Chief Civil Engineer

Jefferson County Commission; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & Dental Insurance

Pension Plan

Paid Holidays

Vacation & Sick Leave

Job summary

Jefferson County Commission in Alabama seeks a Chief Civil Engineer for the Roads and Transportation Department to lead planning, direction, and review of civil engineering projects. You will oversee design and development of public infrastructure, supervise staff, and ensure compliance with standards and budgets.

The role emphasizes strong technical leadership, project management, and organizational skills to deliver efficient public works and maintain safety and quality.

Qualifications

• The candidate must hold a PE license in Alabama or obtain via reciprocity within 6 months of hire.
• ABET-accredited Civil Engineering degree required.
• Professional engineering experience as lead project manager on complex public works.

Responsibilities

• Supervises and directs civil engineering staff and assigns project tasks.
• Reviews engineering plans, drawings, and specifications for public works.
• Manages departmental budgets and approves expenditures.
• Oversees design and construction of roads, bridges, drainage and related infrastructure.
• Coordinates with developers, agencies, and contractors through permitting and review processes.
• Monitors compliance with codes, standards, and safety requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Project Management

Budgeting

Communication

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Microstation

Job description

Jefferson County, Alabama, is seeking highly qualified candidates for the position of Chief Civil Engineer within its Roads and Transportation Department.

Chief Civil Engineers are responsible for planning, directing, and reviewing the work of civil engineering professionals and non-professional engineering staff. Employees in this classification oversee the design and development of public infrastructure projects, which may include drainage structures, roadway improvements, traffic design, bridges, and other transportation-related infrastructure.

Key responsibilities include reviewing and approving engineering plans, drawings, specifications, and related technical documents; providing technical guidance and direction to subordinate staff; and addressing questions and issues related to assigned projects.

Chief Civil Engineers also have significant administrative and managerial responsibilities. These include preparing, monitoring, administering, and reporting on departmental budgets; managing day-to-day operations; and scheduling and approving employee leave. The position requires strong technical expertise, leadership, project management, and organizational skills to ensure that engineering projects and departmental operations are completed effectively, efficiently, and in accordance with applicable standards and requirements.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

Jefferson County provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more. The pay range for this job is presented below

Jefferson County: $94,515 - $146,640

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position:

• Driver’s license.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Alabama, OR, have the ability to obtain your PE License within Alabama through reciprocity within 6 months of being hired.
• Bachelor’s degree, or higher, in Civil Engineering or other closely related Engineering field (e.g., Environmental, Mechanical, Structural) from an ABET accredited program.
• Professional Engineering experience, including experience as a lead project manager directly responsible for successful design or construction of complex public works infrastructure projects (e.g., roadways, bridges, sidewalks, drainage systems, water treatment, sewer).

TARGETED QUALIFICATIONS:

The following are job-related qualifications deemed desirable by Jefferson County Roads & Transportation. These qualifications may be considered when reviewing applications and inviting candidates to participate in subsequent steps in the selection processes:

• Experience using computer aided design/drafting software (e.g., AutoCAD, Microstation).
• Experience directly supervising subordinate engineers on the design and construction of public infrastructure projects from conception to completion.
• Master’s degree, or higher, in Civil Engineering or other closely related Engineering field (e.g., Environmental, Mechanical, Structural) from an ABET accredited program.

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.
• Prepares, monitors, and administers departmental or organizational budget by reviewing spending trends, expenditure reports, analyzing financial data and ensuring expenditures are within annual budgetary limits.
• Oversees and participates in the design phase of public infrastructure projects (e.g., drainage structures, roads, bridges, culverts, etc.) using accepted civil engineering practices, jurisdiction-specific standards and specifications, and nationally recognized engineering codes, standards, or regulations.
• Interacts with parties (e.g., developers, contractors, engineers, surveyors, governmental agencies) taking part in the jurisdiction’s permitting process by providing information about permit requirements, and conducting reviews of permit applications and plans in order to ensure that permit applications and plans meet the jurisdiction’s requirements.
• Prepares for needed infrastructure improvement projects to be completed by external contractors and engineering firms by developing the scope of the project and overseeing the process to announce, collect, assess, and accept statements of qualifications and bids from external contractors and engineering firms.
• Reviews proposed construction plans submitted by external contractors in order to ensure they safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public; use accepted civil engineering practices; and comply with applicable codes, regulations and standards.
• Oversees and manages public infrastructure construction projects that were designed by engineering consultants/contractors by ensuring the construction project adheres to any approved plan, contract or issued permit throughout all phases of construction.
• Enforces permits provided to contractors or developers by monitoring their construction and ensuring they are following the conditions of the permit.
• Interacts with members of the public, public officials and other governmental agencies to investigate complaints or provide information related to public infrastructure.