City Engineer

City of Rapid City; Rapid City (SD); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Rapid City is seeking an experienced City Engineer to lead the Engineering Services Division and shape the infrastructure of a growing community. This senior leadership role influences long-range planning, capital investments, and collaboration with developers and partners in Rapid City.

You will oversee municipal design, construction, development reviews, traffic operations, and environmental engineering while advising City leadership and elected officials on infrastructure decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from a four-year college or university.
• Eight years of progressively responsible professional Civil Engineering experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• South Dakota PE license or ability to obtain South Dakota licensure within one year of hire.
• Valid South Dakota driver's license or ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire.
• Previous leadership or management experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for municipal design, construction, development review, and traffic operations.
• Provide strategic direction for the City's engineering programs, policies, standards, and long-term infrastructure priorities.
• Oversee the planning, design, construction, and contract administration of significant municipal capital improvement projects.
• Lead development of the City's Capital Improvement Program for transportation, stormwater, water, and wastewater infrastructure.
• Guide engineering review of private development and public infrastructure improvements while working collaboratively with developers, consultants, contractors, utilities, and regulatory agencies.
• Provide strategic oversight of the City's traffic signal system, traffic control devices, roadway lighting, and transportation safety initiatives.
• Manage the Engineering Services Division budget and help establish long-term funding and investment priorities.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop engineering professionals while building a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to the Public Works Director, Mayor, Common Council, City departments, and community stakeholders.
• Represent the City at public meetings, professional organizations, intergovernmental working groups, and community discussions.
• Promote innovation, process improvement, sound engineering practices, and responsible stewardship of public resources.
• Provide leadership during emergencies, infrastructure incidents, and other critical situations and may serve on behalf of the Public Works Director when needed.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

People development

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Job description

Engineering Services Division Manager | Public Works

Rapid City, South Dakota

Lead the Infrastructure. Shape the Community.

The City of Rapid City is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking City Engineer to lead our Engineering Services Division and help shape the infrastructure of a growing community.

This is more than a technical engineering position. It is a senior leadership opportunity for a Professional Engineer who wants to influence how a city grows, lead talented professionals, solve complex infrastructure challenges, and see the direct impact of their work throughout the community.

As Engineering Services Division Manager and City Engineer, you will serve on the Public Works Senior Leadership Team and lead the City's Design, Construction, Development Review, Environmental Engineering, and Traffic Operations groups. You will help establish infrastructure priorities, guide major capital investments, work with developers and community partners, and advise City leadership and elected officials on decisions that will shape Rapid City for decades to come.

What You'll Lead

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for municipal design, construction, development review, and traffic operations.
• Provide strategic direction for the City's engineering programs, policies, standards, and long-term infrastructure priorities.
• Oversee the planning, design, construction, and contract administration of significant municipal capital improvement projects.
• Lead development of the City's Capital Improvement Program for transportation, stormwater, water, and wastewater infrastructure.
• Guide engineering review of private development and public infrastructure improvements while working collaboratively with developers, consultants, contractors, utilities, and regulatory agencies.
• Provide strategic oversight of the City's traffic signal system, traffic control devices, roadway lighting, and transportation safety initiatives.
• Manage the Engineering Services Division budget and help establish long-term funding and investment priorities.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop engineering professionals while building a collaborative, accountable, and service-oriented team.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to the Public Works Director, Mayor, Common Council, City departments, and community stakeholders.
• Represent the City at public meetings, professional organizations, intergovernmental working groups, and community discussions.
• Promote innovation, process improvement, sound engineering practices, and responsible stewardship of public resources.
• Provide leadership during emergencies, infrastructure incidents, and other critical situations and may serve on behalf of the Public Works Director when needed.

The Opportunity

• Rapid City offers an engineering environment with both scale and variety. The City Engineer has the opportunity to work across the full lifecycle of public infrastructure—from long-range planning and development review to design, construction, operations, and asset management.
• You’ll be joining an organization where engineering leadership has a visible impact. The decisions made by this position affect transportation, utilities, development, public safety, economic growth, and the everyday experience of people who live and work in Rapid City.
• We are looking for someone who can balance technical excellence with leadership—someone comfortable reviewing a complex engineering issue one moment, developing organizational strategy the next, and explaining a recommendation clearly to elected officials or community members.

Who We're Looking For

• Thinks strategically while remaining grounded in practical implementation.
• Enjoys leading and developing people.
• Can manage multiple programs, projects, and competing priorities.
• Understands municipal infrastructure and capital project delivery.
• Builds productive relationships with developers, contractors, consultants, regulatory agencies, and internal partners.
• Makes thoughtful, defensible decisions using sound engineering judgment.
• Communicates complex technical information clearly to both technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Values public service, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Is comfortable leading through growth, change, and complex community challenges.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from a four-year college or university.
• Eight years of progressively responsible professional Civil Engineering experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• South Dakota PE license or ability to obtain South Dakota licensure within one year of hire.
• Valid South Dakota driver's license or ability to obtain one within 30 days of hire.
• Previous leadership or management experience is strongly preferred.

Why Rapid City?

Rapid City combines the professional opportunities of a growing regional community with immediate access to the Black Hills.

Minutes from downtown, residents can hike, bike, climb, fish, paddle, camp, and explore.

Rapid City also offers a lively downtown, local shops and dining, year-round events, and convenient access to nationally recognized parks, monuments, and public lands.

The region includes in-city trail systems as well as extensive recreation throughout the Black Hills National Forest.

For engineers, there is an additional benefit: your work is visible here.

The streets, utilities, neighborhoods, transportation systems, and public improvements you help create become part of the community where you live, work, and play.

A rewarding career.

An exceptional place to live.

A lasting impact.