Assistant Director, Engineering and Capital Projects (City Engineer)

City of Lauderdale Lakes, FL; Florida; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida seeks a licensed Professional Engineer to serve as City Engineer. You will lead the Engineering and Capital Projects Divisions, own the five-year CIP, and oversee project delivery from concept through closeout, including roads, drainage, and facilities.

You will advise city leadership and coordinate with regulators, consultants, and the public. Responsibilities include budgeting alignment, grant coordination, and enforcement of contract terms while ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• Active and unrestricted Professional Engineer license in Florida.
• Seven years of progressively responsible civil engineering experience in municipal/public works.
• Experience supervising staff and managing consultants/contractors.
• Demonstrated ability to manage capital projects from design to closeout, including multi-million dollar work.
• Valid Florida driver's license; completion of NIMS ICS-100, ICS-200, IS-700, IS-800 within six months.

Responsibilities

• Directs the Engineering and Capital Projects Divisions and City CIP development and delivery.
• Oversees planning, design, permitting, bidding, construction, and closeout of capital projects.
• Coordinate with finance, budget, and regulatory agencies on funding and compliance.
• Prepare CIP status reports and present recommendations to City leadership and boards.
• Engage with residents, developers, and stakeholders on capital programs and projects.

Skills

Leadership

Public works knowledge

Project management

Contract management

Communication

Education

ABET-accredited B.S. in Civil Engineering

Florida P.E. license (active)

Master's degree in civil engineering / related field (preferred)

Tools

GIS

Microsoft Office

Project scheduling software

Engineering design software

Job description

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Directs the Engineering and Capital Projects Divisions of the Department of Public Works, Engineering and Capital Projects and serves as the City Engineer. The position owns the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and is accountable for its development, prioritization, funding alignment, and delivery. It plans and manages the City's capital projects from concept through closeout, including roadway, drainage, stormwater, sidewalk, and right-of-way improvements as well as City buildings, parks facilities, streetscapes, and other public facilities.

As City Engineer, the position performs the engineering functions the City Code of Ordinances assigns to the City Engineer, including engineering review of development and redevelopment plans, right-of-way and drainage approvals, and technical determinations requiring a licensed Professional Engineer.

The position is the City's principal technical engineering authority and advises the Public Works Director, the City Manager, City departments, the CRA, regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, developers, and the public.

The work requires considerable independent judgment, responsibility for public funds and contract performance, and the ability to present technical matters clearly to the City Manager, the City Commission, and residents.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

Works under the general direction of the Public Works Director. Coordinates closely with the Assistant Director of Operations on the transfer of completed assets to operations and maintenance, and with the Department of Finance and Management Services and the Office of Management and Budget on capital budgeting and expenditure control.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

Directly supervises the Capital Projects team and assigned engineering staff, including project managers, inspectors, and technical personnel. Hires or recommends hiring, assigns work, evaluates performance, and initiates or recommends corrective and disciplinary action. Directs the work of engineering consultants, surveyors, construction managers, and contractors under City contracts.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

• Develops, maintains, and manages the City's five-year CIP, including project scopes, priorities, cost estimates, funding sources, schedules, and phasing, for review by the Public Works Director and approval by the City Manager and City Commission.
• Prepares capital project cost estimates that meet the City's standard of accuracy within ten percent of awarded cost, and documents the basis of each estimate.
• Reviews the CIP annually with Finance and the Office of Management and Budget to reconcile appropriations, carryforwards, and expenditures; identifies projects that have not advanced within three years and recommends their reprogramming, closeout, or removal.
• Ensures that master plans, condition assessments, and studies, including the Stormwater Master Plan, are completed and used to program capital work before funds are committed to related projects.
• Maintains infrastructure asset inventories and condition data, in coordination with GIS, to support long-range capital planning, pavement management, and the City's ADA transition plan.
• Prepares regular CIP status reports for the City Manager and City Commission covering budget, schedule, change orders, and risks for each active project.

PROJECT DELIVERY AND CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

• Directs the planning, design, permitting, bidding, construction, inspection, and closeout of capital projects, including horizontal infrastructure and vertical facility projects.
• Selects and recommends appropriate project delivery methods, including design-bid-build, design-build, construction management at-risk, and public-private partnerships, consistent with Florida law and the City's procurement code.
• Reviews and approves or recommends approval of consultant scopes, fee proposals, schedules, invoices, pay applications, change orders, amendments, substantial and final completion, and closeout documentation.
• Controls project scope, schedule, and budget; identifies and resolves delay, cost growth, and claims; and enforces contract terms, warranties, bonds, and retainage.
• Ensures completed projects are turned over to Operations with as-built drawings, warranties, operation and maintenance materials, and updated GIS and asset records.
• Coordinates resident and business notification for construction activity affecting streets, access, and services.

PROCUREMENT

• Prepares the technical portions of RFQs, RFPs, and Invitations to Bid for engineering, design, and construction services, in coordination with Procurement.
• Ensures professional services selections comply with the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act (s. 287.055, F.S.), including use of qualified evaluation committees, consistent scopes, documented scoring, and competitive selection or the City's approved rotation.
• Serves on or chairs evaluation committees for engineering, architectural, surveying, and construction procurements.

