Chief Civil Engineer - City of Birmingham

Personnel Board of Jefferson County; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Retirement plan (pension)

Paid holidays

Sick leave

Vacation leave

Job summary

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County seeks a Chief Civil Engineer to act as the senior engineering authority for planning, design, construction, and maintenance of public infrastructure in Birmingham. You will lead multidisciplinary teams, review designs, manage budgets, and advise elected officials on infrastructure policy.

The role requires PE licensure (or eligibility in Alabama within 6 months), ABET-accredited civil engineering education, and substantial public works project experience.

Qualifications

• Driver’s license.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Alabama, OR ability to obtain PE license within Alabama through reciprocity within 6 months of being hired.
• Bachelor’s degree, or higher, in Civil Engineering or related field from ABET-accredited program.
• Professional Engineering experience leading public works infrastructure design or construction projects.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, monitor, and administer departmental budgets within annual limits.
• Enforce permits issued to contractors and developers per permit conditions.
• Interact with the public and officials to address infrastructure concerns.
• Review permit applications and plans to ensure compliance with codes and standards.
• Oversee projects designed by consultants/contractors and ensure adherence to plans, contracts, and permits.
• Develop scopes for future infrastructure projects and solicit qualifications and bids.

Skills

Public-sector leadership

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Budgeting

Public communication

Education

ABET-accredited Civil Engineering degree

Job description

Job Summary

The City of Birmingham is seeking well qualified Chief Civil Engineers to serve as the senior engineering authority responsible for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of public infrastructure projects. Workers in this position lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and oversee a variety of capital improvement initiatives, including transportation systems, stormwater management, and other municipal infrastructure. The Chief Civil Engineer provides strategic direction on these projects and is responsible for ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, and engineering standards and best practices. Responsibilities include reviewing and approving technical designs, managing project budgets and schedules, coordinating with contractors and consultants, and advising executive leadership and elected officials on infrastructure planning and policy. Employees in this job require strong technical expertise, leadership, and public-sector experience to ensure that infrastructure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, sustainably, and in alignment with community needs and long-term development goals.

Compensation & Benefits

The City of Birmingham 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.

• 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:

$85,092 - $132,017

Target Close Date

12/31/2026

Pay Grade

Grade 33

Type

Full time

Minimum Qualifications

• 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).

Typical Job Duties

• 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.
• Enforces permits issued to contractors or developers by monitoring their construction project 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 projects.
• 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.
• Reviews and recommends or approves changes to proposed construction plans submitted by external contractors 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 keeping up with project developments, communicating with appropriate people, and reviewing information to ensure that projects adhere to approved plans, contracts, or issued permits throughout all phases of construction.
• 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.
• Oversees and participates in the design phase of public infrastructure projects (e.g., drainage structures, sanitary sewers, roads, bridges, culverts) by reviewing maps and survey data, inspecting the construction site, designing plans, and preparing for construction using accepted civil engineering practices, jurisdiction-specific standards and specifications, and nationally recognized engineering codes, standards, or regulations.
• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.

Physical Demands

Job involves physical exertion required for sustained periods of light physical activity such as walking or standing. May involve occasional lifting of items or objects weighing up to 50 lbs.

Work Environment

Work is primarily conducted indoors in an office setting with occasional field visits to outdoor worksites. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc. Work involves the use of a variety of equipment related to inspecting construction sites including, but not limited to: calculator, measuring devices, levels, etc. Job may require exposure to potentially hazardous work conditions (e.g., working in and around traffic, construction zones, heavy equipment). Job may also require exposure to inclement weather when working outdoors (e.g., extreme heat, cold, rain, snow, wind, etc.).

Eeo Statement

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Each Merit System member city/agency operates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

Accommodation

To request an accommodation in the application or hiring process due to your own ongoing medical condition or disability, please contact our Accommodations Coordinator at [e-mail] or phone at 205-279-3500 (select option 1) Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. The accommodation process is reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or accommodation in the job application process.

Note

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System.

Disclaimer

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.