Assistant Engineer II (Office) (Continuous)

City of Oakland; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work/Life Balance

Health insurance

Pension (CalPERS)

Paid holidays

Vacation leave

Job summary

The City of Oakland is recruiting multiple Assistant Engineer II positions across the Department of Transportation (OakDOT), Public Works, and Planning & Building. You will contribute to multimodal transportation projects, capital improvement programs, and plan checks for building permits.

Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering, have 2 years of civil engineering experience, possess an Engineer-in-Training certificate, and hold a California driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering
• Two years Civil Engineering experience
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate
• Valid California Driver's License

Responsibilities

• Review small residential projects to ensure conformance with the model building codes
• Assist the public with answering building code questions
• Support Civil Engineer or Project Manager in street improvement projects, including PS&E packages
• Lead AutoCAD efforts for in-house design projects
• Assist with oversight of rehabilitation and construction in watershed and wastewater divisions
• Provide quality control and contracting oversight for simple infrastructure projects

Job description

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city’s historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why join the City of Oakland?

The City of Oakland is currently recruiting to fill multiple Assistant Engineer II (Office) vacancies in the Department of Transportation (OakDOT). This classification is also used in Oakland Public Works (OPW) and the Planning and Building Department (PBD), but there are currently no vacancies in these departments. Candidates may be referred to an interview with one or more teams or departments that have a vacancy as part of the continuous eligibility list.

Department of Transportation (OakDOT)

The Oakland Department of Transportation’s mission is to envision, plan, build, operate, and maintain a transportation system for the City of Oakland and assure safe, equitable, and sustainable access and mobility for residents, businesses, and visitors. OakDOT is committed to designing traffic and transportation solutions that work to meet the needs of all Oaklanders and reduce existing inequities. OakDOT staff apply strong engineering, planning, policy, and implementation expertise to advance mobility, accessibility, equity, safety, and sustainability in our transportation system.

As an Assistant Engineer II, you will contribute towards the City’s Bike & Ped masterplan, the City’s paving plan, and create a comprehensive multimodal corridor for transportation (bike lanes, vehicles, pedestrian/walking, buses) in the City. Additionally, this position will work on projects in Downtown Oakland, Jack London, around Lake Merritt, and areas near BART stations, implementing traffic calming measures and innovative bike lanes and bus boarding islands.

Department of Public Works

Wastewater Engineering Management Division: Oakland Public Works owns and operates over 934 miles of sewer mains, ranging from 6 inches to over 66 inches in diameter, 28,500 sewer structures, and 11 pump stations. Most of the system is more than 50 years old, and some parts are as old as 100 years. The Wastewater Engineering Management Division includes engineering planning, design of the City’s public sanitary sewer system through its Capital Improvement Program, implementation, oversight of the 2014 EPA Consent Decree for sanitary sewer overflows, and management of the Private Sewer Lateral Permit Program. An Assistant Engineer I will work with engineers, sewer maintenance staff, and construction inspectors to ensure regulatory compliance and permit code compliance are met.

Watershed and Stormwater Management Division (WSMD): Oakland has a large and complex watershed and storm drainage network that includes over 40 miles of open creek channel, approximately 400 miles of storm drainpipes and culverts, 18,000 structures, 11 pump stations, and a growing number of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) features and full trash capture devices. Many of the storm drainage assets are over 80 years old and are reaching the end of their serviceable life. The Watershed and Stormwater Management Division manages projects and programs involving, but not limited to, storm drainage rehabilitation and replacement, hydrology, hydraulics, erosion and sediment control, stream restoration, stormwater BMPs, GSI, and NPDES stormwater permit requirements. An Assistant Engineer I will work with professional staff, engineers, storm drainage maintenance staff, and construction inspectors to deliver capital projects. Additionally, this position provides technical support to both City maintenance staff and the City Attorney’s office related to various stormwater and drainage issues.

Construction Management Division: Construction Management in Public Works provides construction management and inspection services for capital improvement projects for both the Public Works and Department of Transportation departments. The types of projects are street improvements, sanitary sewer and storm drain improvements, renovation and new construction of city-owned buildings (including earthquake-damaged buildings, fire stations, libraries, parking facilities, and park and recreation facilities), new traffic signals, and streetlights. An Assistant Engineer I will work with the Civil Engineer during the construction of these capital improvement projects as they monitor the construction budget and schedule, conduct daily field inspections to monitor work activities in progress, negotiate and execute contract changes, review and approve contract payment for completed work, and serve as the project liaison with the Contractor, other City divisions, and outside agencies.

