Associate Civil Engineer

Contra Costa County; California (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Contra Costa County Public Works Department in Martinez, CA seeks an Associate Civil Engineer to lead a unit across Design/Construction, Engineering Services, Flood Control, Maintenance, or Transportation Engineering. You will guide staff engineers, technicians, and analysts, manage projects, and coordinate with consultants and contractors to deliver road and drainage improvements.

You will supervise day-to-day activities, review technical work, mentor staff, and liaise with officials and the

Qualifications

• Experience guiding and supporting staff engineers, engineering technicians, and analysts.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and supervise subordinate staff.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day activities of the unit on road and drainage projects.
• Review subordinates’ work including plans, studies, specifications and permits.
• Coordinate environmental permits, right-of-way acquisitions, and interagency approvals.
• Review, coach and mentor staff to develop technical and people skills.
• Advise supervisor on opportunities for improvement within the workgroup and department.
• Respond to inquiries from elected officials, constituents, department staff, and the public.
• Set daily schedule, assignments and priorities for the team.

Skills

Positive attitude

Effective communication

Detail-oriented

Multi-tasking

Adaptability

Continuous improvement

Public service mindset

Job description

The Position

Bargaining Unit: Local 21 - Supervisory Management

Why join the Contra Costa Public Works Department?

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department is offering an excellent employment opportunity to fill multiple vacant Associate Civil Engineer positions, located in Martinez, CA. The Associate Civil Engineer will be working within one of five engineering divisions - Design/Construction, Engineering Services, Flood Control, Maintenance, or Transportation Engineering Divisions. The engineering division work on the planning, construction, improvement, and/or maintenance of road and drainage infrastructure within the unincorporated County, as well as flood control facilities for the County Flood Control District.

The position operates with a high level of independence, managing assigned projects and overseeing the work of subordinate staff, professional consultants, and contractors. The primary focus is on the day-to-day operations of the assigned unit. In this leadership role, you will guide and support staff engineers, engineering technicians, and analysts in developing their technical and administrative skills, influence the planning and delivery of infrastructure projects, and strengthen the department’s positive relationships with colleagues and customers.

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) is responsible for the maintenance and operation of over 650 miles of roads, 79 miles of streams and channels, and over 150 County buildings. CCCPWD services include parks and recreation, sandbag distribution, flood control, road and facilities maintenance, and storm water management. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. CCCPWD strives for continuous improvement to deliver cost effective, safe reliable and sustainable projects, programs, and quality services.

We Are Looking For Someone Who

• Has a positive attitude; as both a team leader and team member.
• Is an effective communicator; someone who has good written and oral communication skills; someone able to positively interact with and work with individuals and groups of varying backgrounds; someone who is tactful.
• Is detail-oriented and can hold themselves and others accountable for completing assignments.
• Is able to multi-task; effectively works on multiple projects and tasks while able to effectively delegate, monitor, coach, mentor, and supervise subordinate staff.
• Is flexible and adaptable; able to work at various paces and effectively perform with competing deadlines.
• Improves; willing to champion continuous improvement and embraces technology.
• Is invested; enthusiastic about public service, municipal engineering, and their community.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Working on simple to complex engineering projects autonomously or with your supervisor, subordinates, consultants, and contractors. Delegating, supervising, and managing the day-to-day activities of your unit associated with road and drainage projects, programs, and services. Reviewing subordinates’ work – improvement plans, studies, calculations, specifications, estimates, comment letters, permit conditions, grant applications, board orders, board resolutions, etc. Implementing and monitoring programs and services of the unit.
• Planning, designing, reviewing, and/or executing construction of road and/or drainage projects (repair, rehabilitation, or replacement); coordinating the civil improvements with landscape improvements; coordinating with other divisions to process environmental permits, right of way acquisitions, and financial issues; coordinating with other departments and agencies, such as the Department of Conservation and Development and Caltrans on the project development process and permitting requirements; coordinating with consultants and contractors, and overseeing construction of road and drainage related improvements.
• Reviewing and providing oversight for team members’ work products; ensuring that they make sound engineering judgments and follow proper engineering standards, ordinances, policies, and procedures. Coaching and mentoring staff to help them achieve their professional potential. Creating opportunities to train staff to develop both their technical and people skills.
• Advising your supervisor and team members on activities and opportunities for improvement within your workgroup and the overall department.
• Responding to inquiries and complaints from elected officials, constituents, department staff, outside agencies, the public, and applicants/permittees.
• Setting the daily schedule, assignments, and priorities for yourself and your team.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• The Public Works Department team is great to work with. We value each other and our contributions toward having a great work unit, division, department, County, and community.
• You will work on interesting and challenging projects such as designing, constructing, and maintaining road and drainage facilities, shaping development projects, and providing and maintaining special district facilities which will keep you engaged. Your work will directly affect our community’s quality of life.
• You will feel supported by Senior staff and managers.
• There are opportunities to be innovative while helping staff and customers navigate through the various challenges.
• You will share your knowledge and skills with others and positively contribute to their professional development and career.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• Public/government agencies have limited resources, which gives us opportunities to be strategic in maneuvering through myriads of requirements, regulations, policies, procedures, and oversight. Meeting these may be time-consuming but are necessary, as they are part of the checks and balances in place.
• You will be joining a unit that will likely have team members of varying levels of knowledge and experience. Maintaining a sufficient level of adequate and well-trained staff may be a challenge with retirements, departures, rotations, and promotions.
• Projects, tasks, priorities and daily demands may change requiring you to adjust your planned activities to provide quality services within the target date and budget.
• You will need to learn, know and monitor what is generally happening with other divisions, departments, and the civil engineering industry to evaluate what can impact your unit’s program and services.

Competencies Required:

• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Decision Making: Choosing optimal courses of action in a timely manner
• Delivering Results: Meeting organizational