- Salary
- $124k – $166k/yr
- Location
- South Pasadena, CA, CA, US
- Department
- Engineering
- Seniority
- Senior
- Education
- Bachelor
- Source
- GovernmentJobs
Description
Applicants are encouraged to apply promptly.
This recruitment may close at any time without notice.
4% Cost of Living Adjustment July 1, 2026
Starting Salary DOE & DOQ
Purpose
Under general direction of higher level engineering staff, this position leads and performs advanced professional engineering work in support of engineering design, development, construction, and capital programs; performs a variety of the most difficult and complex professional office and field engineering work; prepares and/or reviews plans, designs, and specifications for a variety of City and private development projects; reviews work prepared by outside consultants; prepares engineering and planning reports; serves as project manager and provides project direction, work coordination, and training for professional, paraprofessional, and technical engineering staff; and to do related work as required.
Distinguishing Characteristics
This is the advanced level in the professional engineering class series. Positions perform the most difficult engineering duties in support of engineering design, development, field, and capital programs. The Senior Civil Engineer provides functional and technical supervision of lower level professional and technical staff. Positions in this class require the use of a high degree of independent judgment in making decisions. This class is distinguished from Associate Civil Engineer by the breadth and scope of project management duties as well as responsibility for performing the most complex professional engineering work.
Examples of Duties
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. - Lead and participate in professional engineering activities for a variety of public works projects, including review and preparation of design plans, estimates, reports, and specifications for City construction projects such as street widening, street paving, curbs, gutter, culverts, street light systems, drainage facilities, and storm drains; act as project engineer to coordinate capital improvement projects.
- Establish schedules and methods for providing engineering services; identify resource needs; review needs with appropriate management staff; allocate resources accordingly.
- Participate in the development of policies and procedures; monitor work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures; make recommendations for changes and improvements to existing standards and procedures.
- Recommend and assist in the implementation of goals and objectives; implement approved policies and procedures.
- Perform the more technical and complex tasks of the work unit including administration of construction and professional services contracts.
- Prepare and/or review professional civil engineering designs for assigned projects utilizing a variety of computer software programs; perform detailed calculations and computations; prepare and/or review the adequacy and accuracy of computations, preliminary layouts and design work from field and survey data.
- Provide technical civil engineering information to developers, contractors, engineers, and the general public.
- Review and check tentative and final land divisions and subdivision improvement plans and agreements for accuracy and conformance with City codes, ordinances, and policies; and make recommendations to the City Engineer and Assistant City Engineer for revisions and improvements.
- Review legal descriptions for public easements for street right-of-ways and across private property.
- Supervise, train and evaluate professional, technical, and clerical subordinates.
- Assist construction inspectors in the interpretation of plans, specifications and other contract documents.
- Review and approve changes to approved plans and specifications; process a variety of permits.
- Exercise professional engineering judgment in accordance with current accepted practice of civil engineering and appropriate laws and codes.
- Participate in the preparation and administration of assigned engineering program budget; submit budget recommendations; monitor expenditures.
- In support of assigned projects, assist in consultant evaluation and selection in the processing of request for proposal responses.
- Coordinate, conduct meetings, and interact with consultants, developers, contractors, the general public and City divisions and departments.
- As assigned, serve as staff on a variety of commissions and committees; prepare and present staff reports and other necessary correspondence.
- Attend and participate in professional group meetings; stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of municipal civil engineering.
- Ensure that contractors meet proper standards, specification requirements, cost controls, and time requirements.
- Perform related duties as required.
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training:
A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in civil engineering or a related field.
Experience:
Five years of increasingly responsible professional engineering experience at a level comparable to Associate Civil Engineer with the City of South Pasadena.
License or Certificate:
- Possession of an appropriate California Driver’s License.
- Possession of a valid certificate of registration as a Professional Civil Engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Civil and Professional Engineers.
Knowledge of:
- Operations, services, and activities of a municipal engineering design and construction program.
- Modern and complex principles, practices, and theory of civil engineering and their application to the design, preparation of engineering specifications, and construction of public works facilities.
- Pertinent federal, state, and local codes, laws, rule, regulations, and policies including those affecting public works engineering and installation, subdivisions and site plans.
- Methods, materials, techniques, and equipment used in civil engineering projects including those used in the design and construction of development projects.
- Proper inspection methods and procedures.
- Contract development and administration.
- Structural, street, and highway design principles.
- Scientific and mathematical principles as applied to civil engineering work.
- Advanced principles and practices of project management and administration.
- Advanced methods and techniques of contract negotiations and administration.
- Mechanics and properties of materials.
