Sr. Drainage & Wastewater Planning Engineer (Sr. Civil Engineer)

Ready to help shape Seattle’s water future? Join Seattle Public Utilities as a Senior Drainage and Wastewater Planning Engineer and take the lead on projects that protect our communities, improve water quality, and build a more resilient city. 

Seattle Public Utilities is seeking a Senior Drainage & Wastewater Planning Engineer (Senior Civil Engineer) for the Drainage & Wastewater (DWW) Line of Business. In this role, you will have the opportunity to apply your engineering expertise and work collaboratively with a diverse team to initiate and advance capital projects and programs to reduce combined sewer overflows, improve sewer or drainage system capacity, enhance urban creeks and reduce polluted runoff entering Seattle's bodies of water. This work will be guided by Shape Our Water – a 50-year community-lead investment plan that supports affordability, climate resilient neighborhoods, community co-benefits, and improved water quality through integrated stormwater and wastewater strategies.

You will join a four-person team responsible for launching and guiding a $179M (2027-2032) North Seattle portfolio of DWW capital improvements across planning, design, and construction phases. This position will report to the DWW North Seattle Capital Portfolio Lead.

About Seattle Public Utilities: Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a community-centered utility that delivers vital services to Seattle residents and businesses including drinking water, drainage and wastewater, and garbage/recycling/compost. SPU also provides drinking water for 1.5 million customers in the region. SPU’s work includes system maintenance and improvements and keeping Seattle clean. Over 1,400 SPU employees work with our community to provide affordable and equitable stewardship of our water and waste resources for future generations.

For more information about Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), checkout the:

• SPU Website
• SPU Workplace Expectations (Download PDF reader)
• Strategic Business Plan

SPU commits to Our City Values and Race and Social Justice as core principles that guide our work. We actively take steps to dismantle systemic racism and increase service equity. We value diverse life experiences and strive to create a workplace that is welcoming to all. We take steps to be inclusive and equitable in our recruiting, hiring and promotional opportunities.

Why join us?

We know work isn't only about what you do it’s also about who you work for and with! SPU provides a fun and family-friendly work environment that supports a work life balance, including:

• Family-friendly and multicultural work environment
• Generous benefits package 
• Free Orca Pass 
• City pension plan with employer/employee contributions.
• Growth potential and advancement opportunities

In this position you will serve as the Line-of-Business representative (LOB Rep) leading the initiation and options analysis project phases, defining green and gray infrastructure solutions to address flooding, combined sewer overflow (CSO) reduction, creek systems need, and water quality objectives. You and your team will explore technical, social and environmental costs and benefits, and work with leaders throughout the organization to finalize project direction.

As a DWW Line-of-Business representative on capital projects led by other City Departments, Developers, or SPU’s Capital Project Delivery and Engineering branch, you will support projects through design, construction, and close-out, ensuring alignment with policy and procedural requirements. This role requires collaboration across SPU, community partners, interagency groups, and interdepartmental teams.

This position manages multiple concurrent projects simultaneously with teams composed of internal and consultant support staff varying complexity from moderate to high, complex with individual project budgets up to approximately $100M. In addition, you will also provide senior-level engineering guidance as a subject matter expert in stormwater, CSO, sewer capacity, green stormwater infrastructure, floodplain connection, and fish passage barrier removal project alternatives development.

Day to Day essential duties include:

• Lead or oversee civil engineering analysis to evaluate solutions for prioritized stormwater, wastewater, floodplain restoration, fish passage barrier removal and CSO projects
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert to peers within the DWW Planning and Portfolio Management Division.
• Lead diverse teams, ensure integration of all team members perspectives, create project management plans for work execution, and coordinate action items and communication.
• Set clear project requirements and ensure projects are adequately resourced and draft scope statements to define existing DWW problems as a part of the project initiation.
• Initiate, negotiate, and finalize partnership approaches, and formalizing through agreements and funding mechanisms.
• Lead consultant and grants/loans procurement and/or negotiation processes, direct and manage execution of tasks.
• Compose business cases and other technical writing and presentations to make project recommendations to SPU leadership based on financial, social and environmental considerations.
• Communicate via presentations, briefings and written updates about capital projects and programs with SPU staff and leadership, department directors and executives.
• Build community relationships with and deepen our commitments to community engagement.
• Lead creative solutions development, innovating for solving for multiple-outcomes and integrating race and social justice principles throughout all aspects of the work.

*Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Experience: Five years’ professional civil engineering experience.

Education: Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering or Civil Engineering Technology

Experience/Education Equivalency: A combination of education/experience/training which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class.

License, Certification and Other Requirements:

• Candidates with progressive experience solving challenging drainage and/or wastewater problems with innovative solutions.
• Subject matter expertise in these areas:

• Wastewater and combined sewer system planning and design.
• Stormwater system planning and design
•  Fish passage planning and design
•  Green stormwater infrastructure system planning and design
• Resiliency and/or climate adaptation planning in utilities capital projects

• Experience and proficiency in understanding utility system modeling concepts.
• Proven ability to embed Racial and Service Equity in capital project development.
• Effective use and understanding of project management principles from the Project Management Institute (PMI) within project delivery at any project phase.
• Demonstrated experience applying PMI project management practices (scope, schedule, budget, risk and stakeholder management) to deliver complex capital projects throughout the project lifecycle.
• Skilled at clearly and effectively communicating complex technical issues to community, other government stakeholders and executives.
• Effectively leading complex projects with diverse teams of internal staff and consultants with minimal oversight.
• Comfortable shifting between detailed technical work and big picture thinking.

Application Requirement(s): A full City of Seattle online application including resume, cover letter and supplemental questionnaire must be fully completed for consideration. Your cover letter should address your knowledge and experience related to the position. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Workplace Environment/Telework Expectations:

• This position requires 3 days of office and general working hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. City employees will have the option to work remotely two days a week. Individual schedules will be agreed upon by the employee and their supervisor.

The full salary range for this position is $74.99 - $87.31 per hour.

 Benefits: The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.

More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits

Who may apply: The City of Seattle encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experience. This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

If you have any questions, please contact Uma Suseelan at [email protected]
Learn more about Seattle Public Utilities at our web page www.seattle.gov/util/