Senior Engineer / Principal Engineer

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

The Senior Engineer is the fourth level in a five-level engineering series. Incumbents are responsible for performing professional-level engineering duties in managing small to moderately complex engineering projects. The Senior Engineer is distinguished from the Associate Engineer and the Engineer by the increased level of responsibility and complexity of assigned work. The Senior Engineer is distinguished from the Principal Engineer, which is responsible for managing larger-scale, more complex engineering projects.

The Principal Engineer is the fifth level in a five-level engineering series. Incumbents are responsible for managing large-scale, complex engineering projects. The Principal Engineer is distinguished from the Assistant Engineer, Associate Engineer, Engineer, and Senior Engineer by responsibility for serving as project manager on the District's most complex engineering projects and providing advanced technical leadership.

The following essential job functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed job functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different job functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Manages engineering projects from planning through design, permitting, bidding, construction, and project closeout.
• Plans, organizes, and coordinates project scope, schedules, budgets, consultant services, and construction activities.
• Reviews engineering designs, plans, specifications, calculations, technical reports, and consultant work products for technical accuracy and compliance with District standards.
• Develops requests for proposals; evaluates consultant qualifications and technical proposals; negotiates scopes of work; and manages consultant contracts.
• Monitors project progress, budgets, schedules, and expenditures; identifies project risks and develops recommendations to resolve technical and project-related issues.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, permits, environmental requirements, and District policies.
• Provides engineering analyses, technical recommendations, and professional advice to management, project teams, and other District departments.
• Prepares and presents technical reports, agenda items, presentations, correspondence, and recommendations to management, committees, regulatory agencies, and the Board of Directors, as assigned.
• Conducts field inspections and observes construction activities to ensure compliance with approved plans, specifications, contract requirements, and safety standards.
• Coordinates with regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, utilities, and stakeholders throughout project development and implementation.
• Assists in developing, administering, and monitoring capital improvement and departmental budgets.
• Provides technical guidance and mentoring to engineering staff and may review the work of lower-level engineers.
• Handles job stress.
• Interacts effectively with others in the workplace.
• Follows all workplace and job safety rules and policies.
• Performs other duties of a similar nature or level as required.
• Directing engineering research and pilot studies.
• Writing and administering grant and loan applications.
• Pursuing research funding opportunities.
• Managing specialized groundwater treatment and water resource projects.
• Preparing and administering capital improvement program budgets.
• Evaluating existing infrastructure and recommending rehabilitation or replacement strategies.
• Developing engineering standards, specifications, and design criteria.
• Providing technical tours and outreach presentations.
• Reviewing and recommending alternative project delivery methods and engineering solutions.

• Serving as project manager for the District's largest and most technically complex engineering projects; establishing project strategy and technical direction; resolving highly complex engineering issues; and serving as a technical advisor to executive management.
• Leading multidisciplinary teams, developing engineering standards and best practices, and representing the District before regulatory agencies, professional organizations, governing bodies, and the public.

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and permitting requirements.
• Advanced engineering principles, practices, and design standards.
• Engineering economics and life-cycle cost analysis.
• Project management principles and methodologies.
• Construction principles, methods, inspection practices, and contract administration.
• Capital project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and cost control techniques.
• Risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
• Documentation and technical report preparation methods.
• Applicable engineering software, modeling tools, and technologies.
• Procurement and consultant contract administration.
• Public works design and construction practices.

• Managing multiple engineering projects simultaneously.
• Planning, organizing, and prioritizing complex engineering assignments.
• Reading and interpreting engineering plans, specifications, and technical documents.
• Reviewing engineering calculations and consultant work for technical accuracy.
• Developing project scopes, schedules, budgets, and technical specifications.
• Conducting engineering studies and preparing technical reports.
• Inspecting construction projects and resolving field issues.
• Analyzing technical information and developing practical engineering solutions.
• Presenting complex technical information to management, regulatory agencies, elected officials, and the public.
• Negotiating consultant agreements and coordinating multidisciplinary teams.
• Establishing facts, exercising sound engineering judgment, and making defensible recommendations.
• Using computers and engineering software applications.
• Communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Building and maintaining effective working relationships with coworkers, consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and the public.

• Provide technical leadership, mentor engineering staff, lead multidisciplinary teams, and serve as the District's subject matter expert on highly complex engineering projects and programs.

Senior Engineer: Minimum six (6) years of related experience and/or training, preferably at the professional level in pipeline, water and wastewater treatment, pump stations, or related engineering work. Ability to prepare technical studies and manage large projects is required; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

Principal Engineer: Ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional-level engineering experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.