County Engineer

Multnomah County; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

Multnomah County is seeking an experienced County Engineer to lead the Transportation Division, develop long-range financial plans, and oversee engineering reviews and standards.

You will manage capital programs, supervise staff and align projects with regulatory requirements while partnering with the Director and Maintenance Manager to deliver reliable transportation infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation/Infrastructure/Urban Planning or related field.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Registered as a Professional Engineer in Oregon or able to obtain licensure.

Responsibilities

• Oversee engineering of capitol projects and stamp plans as a State-certified professional engineer where applicable.
• Develop 5-year capital forecast and manage Transportation Division budget.
• Lead and supervise division managers and staff, ensuring safety, quality and on-time delivery.
• Collaborate with procurement, consultants and maintenance to align projects with strategic goals.
• Ensure compliance with engineering design standards and project delivery processes.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Project management

Staff management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Transportation/Infrastructure/Urban Planning, Civil and/or Structural Engineering, Public Administration or a similar field

Masters Degree preferred

Job description

Salary and Job Details

Pay Range: $122,874.14 - $196,598.08 Annual

Department: Department of Community Services (DCS)

Job Type: Regular Non-Represented

Exemption Status: United States of America (Exempt)

Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified): November 15, 2026

The Opportunity: *only apply for this position once*

Overview

The Multnomah County Department of Community Services is looking for an experienced, confident and versatile leader to join our transportation team as the County Engineer! In this role you will join the Transportation Leadership Team which includes the Director, Deputy Director, and Maintenance Manager.

In this role you will partner in managing, developing and implementing strategic plans for all of the Transportation Division, developing short and long range financial plans, and managing the Transportation Division Budget.

As the County Engineer, you will serve as the Chief Engineer for the county and provide professional engineering oversight in planning, design, review, construction, and operation of the County's transportation system and ensure consistency and compliance with applicable engineering design standards and specifications.

You will be responsible for developing a rolling 5-year forecast of capital funding and projects we will deliver. This forecast will be based on prioritizing needs relative to staffing resources and will inform the overall Transportation Division budget. You will focus on technical oversight, quality assurance, and adherence to engineering standards and project delivery processes across the Transportation Division.

The County Engineer is responsible for the update and implementation of the Construction Design Manual as well as other County engineering guidance, such as the county's Stormwater Manual.

In addition, the County Engineer is responsible for the budgeting and staffing of the Bridge and Road Engineering programs with direct supervision of two mid-level exempt manager positions.

These programs are responsible for the engineering and inspection of the six Willamette River Bridges and over 20 smaller bridges elsewhere in the county, 297 miles of roads and 1,750 culverts.

The County Engineer is also responsible for fiscal oversight, planning, and prioritizing the multiyear Transportation Capital program. Multnomah County is certified through the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Local Agency Certification Program, a federally authorized program that certifies qualified Local Public Agencies (LPAs)—such as cities, counties, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs)—to directly manage and deliver federal-aid highway projects.

Other Duties Include:

• Oversee the engineering of all capitol projects; assign and, when applicable, stamp project plans, specifications, and drawings as a State-certified professional engineer.
• Review and provide technical advice to the County Surveyor, including the review of certain surveys and plats.
• Oversee large, complex consultant contracts for the design and building of capital projects.
• Closely coordinate with County procurement and contract staff.
• Oversee delivery of multi-million dollar capital projects during planning, design, and construction for schedule, quality, and budget.
• Closely collaborate with the Maintenance and Operations Manager and supervisors to ensure ongoing upkeep of County assets, information sharing and a coordinated approach to emergency response.
• Ensure traffic safety, designing and coordinating projects in East Multnomah County are in alignment with the East County Traffic Safety Action Plan.
• Support the Division Director by participating in initiatives to develop common engineering practices for road and bridge programs.
• Manage the 5-year forecast of revenue and projects, evaluate opportunities to create new sources of funding or to otherwise improve revenue projections.
• Development and evaluate work plan to achieve service level goals for the Engineering program.
• Estimating staffing requirements based on staff work plans and hire, discipline, evaluate, train, coach and engage in succession planning, inclusiveness and diversity of managers and staff in the program.

What We Are

The Multnomah County Transportation Division includes eight programs plus our Administration group: Transportation Planning and Development, Road Capital, Road Maintenance, Bridge Capital, Bridge Operations, Bridge Maintenance, Survey Office, and Water Quality.

We maintain 30 bridges, including six large bridges on the Willamette River, four of which open and close for river traffic.

We also maintain 270 miles of roads in Fairview, Troutdale and Wood Village and in unincorporated areas of Multnomah County including Sauvie Island, the West Hills and the Corbett area.

We are responsible for the design, construction, maintenance, operation and planning for these roads and bridges, and we are also home to the County Surveyor’s office.

What We Can Offer You

Multnomah County is dedicated to maintaining an effective, respectful, and inclusive workplace. We strive to reflect the community we serve and invite leaders who share our passion for workforce equity and public service.

