Assistant Engineer / Associate Engineer

Helix Water District; La Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 113,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% health premiums

CalPERS membership

Deferred Compensation (457)

Educational Reimbursement

Paid holidays

Annual leave accrual (24 days, rising)

Job summary

Helix Water District seeks an engineering professional to join the design section as an Assistant Engineer or Associate Engineer in La Mesa, California. The role involves planning, designing, and delivering water infrastructure projects, with responsibilities expanding for the Associate level to supervise staff and manage major capital programs.

Qualified candidates should hold a Bachelor’s in civil engineering, have Engineer-in-Training or PE credentials as applicable, and possess a valid CA

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering required.
• Master’s degree can substitute for one year of engineering experience.
• Engineer-in-Training certificate (CA) required for Assistant Engineer.
• Professional Engineer license (CA) preferred for Associate Engineer.

Responsibilities

• Assist with planning, design, and project delivery of water infrastructure.
• Perform in-house design, plan checks, and cost estimates.
• Coordinate with contractors, consultants, and district staff; provide field support.

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil engineering

Master’s degree in engineering (may substitute for one year of experience)

Professional Engineer license (CA)

Engineer-in-Training certificate (CA)

Job description

PLEASE NOTE: Helix Water District is seeking one individual to join our engineering team. Successful candidate will be placed in either the Assistant Engineer or Associate Engineer position, depending on qualifications.

Position is: OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

Helix Water District is shaping the future of water. While this position is based out of La Mesa, California, we deliver reliable water to the cities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon, and to unincorporated areas of the county including Spring Valley and Lakeside. We are a progressive public water agency dedicated to innovation, sustainability and supporting the communities we serve. Our design section is looking for a motivated engineering professional – at the Assistant Engineer or Associate Engineer level, depending on experience – to help develop forward-thinking solutions that keep our systems resilient and reliable.

EXCELLENT SALARY & BENEFITS PACKAGE. Not only do we foster an atmosphere of team spirit and open communication, but we are also committed to providing compensation that is equitable and competitive. No matter where you are at in your career, we have a great opportunity for you.

Assistant Engineer: $112,819 - $143,936/annually

Associate Engineer: $130,582 - $166,629/annually

Scheduled Salary increases include the following:

• July 1, 2027: 2 - 4% cost-of-living adjustment + 2% base salary adjustment
• July 1, 2028: 2 - 4% cost-of-living adjustment + 2% base salary adjustment
• July 1, 2029: 2 - 4% cost-of-living adjustment + 1% base salary adjustment
• July 1, 2030: 2 - 4% cost-of-living adjustment
• Annual Merit Increases. Full-time employees are eligible for 5% merit increases on an annual basis until they reach the top of their pay range.

We offer employees:

• 100% employee premiums paid for all health benefits
• CalPERS membership
• Deferred Compensation. Up to $3,500 matching on 457 plans
• 24 annual days of accrued leave (Increases to 29 after 5 years of service, max 37 annual days of accrued leave)
• Educational Reimbursement of up to $4,000 annually for qualifying coursework after one year of employment
• 12 paid holidays per year including 2 floating holidays

Our Assistant Engineers / Associate Engineers in the design section help plan, design, and deliver water infrastructure projects by performing a variety of engineering tasks including in-house design, construction administration, plan checks, development reviews, hydraulic modeling, engineering calculations, and preparing or overseeing plans, specifications, studies, and cost estimates. They support projects from planning through construction by coordinating with contractors, consultants, district staff, and outside agencies; providing field and construction support; reviewing change orders and submittals; and maintaining project records.

At the Associate Engineer level, responsibilities expand to supervising staff, leading major capital projects, managing consultant procurement and budgets, developing district standards and board-level reports, and representing the district in higher-level coordination and technical assignments such as annexations and emergency interconnections.

Qualified candidates will have the following:

Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in civil engineering or another engineering discipline acceptable to the district; a master’s degree in engineering can substitute for one year of engineering experience.

Candidates must have a valid Class C California driver’s license and ability to maintain insurability under the district’s vehicle insurance policy.

Assistant Engineer:

• A minimum of two years of related civil engineering experience.
• Possession of an Engineer-in-Training certificate from the State of California.

Associate Engineer:

• A minimum of three years of responsible civil engineering experience, preferably in a water industry, including a minimum of one year of project management responsibility.
• A certificate of registration as a professional engineer issued by the State of California. Registration must be maintained while in this job classification.

Recruitment Steps:

• Submit Application
• Skills Exercise
• 1st Interview
• Final Interview