Junior Engineer

Alameda County Public Works Agency; Hayward (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alameda County Public Works Agency is seeking a Junior Engineer to join the Flood Design Section, providing training in professional civil engineering tasks and supporting design and construction activities.

Successful candidates will have a civil engineering background, an EIT preferred or pursuing, and a willingness to learn CAD tools and project documentation for Capital Improvement Program work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or equivalent with eligibility for appointment.
• Engineer-in-Training certificate is acceptable.
• Ability to learn and apply guidelines and perform CAD drafting.

Responsibilities

• Assist design and development of Capital Improvement Program projects.
• Prepare advertisement and contract documents for projects.
• Support engineers with construction-related activities and fieldwork.

Skills

CAD software

Communication

Teamwork

Site assessment

Engineering computations

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering

Engineer-in-Training certificate

Bachelor's degree with 5-year window

Tools

Autodesk Civil 3D

CAD drafting

Job description

THE AGENCY

The mission of Public Works is to enhance the quality of life for the people of Alameda County by providing a safe, well-maintained, and lasting public works infrastructure through accessible, responsive and effective services. Public services provided by the Alameda County Public Works Agency include flood control planning and design, storm water pollution control, transportation planning and design, roadway and flood control maintenance and inspection, and construction and building inspections.

The goals of the Agency are to keep roads safe and well maintained, provide the highest level of flood protection, provide service levels that optimize infrastructure life cycles, minimize deferred maintenance, ensure that development and construction adhere to applicable State and County rules, optimize disaster preparedness, response and recover, ensure that the Agency’s operations and services minimize negative impacts on the environment, and sustain and advance County and Agency programs through a vital business and administrative support system.

For more information about the Alameda County Public Works Agency, please visit their website at www.acgov.org/pwa.

THE POSITION

Under close supervision, to learn professional engineering work and department routine, also to perform the less complex professional office and field work in civil engineering; and to do related work as required.

This is the entry-level professional engineering class. Incumbents are given office and field assignments on a training basis. They are expected to develop a variety of engineering skills and abilities and are gradually given more responsible assignments. After a year or more, they are expected to be performing professional engineering work of average difficulty and be able to qualify for the higher classification of Assistant Engineer.

In comparison, incumbents of the engineering technician classes, such as engineering draftsman and construction inspectors are regarded as technicians giving support to the professional engineers, and their assignments are made on a regular working basis rather than as part of a professional development program.

For more detailed information about the job classification, visit: Junior Engineer (#2010).

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, the ideal candidate for the Junior Engineer in the Flood Design Section will demonstrate proficiency in several key areas:

• Foundation knowledge of civil engineering concepts related to design and construction of open/closed channels, drainage systems, and flood control facilities.
• Exposure to CAD software, such as Autodesk Civil 3D, or a willingness to learn design tools used in roadway/flood control projects.
• An eagerness to learn and apply relevant guidelines, such as Alameda County Hydrology & Hydraulic Manual, to ensure compliance with project requirements.
• Ability to collaborate with team members, supervisors, and other stakeholders while effectively communicating ideas and project updates.
• Ability to assess site conditions, using judgement to collect and document relevant information, and clearly communicate findings.

An Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate is preferred but not required.

VACANCY

The current vacancy is within the Flood Control Design Section of our Engineering and Construction Division. However, the eligible list created from this recruitment may be used by any department within the Public Works Agency to fill a vacancy.

Junior Engineers in the Flood Control Design Section will support project engineers and assist with the design and develop of Capital Improvement Program projects, such as natural and manmade capacity enhancements and/or expansions, creek restoration projects, major maintenance projects, and emergency repair projects. They will be responsible for preparing advertisement and contract documents. In addition, they will support project engineers with construction-related activities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

TO QUALIFY FOR THE COMPETITIVE ASSESSMENT PROCESS, YOU MUST MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS BY FULFILLING ONE OF THE PATTERNS LISTED BELOW (I-III).

EITHER I

Education: Must either possess a valid Bachelor's Degree in civil engineering awarded by an accredited college or university, OR obtain such a degree before being eligible for appointment in the Alameda County classified service.

OR II

Possession of a certificate as an Engineer-in-Training issued by the State of California Board of Registration for Civil and Professional Engineers.

OR III

A Bachelor's Degree in engineering from an accredited college or university received prior to the last five years, AND professional engineering experience during the last five years.

License: Valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's license.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Fundamentals of physics, chemistry, and mathematics as required by civil engineering.
• Fundamentals of hydraulics, mechanics, and stress analysis.
• Principles and practices of surveying.
• Strength, properties, and uses of engineering construction materials.
• Fundamentals of engineering construction techniques.
• Common methods of describing real property.
• Basic computer software.
• English grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.

Ability to:

• Learn and acquire skill in the more difficult and technical phases of civil engineering.
• Do computer aided drafting (CAD).
• Operate surveying instruments.
• Make legible and precise engineering computations and notes.
• Analyze field conditions accurately and recommend an effective course of action.
• Prepare technical reports and correspondence.
• Use computer software.
• Make public presentations and communicate effectively.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. A review of applicants' application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2. A review of the supplemental questionnaire to determine the best qualified that will be weighted as qualifying only (pass/fail). Supplemental screening is an internal departmental process and does not require or involve candidate participation. Candidates who pass the best qualified exam component will move on to the final step in the examination process.
3. An oral examination which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral examination may be administered virtually and may contain situational exercises.

Candidates must attain a qualifying rating on each portion of this recruitment.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION STEPS.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

For more information on the Civil Service Selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PLAN

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance.

The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

• Deadline for Filing: 5:00:00 PM, Friday, September 25, 2026
• Review of Applications for Minimum Qualifications: September 28, 2026
• Notification to applicants: October 1, 2026
• Review of Questionnaire for Best Qualified: October 14, 2026
• Civil Service Oral Examination: Week November 2, 2026
• Notification of Exam Results: 1-2 weeks after oral exam
• Department Selection Process: Mid-December 2026

The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification. Candidates selected to participate in the oral exam will receive an email notification at least 10 business days in advance of the exam date.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement no later than the recruitment filing deadline. If this is a continuous open recruitment without a filing deadline, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement within ten (10) business days of submitting your application. Unless your disability is readily apparent (for example, you use a wheelchair and need wheelchair-accessible spaces), Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, Reasonable Accommodation | HRS.