- Advanced methods and techniques of engineering plan review and analysis.
- Advanced methods and techniques of conducting site and field investigations.
- Principles and practices of field surveying including topographic and construction.
- Advanced drafting methods, techniques, and equipment including those used in computer aided drafting.
- Engineering maps and records.
- Recent developments, current literature, and sources of information related to innovations and trends in engineering design and development.
- Principles and practices of business correspondence and technical report preparation.
- Principles and practices of geographic information systems programs.
- Occupation health and safety standards.
- Principles and practices of project supervision, work coordination, and training.
- Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
Ability to:
- Perform a wide scope of the most professional engineering work in the preparation of plans, designs, and specifications for public works and city facility development, construction, and maintenance.
- Prepare, review, interpret, analyze, and modify engineering plans, drawings, specifications, contract documents, and engineering reports for conformance to professional standards and budgets.
- Conduct engineering reviews of designs, plans, and specifications prepared by others.
- Gather, organize, analyze, and present a variety of technical engineering and statistical data.
- Perform construction project administration, ensuring compliance with plans, specifications, and contracts.
- Manage large and complex engineering projects.
- Ensure project compliance with appropriate federal, state and local rules, laws and regulations.
- Coordinate phases of construction projects and prepare progress reports.
- Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
- Conduct comprehensive engineering studies and develop appropriate recommendations.
- Perform technical research and solve difficult engineering problems.
- Prepare and maintain technical civil engineering records and prepare comprehensive reports.
- Compile rough technical data and prepare statistical and narrative reports from field studies.
- Develop, review and modify civil engineering plans, designs, and specifications.
- Exercise professional engineering judgment to achieve results consistent with objectives.
- Present projects to City Council.
- Interpret and explain City policies and procedures.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Frequently required to sit, stand, reach, lean, twist, turn, grasp, lift, push, pull, bend, and kneel; sit for a prolonged period of time; walk to different areas at project construction sites; hear and speak to contractors, the general public, and City staff on the telephone and in person; read engineering drawings, plans, specifications, reports, contracts, correspondence, memorandum, and other records.
FLSA STATUS:
Exempt
SELECTION PROCEDURE
This recruitment is open until filled. The City reserves the right to extend the closing date without notice. Individuals determined to be qualified and best aligned to the position will be invited to participate in the selection process.
Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience and, level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures. The selected candidate will be required to go through a background check and a physical examination before appointment. Only complete applications or applications that meet the minimum requirements will be considered.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The City of South Pasadena is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of South Pasadena intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If a special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call (626) 403-7239.
The City of South Pasadena is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work.
FAIR CHANCE ACT
The City of South Pasadena will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of South Pasadena has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns or challenge the accuracy of the background report (for non-public-safety backgrounds). Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.
ABOUT THE CITY
The City of South Pasadena (population 26,047) is a charming community located only eight miles from downtown Los Angeles on the west side of the San Gabriel Valley. South Pasadena is known for its beautiful tree-lined streets, stunning homes, unique small businesses, top-quality schools and a strong commitment to community. South Pasadena is also a full-service city with its own fire, police and water departments.
Occupying 3.44 square miles of flatlands and hillsides, South Pasadena’s unique character makes it one of California’s most desirable locations. The City has a rich history of intact late 19th and early 20th Century neighborhoods and residences, giving it a strong claim as one of the oldest and most historic sites in the San Gabriel Valley. One of the first suburbs of Los Angeles, South Pasadena maintains small-town quality, with charming residential streetscapes, and a historic commercial core, making it one of Hollywood’s favorite suburban filming locations, featured in numerous television and big screen productions.
South Pasadena is frequently recognized as a family and environmentally friendly community. The City enjoys quiet, attractive, walkable neighborhoods and a low crime rate. There are numerous active community organizations in South Pasadena, including the Oneonta Club, WISPPA, South Pasadena Arts Council, AYSO, Little League, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Women’s Club, Chamber of Commerce, South Pasadena Preservation Foundation, Holy Family Church, St. James Church, South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, South Pasadena Chinese-American Club, Vecinos and many others. Boasting over 100 acres of parks and playgrounds and more than 21,000 trees, the City’s picturesque environment invites residents and visitors to enjoy numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation. South Pasadena offers an 18 hole, Par-3 golf course, tennis, racquet and pickleball facilities, horse stables and a dog park all in its picturesque Arroyo Seco area.
Small, proud and independent, the City of South Pasadena has preserved its status as a unique community for over a hundred years.
NOTE: The provisions in this job flyer do not constitute an expressed or implied contract; and any provisions contained in this flyer may be modified or revoked without notice.
Skills
ComplianceProject Management
