to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information.  Possesses effective oral and written communications skills. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Lineman II

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Lineman II must have completed DREMC Lineman I training and experience or comparable utility training and experience.

Certification/License, etc.: Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement required. Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet. TVPPA or equivalent Journeyman certification.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: A broad understanding of the utility industry is desired. Ability to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information. Possesses effective oral and written communications skills.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Journeyman Lineman

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.

Experience: Journeyman Lineman must have completed DREMC Lineman training and experience or comparable utility training and experience.

Certification/License, etc.: Commercial Driver’s License with Class A or B endorsement required. Must be eligible and remain insured as a driver by the Cooperative’s group liability policy for the automotive fleet. TVPPA or equivalent Journeyman certification.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: A broad understanding of the utility industry is desired. The ability to maintain a continued education that supports the maintenance of the Cooperative’s distribution equipment and practices. Must be able to exercise discretion and use sound judgement in dealing with people and confidential information. Possesses effective oral and written communications skills.

EEOC: 6-Craft | Non-supervisory | Pay Grade: 10 | Non-exempt | Residency Requirement

Position Description Effective Date: June 2025

Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.

Work Environment: While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to high, precarious places and risk of electrical shock. The employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to explosives and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

BENEFITS: DREMC provides a comprehensive program of employee benefits, including group medical, dental, vision, employer-sponsored medical clinic, life and long-term disability insurance programs, defined benefit retirement and 401K savings plans, and tuition reimbursement.

This job description is intended to identify the essential functions of a position and should not be interpreted as all-inclusive.  An employee may be required to perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by immediate supervisor and/or management as needed.  DREMC reserves the right to revise or change the job description as the need arises, or work schedules based on their duty to accommodate individuals with disabilities.  This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

Qualified candidates should apply at www.dremc.com under careers. Candidates must submit a cover letter, resume and complete application form to be considered.

DREMC does not accept resumes from third-party recruiters.

Equal Opportunity Employer EOE/AA M/F/D/V