Civil Engineer - Stormwater

City of Savannah; Savannah (GA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Savannah seeks a professional civil and water resources engineer to develop, calibrate, and maintain hydrologic and hydraulic models for the City’s drainage basins and stormwater system, supporting planning, design, and regulatory compliance.

The role uses GIS, field data, and diverse datasets to evaluate flood risk, capital improvements, and development impacts, preparing reports and recommendations for staff and officials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or closely related field.
• Experience with hydrology, hydraulics, stormwater management.
• Georgia EIT/PE preferred or ability to obtain.
• Strong modeling, data analysis, and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains hydrologic and hydraulic models for drainage basins and stormwater system.
• Performs rainfall-runoff, open-channel, and flood analyses using standard software.
• Calibrates models with observed data and documents performance.
• Assesses design storms, land-use changes, sea-level rise impacts.
• Reviews studies and consultant deliverables for accuracy and compliance.
• Provides modeling support for development review and regulatory coordination.

Skills

Hydrologic modeling

Hydraulic modeling

GIS analysis

Stormwater design

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred

Tools

EPA SWMM

InfoWorks ICM

HEC-RAS

HEC-HMS

ArcGIS

Job description

This position performs professional civil and water resources engineering work associated with the development, calibration, maintenance, evaluation, and review of hydrologic and hydraulic models for the City’s drainage basins and stormwater management system. The position uses modeling, geospatial data, field information, and engineering analysis to support drainage basin studies, capital improvement planning and design, development review, flood-risk evaluation, regulatory compliance, emergency response, asset management, and long-range stormwater planning.

• Develops, updates, calibrates, validates, and maintains hydrologic and hydraulic models of the City’s drainage basins and stormwater system, including pipes, inlets, manholes, culverts, canals, ditches, ponds, pump stations, tide gates, outfalls, and receiving waters.
• Performs rainfall-runoff, open-channel, closed-conduit, storage, pump, tidal-boundary, and flood-inundation analyses using industry-standard modeling software and accepted engineering methods.
• Compiles, evaluates, and quality-checks model input data from GIS, LiDAR, surveys, record drawings, construction plans, field measurements, inspection records, rain and water-level monitoring, tidal data, maintenance records, and documented flood events.
• Calibrates and validates models using observed rainfall, water-level, flow, tidal, and flooding data; documents assumptions, limitations, sensitivity analyses, and model performance.
• Simulates existing and future conditions, including design storms, land-use changes, redevelopment, sea-level rise, tidal conditions, infrastructure failures, and proposed capital improvements.
• Identifies drainage system deficiencies, hydraulic bottlenecks, recurring street and structural flooding risks, and areas requiring additional field investigation, maintenance, rehabilitation, or capital improvement.
• Develops and evaluates conceptual alternatives for stormwater improvements; assists with preliminary sizing, benefit assessment, project scoping, cost estimating, prioritization, and grant justification.
• Reviews drainage studies, hydrology and hydraulic calculations, computer models, technical memoranda, and other engineering documents prepared by consultants and private developers for methodology, accuracy, completeness, consistency, and compliance with applicable City standards and regulations.
• Provides technical modeling support for development review and evaluates potential upstream, downstream, and cumulative impacts of proposed development and redevelopment. Final engineering approvals and documents requiring a professional seal are completed under the responsible charge of a Georgia Professional Engineer.
• Establishes and maintains model-management procedures, including file organization, version control, naming conventions, metadata, quality assurance/quality control, documentation standards, and data retention requirements.
• Coordinates field investigations and monitoring activities needed to improve model accuracy, including surveys, condition assessments, flow and level monitoring, rain-gauge deployment, and post-storm observations.
• Prepares technical reports, maps, flood-depth and duration exhibits, model documentation, dashboards, presentations, and recommendations for City staff, management, elected officials, regulatory agencies, consultants, developers, and the public.
• Develops scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules, and technical requirements for consultant-led basin studies and modeling assignments; reviews consultant progress and deliverables.
• Supports compliance with the City’s MS4 permit and other applicable federal, state, and local stormwater, floodplain, water quality, and resilience requirements; provides technical information for grant applications and regulatory coordination.
• Provides modeling support before, during, and after significant rainfall, tropical weather, tidal, or flooding events; assists with rapid assessments and post-event documentation.
• Coordinates with Stormwater Operations and Maintenance, Stormwater Capital Projects, Water Resources Planning and Engineering, Development Services, Planning, GIS, Emergency Management, Transportation, and other departments to integrate model results into operational and capital decisions.
• Provides technical guidance and training to City staff on model use, interpretation, data collection, and documentation practices.
• Investigates drainage complaints and service requests when engineering analysis or modeling is needed and prepares findings and recommendations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Biosystems/Agricultural Engineering, or a closely related engineering field from an accredited college or university; with two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in hydrology, hydraulics, stormwater management, drainage design, floodplain analysis, or water resources modeling; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge and skills.