The Department of Community Services (DCS) comprises unique and essential government services, including Elections, Land Use Planning, Animal Services and Transportation.

What ties these unique services together is our commitment to serving the public and operational excellence.

In DCS we strive for:

• A Culture of Excellence: You will be challenged to innovate, encouraged to excel, and empowered to build a legacy within a high-performing organization.
• Collaborative Innovation: Manage leadership team that prizes collaborative problem-solving and a relentless drive for continuous improvement.
• Equity in Action: We don’t just talk about diversity; we operationalize it. At the County, our Workforce Equity Strategic Plan (WESP) serves as our roadmap for creating a workplace where every voice is heard and every employee belongs.

Multnomah County offers an exceptional benefits package, including employer-funded retirement savings; health and dental insurance at very low cost to full-time employees and their dependents; paid parental leave; wellness programs; a focus on work-life balance; and much more.

To Qualify

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant. For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page.

Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills*

• Bachelor's degree in Transportation/Infrastructure/Urban Planning, Civil and/or Structural Engineering, Public Administration or a similar field that would provide the required experience.
• A Masters Degree is preferred 3-6 years of relevant management experience in engineering, public works or transportation.
• Registered as a Professional Engineer in the relevant discipline in the State of Oregon.
• A valid driver license.

Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills*

• Knowledge of leadership tools and resources and the ability to select and use appropriate methods to get results with direct reports and their staff.
• Skills to manage section managers holding staff accountable while promoting an environment of safety trust and belonging.
• Ability to facilitate communication and working partnerships across engineering, inspection, operations, and maintenance to ensure good outcomes for projects.
• Ability to strategically plan and fund projects and to evaluate opportunities to bring more revenue to the transportation program.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other department staff, other County employees, vendors, contractors, community partners, elected officials and the public.
• Knowledge of and ability to lead managers and staff through the delivery of federally funded capital projects, as well as state or locally funded *Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.

Transferable Skills

Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.

Screening and Evaluation

The Application Packet: Please be sure to provide all the materials below in your application submission: Online application: Explain all related experience (paid or unpaid) and training in the education and work experience sections of the application. Resume: Please indicate how you meet the required minimum qualifications. Attach the PDF document to the on-line application. Be sure to explain in detail, including dates, all related work experience, paid or unpaid. A Cover Letter: This should expand on your resume, address why you are interested in this position and demonstrate how your experience and skill set align with the minimum and preferred qualifications listed. Note: The application, resume, and cover letter should clearly demonstrate your work experience/skills and how they relate to the descriptions provided in the ’Overview’ and ‘To Qualify’ sections of this job posting. Please be thorough, as these materials will be used to determine your eligibility for an interview. Internal candidates: After you have applied, you will receive the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire in your Workday inbox. Your application as an internal candidate is not complete until you fill out and submit the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire. The Selection Process: For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows: Initial review of minimum qualifications Evaluation of application materials to identify the most qualified candidates Consideration of top candidates, which may include phone interviews, panel interviews, and/or additional testing Professional reference checks Note: Application information may be used throughout the entire selection process. This process is subject to change without notice.

Additional Information

• Type of Position: This full-time, exempt, non-represented position is not eligible for overtime.
• Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. There may be some flexibility with the regular start and end times.
• Location: 1600 SE 190th Avenue, Portland, OR 97233 or 1403 SE Water Avenue, Portland OR 97214.
• Telework: This role is hybrid, with three days in the office and two days working from home. Currently, all employees must reside in Oregon or Washington; the county cannot support ongoing telework from other locations.

Disclaimer: This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change.

Disclaimer: This announcement is intended as a general descriptive recruitment guide and is subject to change. It does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract. In accordance with Oregon Law, Multnomah County is not collecting school attendance dates in the initial application process; please do not include these dates in your resume, cover letter and other application materials.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion: At Multnomah County, we don't just accept difference; we value it and support it to create a culture of dignity and respect for our employees. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The EEO Know Your Rights poster is available for your reference. Multnomah County is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We request priority protected veteran referrals. Veterans’ Preference: Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans’ preference. Review our veterans’ preference page for details about eligibility and how to apply.

Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act

We gladly provide reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing an application or participating in this recruitment process. Please contact the recruiter below in advance to request assistance. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may contact the recruiter through the Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 711.

Job Profile

Job Profile: 9672 - Engineering Services Manager 2 Current Multnomah County employees must apply within Workday

We’re glad you are considering a career that gives back and supports the community. Working for Multnomah County means having the opportunity to make a real difference in the community, no matter what position you hold. We provide a wide array of essential services including health, community justice, roads, elections, libraries, jails, bridges, tax and assessment, marriage licenses, animal services, mental health and addiction services and more. Our organization’s top priority is to meet the many needs of our residents. Learn more about who we are, what we do, and why it matters. Veterans The Selection Process Jobs Home Interns