CITY ENGINEER FUNCTIONS

• Performs the engineering review, approval, and certification functions assigned to the City Engineer by the City Code of Ordinances.
• Reviews development and redevelopment plans, site plans, plats, and permit applications for compliance with City engineering standards, drainage and stormwater requirements, right-of-way requirements, and applicable codes.
• Reviews roadway, drainage, stormwater, traffic, paving, sidewalk, ADA, utility, and other civil engineering improvements, and signs and seals engineering documents prepared by or under the direct supervision of the position as required by Chapter 471, F.S.
• Conducts or directs engineering investigations of flooding, drainage complaints, roadway and sidewalk conditions, infrastructure failures, and traffic concerns, and recommends corrective action.
• Maintains and updates City engineering standards and standard details.

GRANTS AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION

• Identifies, pursues, and manages capital grant funding from FDOT, FEMA, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, SFWMD, Broward County, and state appropriations, and ensures compliance with grant terms, 2 CFR Part 200, Davis-Bacon, and other federal and state requirements.
• Obtains and maintains the City's eligibility to deliver FDOT Local Agency Program projects.
• Coordinates engineering and capital activities with Broward County, FDOT, SFWMD, utility providers, neighboring municipalities, and other agencies.
• Coordinates with the CRA on the scoping, cost estimating, and delivery of CRA-funded capital projects.

AGENDA ITEMS, REPORTING, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

• Prepares capital and engineering agenda items, Executive Fact Sheets, cover pages, visual documentation, and supporting materials in compliance with City Manager Directives 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-06, and 2026-08.
• Presents capital projects and engineering recommendations to the City Commission, CRA Board, advisory boards, and community meetings.
• Responds to inquiries and complaints from residents, businesses, elected officials, developers, and other stakeholders in accordance with the We Care Standard (Directive 2026-05).

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

• Serves as essential personnel before, during, and after declared emergencies; leads damage assessment of City infrastructure and facilities; and documents damage and repair costs for FEMA Public Assistance and other reimbursement programs.
• Performs related work as assigned.

CANDIDATE MUST POSSESS THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a closely related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program.
• Active and unrestricted license as a Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Florida at the time of appointment, maintained in good standing as a condition of employment.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional civil engineering experience in municipal or county infrastructure, public works, capital improvement programs, transportation, stormwater, or land development, of which at least three (3) years must include supervision of professional or technical staff and management of consultants and contractors.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent capital projects from design through closeout, including at least one project with a construction value of $1,000,000 or more.
• Valid State of Florida driver's license, or ability to obtain one within six (6) months of employment.
• Completion of NIMS/ICS-100, IC S-200, IS-700, and IS-800 within six (6) months of employment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master's degree in civil engineering, engineering management, public administration, or a related field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Construction Manager (CCM) certification.
• Experience delivering FDOT Local Agency Program projects and administering FEMA Public Assistance or Hazard Mitigation grants.
• Experience with vertical construction and alternative delivery methods, including design-build, construction management at-risk, or public-private partnerships.
• Experience with Broward County and SFWMD permitting.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of municipal engineering principles and practices, including roadway design and construction, stormwater management, drainage and flood control, traffic engineering, ADA accessibility requirements, surveying, pavement management, and infrastructure asset management.
• Knowledge of capital program management, including multi-year capital planning, cost estimating, scheduling, earned value and budget control, risk management, and claims avoidance.
• Knowledge of the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act (s. 287.055, F.S.); Chapter 255, F.S., including public construction bonds and retainage; the Local Government Prompt Payment Act (Part VII, Chapter 218, F.S.); s. 255.065, F.S., governing public-private partnerships; and the City's procurement code.
• Knowledge of FDOT standards, Broward County and SFWMD criteria, the Florida Building Code, FEMA requirements, and federal grant compliance requirements under 2 CFR Part 200.
• Knowledge of the City Charter and Code of Ordinances provisions governing engineering, development review, rights-of-way, procurement, and capital budgeting.
• Skill in using Microsoft Office, project scheduling software, engineering design software, and GIS.
• Ability to lead and develop staff, manage multiple projects at once, and hold consultants and contractors to contract terms.
• Ability to interpret engineering plans, specifications, surveys, shop drawings, contracts, and schedules, and to perform and check engineering calculations.
• Ability to explain technical matters in plain terms to the City Commission, residents, and non-technical staff, and to prepare clear written reports, agenda items, and presentations.
• Ability to make sound, defensible decisions in accordance with law, City policy, and professional engineering standards.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City officials, staff, other agencies, contractors, and the public.
• Ability to regularly attend work and arrive punctually for the designated work schedule.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Tasks involve the ability to exert light physical effort, usually involving some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (up to 20 pounds). Tasks involve some climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, walking or standing, including on active construction sites. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation and extended periods of standing and/or walking.

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

Tasks are regularly performed both in an office setting and outdoors, with potential for exposure to adverse conditions such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, fumes, wetness, humidity, rain, temperature and noise extremes, machinery and moving vehicles, vibrations, electric currents, animals and wildlife, toxic or poisonous agents, gases or chemicals, and oils.

EMERGENCY DESIGNATION:

This position is designated as essential personnel. The employee is required to report for duty before, during, and after a declared emergency or disaster, and may be required to work extended hours and alternate schedules during emergency operations.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:

The City of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City of Lauderdale Lakes will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

DISCLAIMER:

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. The position description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.