What You'll Do

  • Respond to emergencies, such as transformer or transmission line failures, and route current around affected areas.
  • Prepare switching orders that will isolate work areas without causing power outages, referring to drawings of power systems.
  • Control, monitor, or operate equipment that regulates or distributes electricity or steam, using data obtained from instruments or computers.
  • Coordinate with engineers, planners, field personnel, or other utility workers to provide information such as clearances, switching orders, or distribution process changes.
  • Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators.
  • Distribute or regulate the flow of power between entities, such as generating stations, substations, distribution lines, or users, keeping track of the status of circuits or connections.
  • Monitor and record switchboard or control board readings to ensure that electrical or steam distribution equipment is operating properly.
  • Track conditions that could affect power needs, such as changes in the weather, and adjust equipment to meet any anticipated changes.
  • Manipulate controls to adjust or activate power distribution equipment or machines.
  • Calculate load estimates or equipment requirements to determine required control settings.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 3.62/5
Active Listening 3.62/5
Critical Thinking 3.62/5
Monitoring 3.62/5
Speaking 3.5/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.25/5
Operations Monitoring 3.25/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.25/5
Writing 3.12/5
Operation and Control 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.0/5
Coordination 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.

Common styles

Cautiousness, Dependability, Stress Tolerance, Attention to Detail, Integrity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Problem Sensitivity 4.0/5
Oral Comprehension 3.88/5
Oral Expression 3.88/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.88/5
Written Comprehension 3.75/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.75/5
Written Expression 3.62/5
Near Vision 3.62/5

Technologies & Tools

ABB MicroSCADA Pro DMS ABB MicroSCADA Pro SYS ABB PSGuard Catapult Software iPower SCADA Distribution automation system software Distribution management system DMS Energy management system EMS Geographic information system GIS software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word Milsoft DisSPatch OSI monarch/SGP Outage management system OMS Radius NetMan Radius Uni-View SAP software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.83/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.77/5)
  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 4.7/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.69/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.55/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Auxiliary Operator Board Operator Control Area Operator Control Board Operator Control Operator Control Room Operator Dispatcher Distribution A Class Lineman Distribution Lineman Distribution Operator Distribution System Dispatcher (DSD) Distribution Systems Serviceperson DSO (Distribution System Operator) Electric System Operator Electrical Energy Distribution Technician (Electrical Energy Distribution Tech) Electrical Energy Storage Technician (Electrical Energy Storage Tech) Feeder Switchboard Operator (Feeder SWB Operator) Load Dispatcher Motor Room Controller Power and Recovery Shift Engineer Power System Dispatcher Power System Operator Real Time Operator Station Operator Steam and Power Panel Operator Steam Plant Control Room Operator Substation Operator Switchboard and Control Room Operator (SWB and Control Room Operator) Switchboard Operator (SWB Operator) Systems Operator Transmission Operator Transmission System Operator (TSO) Utilities Operator Utility Distribution Inspector Utility Inspector Utility Switchboard Operator (Utility SWB Operator) Voltage Inspector Water Distribution Operator

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.