Chief Engineer

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority; North Carolina; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in North Carolina seeks a Chief Engineer to provide strategic and technical leadership for the Engineering Department. The role oversees infrastructure planning, project delivery, asset management, GIS, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and fiscal stewardship across divisions.

Responsibilities include setting division goals, budgeting, workforce development, coordinating with other CFPUA departments, master planning, capital programs, and developer

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, project management, or related course study.
• Master’s degree in engineering or project management, or related course study is preferred.
• Seven (7) years of professional engineering work experience in a managerial role such as an assistant engineering director, assistant project director, or related work field.
• Requires Professional Engineer certification.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic and technical leadership for assigned Engineering divisions, ensuring alignment with CFPUA’s mission, priorities, policies, and values.
• Establishes division goals, work programs, procedures, and performance measures; monitors results and initiates corrective action as needed.
• Oversees workforce planning, work assignments, employee development, performance management, and succession planning within assigned divisions.
• Develops and administers operating and capital budgets, contracts, procurements, and expenditures for assigned divisions.
• Coordinates across Engineering divisions and other CFPUA departments to integrate planning, project delivery, asset management, GIS, sustainability, and development services.
• Oversees utility master planning, the ten-year Capital Improvement Plan, engineering studies, capacity evaluations, and planning for growth, service extensions, and infrastructure resiliency.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Budgeting

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering or project management

Professional Engineer certification

Tools

GIS

Hydraulic modeling

Asset management systems

Job description

Incumbents in this position serve as senior leaders in the Engineering Department and provide strategic and technical leadership, direction, and oversight for assigned Engineering divisions. The Chief Engineer ensures effective infrastructure planning, project delivery, development coordination, asset management, geographic information systems, sustainability, regulatory compliance, and fiscal stewardship, as applicable to the assigned divisions. Specific areas of responsibility are determined by the Engineering Director based on organizational needs. This position is assigned to pay grade R38.The allocation of functions among Chief Engineers may vary based on assigned divisions and organizational needs.

• Provides strategic and technical leadership for assigned Engineering divisions, ensuring alignment with CFPUA’s mission, priorities, policies, and values.
• Establishes division goals, work programs, procedures, and performance measures; monitors results and initiates corrective action as needed.
• Oversees workforce planning, work assignments, employee development, performance management, and succession planning within assigned divisions.
• Develops and administers operating and capital budgets, contracts, procurements, and expenditures for assigned divisions.
• Coordinates across Engineering divisions and other CFPUA departments to integrate planning, project delivery, asset management, GIS, sustainability, and development services.
• Oversees utility master planning, the ten-year Capital Improvement Plan, engineering studies, capacity evaluations, and planning for growth, service extensions, and infrastructure resiliency.
• Oversees the identification, prioritization, and delivery of capital improvement and rehabilitation and replacement projects, including procurement, design, permitting, construction, budget, schedule, quality, and closeout.
• Oversees asset management programs, including asset condition and risk assessments, rehabilitation and replacement needs, recurring repair programs, and related cross-functional initiatives.
• Oversees GIS, utility-system records, hydraulic modeling, capacity-management tools, technical standards, and related data systems.
• Oversees sustainability programs, including energy efficiency, emissions reduction, resource conservation, resiliency, performance tracking, and integration of lifecycle and environmental considerations into organizational decisions.
• Oversees developer-built infrastructure, development and utility agreements, property matters, service-area consolidations, infrastructure extensions, and delegated regulatory permitting functions.
• Ensures regulatory compliance and promotes safe and environmentally responsible design and construction practices.
• Coordinates with customers, developers, consultants, contractors, government agencies, elected officials, community organizations, and other stakeholders; oversees or assists with grant applications, reports, recommendations, and presentations.
• May act as Engineering Director in the director’s absence and promotes accountability, collaboration, and employee development.
• This position is a member of the organization management team and is responsible for demonstrating and holding others accountable to the CFPUA values.
• This position is required to work in partnership with their own department and all other CFPUA departments toward achieving organizational goals.
• This position is responsible for creating a culture of belonging and inclusion.
• This position works in partnership with the Human Resources department to ensure staff completes all relevant employment training.
• This position is responsible for ensuring compliance with all CFPUA policies and procedures.
• This position works in partnership with the Human Resources department to ensure compliance with federal and state employment law.
• Exercises a purchasing authority up to $1,000 without approval from supervisor.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

In the event of an emergency, all employees are considered essential personnel and may be required to perform alternate duties.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, project management, or related course study.
• Master’s degree in engineering or project management, or related course study is preferred.
• Seven (7) years of professional engineering work experience in a managerial role such as an assistant engineering director, assistant project director, or related work field.
• Requires Professional Engineer certification.

Other Essential Job Specifications

• Use interpersonal skills such as seeing, hearing, and speaking to develop positive interactions with customers.
• Comprehends and uses technical or professional language, either written or spoken, to communicate complex ideas.
• Performs numerical operations using basic counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Performs complex quantitative calculations or reasoning using algebra, geometry, statistics, or abstract symbols.
• Requires travel between CFPUA sites.
• Use or repair small/light equipment (power tools).
• Use or repair medium equipment and machinery (vehicles, commercial mowers).
• Use or repair heavy or complex machinery (HVAC systems, construction equipment, water plants).

Physical Requirements:

• None: 0 hours or 0% of scheduled shift
• Some: Up to 2 hours or 20% of scheduled shift
• Frequent: 2 to 5 hours or 20% to 60% of scheduled shift
• Very Frequent: More than 5 hours or 60% to 100% of scheduled shift

• Minimal physical exertion. Very light physical work at desk or counter level with intermittent periods of sitting, standing, and walking. May involve data entry, telephone work, or use of various office equipment.
• Same as above with the addition of standing/sitting/walking for lengthy periods of time. May involve light physical exertion due to pushing, pulling, carrying, and lifting weights up to 20 pounds.
• Physical exertion involving pushing, pulling, and lifting up to 20 pounds. May require prolonged standing and/or walking during which time objects are transported. May require occasional bending, squatting, and reaching.
• Sustained physical activity throughout the work period. Performs work tasks involving pushing, pulling, carrying, and lifting up to 50 pounds. May require bending, squatting, stooping, reaching, climbing, or walking in addition to other physical demands.
• Physical exertion throughout the work period. Performs work tasks involving pushing, pulling, carrying, and lifting varying weights up to 50 pounds, and more than 50 pounds with assistance. May require bending, squatting, stooping, reaching, climbing, or walking in addition to other physical demands.