Planning and Building Department – Building and Infrastructure Plan Check Division: Oakland has experienced a development boom as active construction continues throughout its communities. With over 220,000 buildings under the City’s jurisdiction, the Planning and Building Department maintains the public health and safety of buildings and private infrastructure by ensuring adherence to pertinent codes, ordinances, and regulations. We welcome bright and talented engineers seeking a dynamic and rewarding work environment. In this dynamic environment, an Assistant Engineer I in the Planning and Building Department assists Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and the community with their development projects. An Assistant Engineer will review plans, specifications, and supporting documentation associated with building permit applications for conformance to model building codes and regulations. Additionally, this position interacts and coordinates with several departments throughout the City, including the Planning Bureau, Fire Prevention Bureau, Department of Transportation, Public Works, Housing and Community Development, and City Administration.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Detail-oriented: You will be expected to apply City, state, and national standards in all of our projects.
• A Team Player: You will be expected to work with others on your team for design decisions using everyone’s best engineering judgment. You will also be expected to collaborate with other teams in plan review and field issues in construction.
• Creative: You will be expected to find innovative and equitable solutions to challenging and technical problems.
• A Strong Communicator: You will engage with individuals and organizations within the community. You will also be expected to write clearly when communicating with various stakeholders and local agencies.
• Organized: You will be expected to ensure that everyone involved complies with project plans for a consistent and accurate outcome.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Reviewing small residential projects to ensure conformance with the model building codes.
• Assisting the public with answering building code questions.
• Supporting the Civil Engineer or Project Manager in street improvement projects, including putting together Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) packages, reviewing plans from consultants, and providing construction support when projects are in construction.
• Leading AutoCAD efforts for in-house design projects, producing sheets for demo, civil, striping, electrical, and landscaping plans.
• In Public Works Watershed and Wastewater Divisions, you will be assisting Civil Engineers and other Assistant Engineers II in designing infrastructure rehabilitation projects and assisting with oversight of their construction.
• In the Public Works Construction Management Division, you will be providing quality control and contracting oversight for contractors hired by the City to perform construction work on simple infrastructure projects.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will have the opportunity to deliver projects, programs, and services that contribute to creating a city where diversity is maintained, racial disparities have been eliminated, and racial equity has been achieved.
• You will have the opportunity to design projects and see them through construction, learn standards and codes in design, field issues, and how to address them in construction. This is a great place to learn and grow as an engineer!
• You will have the flexibility to work from home and have an alternative work schedule.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will need to assess and understand the needs of citizens, businesses, stakeholders, partner agencies, and the community to determine an outcome.
• You will work with Capital projects with various funding sources that present challenges with accelerated deadlines and delivery requirements.
• It takes time to learn City procedures needed to advance work, but your team will be there to guide and train you.

Competencies Required:

• Adaptability: Responding positively to change and modifying behavior as the situation requires
• Attention to Detail: Focusing on the details of work content, work steps, and final work products
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Customer Focus: Attending to the needs and expectations of customers
• Design Sense: Creating work products that are functional, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing
• Displaying Ownership and Accountability: Holding self and others accountable for measurable, high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results.
• Fact Finding: Obtaining facts and data pertaining to an issue or question
• Informing: Proactively obtaining and sharing information
• Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new and better ways of doing things
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation: Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Mathematical Facility: Performing computations and solving mathematical problems
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter expertise to the job
• Professional Integrity & Ethics: Displaying honesty, adherence to principles, and personal accountability
• Using Technology: Working with electronic hardware and software applications
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing

Flexible Staffing:

This classification has been designated for flexible staffing. Incumbents in the Assistant Engineer I classification may be eligible to advance without formal examination to the Assistant Engineer II classification in accordance with established City flexible staffing policies and procedures.

This recruitment may close without notice once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Education

A Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from a college or university. A Master's degree in a civil engineering-related discipline may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.

Experience

Two (2) years of civil engineering experience.

License or Certificate / Other Requirements

Successful incumbents in this position are expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Due to the nature of the assignment and the hours worked, public transportation may not be a cost-effective or efficient method for traveling to the various locations required. Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California Driver’s License throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties.

Possession of a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge of engineering codes and manuals (e.g. Building Code, Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Green Book).
• Knowledge of technical aspects of engineering, financial costs, and safety concerns.

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the “minimum qualifications” listed for each position.

This is a continuous recruitment; additional names of successful candidates may be added to the eligible list periodically; candidates’ names will be merged onto the existing eligible list and referred to hiring departments according to rank. Candidates who are on an active eligible list may not reapply for the duration of the eligible list.

Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications.

In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.

For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be sent a writing exercise (weighted 100%) which will then be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. Candidates are only permitted to participate in the writing exercise once every six (6) months. Candidates who have taken the exam within the last six (6) months should not reapply until six months have passed.

What’s in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5-hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre‑tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre‑tax plan and an after‑tax ROTH 401(k) plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.

*Benefits described here do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.