Capital Programs Manager

Are you a strategic capital projects leader who thrives on turning complex ideas into successful, community-serving infrastructure? City of Sammamish is seeking an experienced professional to lead the Capital Projects Division and help shape the delivery of its Public Works Capital Improvement Program.

Why join us? 

• Impactful Work: Help shape city’s infrastructure investments and build the foundation for a thriving community.
• Professional Growth: Access to continuous learning opportunities and career advancement.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance, FSA, retirement plans, and generous paid time off (vacation and sick).
• Collaborative Environment: Work with a dedicated and supportive team passionate about public service.
• Work-Life Balance: Hybrid work schedules and a commitment to your well-being; 14 paid holidays plus a floating holiday.

Capital Programs Manager performs highly complex professional, technical, and managerial work overseeing the City’s Capital Projects Division and delivery of the Public Works Capital Improvement Program. Provides full-cycle leadership for municipal capital projects from initiation, feasibility, scoping, budgeting, and funding strategy through design, permitting, procurement, construction, closeout, final acceptance, and post-construction evaluation. Supervises and develops project engineers and inspection staff; establishes consistent project management systems, technical standards, quality controls, and performance measures; and serves as a senior technical expert and second-level reviewer for complex design and construction matters. Applies critical and innovative thinking to improve delivery methods, keep specifications and practices current, meet program milestones, and reduce operational, financial, contractual, safety, and legal risk.The essential functions listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility.
Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

• Supervises, leads, and develops project engineers, inspectors, and related professional, technical, contract, temporary, and intern staff; assigns work, establishes expectations, monitors workload and quality, evaluates performance, addresses performance concerns, and provides ongoing coaching and technical consultation.
• Leads development, implementation, and monitoring of the Public Works Six-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), annual work program, and capital project budgets in coordination with department leadership and other City departments.
• Establishes project charters, scopes, objectives, success criteria, delivery strategies, budgets, schedules, resource plans, stakeholder collaboration plans, and decision-making frameworks before projects advance into design and construction.
• Plans, prioritizes, and assigns the capital project portfolio; establishes baseline schedules, critical milestones, dependencies, and performance measures; monitors progress and develops recovery strategies when scope, schedule, budget, funding, or quality is at risk.
• Proactively manages and guides staff on the City’s most complex or high-risk capital projects through the complete project life cycle, including initiation, planning, alternatives analysis, design, permitting, right-of-way and utility coordination, procurement, construction, closeout, final acceptance, warranty administration, and lessons learned.
• Directs design development, technical studies, environmental review, permitting, utility coordination, right-of-way needs, public involvement, and interagency review to maintain project readiness and timely decision-making.
• Provides an independent, second-level review at key project milestones, technical reports, plans, calculations, cost estimates, schedules, specifications, constructability, value-engineering, bid documents, bid-evaluation, award recommendations, change proposals, payment recommendations, and closeout documentation; verifies that quality-control comments are resolved before work advances.
• Ensures engineering specifications, standard details, design criteria, construction documents, and inspection requirements remain current and consistent with applicable laws, regulations, codes, City requirements, and recognized industry standards; leads updates when standards, materials, or practices change.
• Oversees construction administration and inspection activities, including requests for information, submittals, testing, documentation, pay estimates, change orders, schedule review, punch lists, record drawings, contract closeout, and final acceptance; coordinates with appropriate parties regarding site access, traffic control, environmental, safety, and regulatory matters.
• Establishes and maintains project and program risk-management practices, including risk registers, escalation thresholds, contingency planning, decision logs, documentation standards, and mitigation strategies; coordinates with legal counsel, risk management, insurers, and other subject-matter experts as appropriate to reduce claims, disputes, and City liability.
• Develops, implements, and continuously improves project management tools, templates, checklists, stage-gate reviews, dashboards, file standards, and closeout procedures that promote consistent, transparent, and auditable project delivery across the team.
• Monitors changes in construction methods, materials, technology, regulations, and project delivery practices; evaluates applicability, pilots practical improvements, and incorporates effective innovations into City standards and team workflows.
• Supports grant and external funding efforts by identifying project readiness needs, developing technical narratives, scopes, cost estimates, schedules, benefit information, and supporting documentation, and coordinating post-award compliance, reporting, reimbursement, recordkeeping, and audit requirements.
• Prepares and presents clear program status reports, forecasts, decision items, and recommendations for department leadership, City Council, Boards and Commissions, the public, partner agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinates capital project delivery with other City projects, private development, maintenance and operations activities, utilities, permitting authorities, contractors, consultants, funding agencies, and regional partners to resolve conflicts and maintain continuity of service.
• Provides advanced technical expertise and engineering support for capital improvements, maintenance, emergency response, or construction activities performed by City crews or contractors.
• Represents the Capital Projects Division on City service teams and interdepartmental initiatives and represents the City and Public Works Department in state, regional, and local planning efforts, value engineering teams, charrettes, public meetings, and other forums; may attend evening or weekend meetings as required.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with those interacted with during work regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, disability, political affiliation, military service, or diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