• Experience developing or reviewing hydrologic and hydraulic models using one or more industry-standard platforms such as EPA SWMM, PCSWMM, InfoWorks ICM, HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, ICPR, HydroCAD, or comparable software is required.
• Experience with GIS and geospatial data analysis is required. Experience with coastal or tidal drainage systems, pump stations, flood-inundation mapping, scripting, or model automation is preferred.
• Registration as an Engineer in Training (EIT) in the State of Georgia, or the ability to obtain Georgia EIT registration within twelve (12) months of employment, is preferred.

Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license with an acceptable driving history.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Background investigation, including a supervised drug screen, post-offer/pre-employment medical screen, and verification of education, certifications, and licenses, are required prior to employment.

• Knowledge of civil engineering principles and practices related to hydrology, hydraulics, stormwater conveyance, detention, pumping, floodplain management, and watershed planning.
• Knowledge of one-dimensional and two-dimensional hydrologic and hydraulic modeling concepts, calibration and validation methods, uncertainty, sensitivity analysis, and model quality assurance/quality control.
• Knowledge of urban and coastal drainage systems, including the influence of tides, tailwater, pump operations, storage, backwater, and sea-level conditions.
• Knowledge of stormwater infrastructure planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and asset-management practices.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local regulations, permits, technical manuals, and standards, including the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual and Coastal Stormwater Supplement.
• Knowledge of GIS, digital elevation data, survey data, databases, spreadsheets, and engineering record-management practices.
• Skill in developing, calibrating, troubleshooting, documenting, and interpreting complex computer models.
• Skill in reviewing technical models, calculations, plans, reports, and consultant deliverables for accuracy, reasonableness, and compliance.
• Skill in analyzing large and varied datasets and translating model results into practical operational, design, and capital-planning recommendations.
• Skill in preparing clear technical reports, maps, exhibits, presentations, procedures, and correspondence.
• Skill in managing multiple assignments, establishing priorities, maintaining detailed records, and meeting deadlines.
• Skill in oral and written communication and in presenting technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Skill in establishing effective working relationships with coworkers, consultants, developers, regulatory agencies, elected officials, and members of the public.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

The Stormwater Capital Improvement Program and Engineering Division Director, Stormwater Senior Director, or designee assigns work in terms of department goals, priorities, and expected results. The employee independently plans and carries out recurring professional assignments. Work involving final engineering approval, public safety determinations, or documents requiring a professional seal is reviewed and approved by a Georgia Professional Engineer.

GUIDELINES:

Guidelines include City ordinances, design standards, technical specifications, stormwater and flood-prevention requirements, the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual and Coastal Stormwater Supplement, FEMA guidance, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidance, Georgia EPD requirements, the City’s MS4 permit, accepted engineering practices, and software documentation. These guidelines require judgment, selection, adaptation, and interpretation in application.

COMPLEXITY:

The work consists of varied and technically complex engineering, data-management, and modeling duties. Complexity is increased by incomplete or inconsistent infrastructure records, aging systems, interconnected drainage basins, tidal boundary conditions, changing rainfall patterns, model uncertainty, and the need to evaluate multiple operational and capital alternatives.

SCOPE AND EFFECT:

The purpose of this position is to provide timely, defensible, and consistent in-house stormwater modeling and engineering analysis. Successful performance improves flood-risk understanding, capital project selection and design, development oversight, regulatory compliance, emergency response, drainage system operations, and the City’s ability to maintain a comprehensive citywide stormwater management plan.

PERSONAL CONTACTS:

Contacts are typically with coworkers, other City employees, engineers, consultants, surveyors, contractors, developers, regulatory agency representatives, utility representatives, elected officials, neighborhood representatives, and members of the general public.

PURPOSE OF CONTACTS:

Contacts are typically to exchange information, coordinate work, obtain data, explain technical findings, resolve problems, review and justify recommendations, and provide professional services and guidance.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work is typically performed while sitting at a desk or computer for extended periods and while intermittently standing, walking, bending, stooping, or climbing during field visits. The employee frequently uses hands for computer operation, distinguishes between colors and map symbols, and occasionally lifts light objects and field equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work is performed in an office and outdoors. Field work may expose the employee to heat, cold, rain, high humidity, uneven terrain, insects, traffic, standing water, confined-area hazards, and active construction or maintenance operations. Appropriate personal protective equipment may be required.

SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY:

No direct supervisory responsibility. The position may serve as a technical lead for modeling assignments and may coordinate or review the work of consultants, engineering technicians, interns, contractors, or cross-departmental project teams.