• Directly supervises professional engineering, technical, and inspection staff; may also provide project direction and contract oversight to consultants and contractors and assign work to temporary employees and interns.
• Participates in employee selection and onboarding; establishes clear performance, conduct, and quality expectations; assigns and reviews work; provides ongoing coaching and feedback; evaluates performance; and addresses performance deficiencies through corrective action and discipline in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Promotes employee development and knowledge sharing by identifying training needs, mentoring staff, facilitating peer review, documenting lessons learned, supporting succession planning, and strengthening team capacity in capital project and construction management.
• Evaluates workloads, staffing capacity, and project priorities; assigns resources and establishes review points, backup coverage, and escalation processes to support timely, consistent, and accountable project delivery.
• Reviews and improves work methods, procedures, and technical work products; provides guidance on complex issues; promotes quality assurance and consistent standards; and implements continuous improvements in collaboration with management and staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related field, supplemented by eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional engineering and project management experience in the planning, design, and construction of public infrastructure or other complex capital projects, including demonstrated full-cycle project delivery and at least three (3) years of supervisory or formal lead experience; or an equivalent combination of education, certification, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Employees must be residents of Washington State.

CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES

• Current Washington State Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• May be required to possess and maintain a valid Washington State Driver License and the ability to operate a City-owned vehicle in accordance with City policies and safety standards.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in civil engineering, construction management, public administration, or a closely related field.
• Experience delivering municipal or other public-agency capital programs, including transportation, stormwater, utility, facility, or other public infrastructure projects.
• Experience developing or administering state or federal grant-funded projects and meeting funding-agency compliance, documentation, reimbursement, and audit requirements.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Construction Manager (CCM), Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead (CESCL), or other relevant professional certification. Experience with alternative project delivery, value engineering, program controls, construction claims avoidance, and project or asset management systems.

KNOWLEDGE OF

• Principles and practices of civil engineering, public works construction, and capital program and project management across initiation, planning, design, procurement, construction, closeout, and post-construction evaluation.
• Portfolio and project controls, including scope definition, cost estimating, budgeting, scheduling, critical-path analysis, forecasting, earned progress, change control, quality management, risk management, and performance reporting.
• Current construction methods, materials, technologies, inspection practices, and industry standards applicable to municipal infrastructure and facilities projects.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, codes, accessibility requirements, environmental and permitting requirements, and engineering and construction standards.
• Preparation, coordination, and quality review of technical studies, engineering plans, calculations, specifications, estimates, bid documents, standard details, and construction records.
• Public works procurement, consultant selection and contracting, bidding and award, contract administration, change orders, payment review, claims avoidance and resolution, and project closeout.
• Constructability review, value engineering, alternatives analysis, life-cycle cost considerations, and methods for evaluating technical, financial, operational, community, and legal tradeoffs.
• Construction inspection and administration processes, including requests for information, submittals, testing, documentation, schedule review, nonconforming work, punch lists, record drawings, and warranty requirements.
• Capital improvement planning, public budgeting, funding strategies, and grant development and administration, including readiness, compliance, reporting, reimbursement, record retention, and audit requirements.
• Risk identification and mitigation, documentation practices, dispute resolution, and coordination with legal counsel, risk management, and insurance resources.
• Leadership, supervision, coaching, change management, and continuous-improvement practices that promote collaboration, accountability, innovation, inclusion, and a high-performing professional workforce.
• Effective written, verbal, visual, and public communication techniques for working with elected officials, executive leadership, employees, consultants, contractors, agencies, community members, and other stakeholders.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Apply critical, systems, and innovative thinking to ambiguous or complex project and program issues; evaluate alternatives and consequences; make sound, timely decisions; and explain recommendations clearly.
• Serve as a technical expert and independent second-level reviewer while recognizing when additional legal, financial, environmental, operational, or specialty expertise is needed.
• Lead, mentor, and hold accountable a multidisciplinary team of engineers, inspectors, consultants, and contractors while fostering collaboration, professional growth, and constructive problem-solving.
• Plan and manage a portfolio of concurrent capital projects; establish priorities and milestones; monitor scope, schedule, budget, quality, funding, and risk; and implement recovery actions when performance deviates from plan.
• Develop and implement practical project management tools, checklists, templates, dashboards, review gates, and documentation standards that improve consistency, transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
• Read, interpret, evaluate, and communicate complex engineering plans, specifications, estimates, schedules, contracts, regulations, technical reports, and construction documentation.
• Negotiate effectively, facilitate decisions, resolve conflicts, and manage sensitive contractor, consultant, interagency, and community issues with professionalism and sound judgment.
• Prepare and deliver clear, concise, and persuasive oral, written, and visual communications for technical and nontechnical audiences, using professional grammar, spelling, and composition.
• Use Microsoft Office Suite and department-specific engineering, scheduling, project management, document control, collaboration, and reporting software, and quickly learn new systems and technologies.
• Prioritize and manage multiple assignments with flexibility, responsiveness, accuracy, confidentiality, strong customer service, and a professional demeanor while representing the City positively.
• Maintain reliable attendance and punctuality, including adherence to approved hybrid or remote work schedules, as applicable.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Depending on functional area of assignment, tasks involve the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (up to 20 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation and extended periods of time standing and/or walking.

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
Tasks are regularly performed inside and/or outside with exposure to adverse environmental conditions (e.g., dirt, fumes, temperature, weather, and noise extremes).

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS
Some tasks require manual dexterity, in addition to visual and hearing acuity. Some tasks may involve identifying and distinguishing colors. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally and in writing.