Junior Engineer - Civil

City of San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

City of San Diego seeks a Junior Engineer - Civil to perform progressively responsible engineering work, including street and drainage design, structural engineering and plan checking, water and sewer facility design, and construction inspection in traffic and transportation projects.

Applicants must meet one of the education paths listed and provide degree or registration proofs with the application; pre-employment checks apply, and the recruitment notes mention wage increases and SD retirement

Qualifications

• Graduating senior in final semester or quarter of Civil Engineering or closely related degree program (proof of graduation required).
• Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering field.
• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate issued from a state licensing board.
• Registration as a Professional Civil, Structural, or Traffic Engineer with a state licensing board.

Responsibilities

• Street and drainage design.
• Structural engineering and plan checking.
• Water and sewer facility design.
• Construction inspection.
• Storm water quality inspection.
• Traffic and transportation engineering.
• Engineering economics.

Education

Graduating senior in Civil Engineering or closely related degree program

Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or closely related field

Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate

Registration as Professional Civil, Structural, or Traffic Engineer

Tools

CADD

GIS

PE Certification

Water/Wastewater Engineering

Storm Water/Street Design

Job description

See NOTES below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.

APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO THE FOLLOWING RELATED RECRUITMENT:

• Assistant Engineer - Traffic

Junior Engineer - Civil positions perform increasingly responsible engineering work and may be assigned professional-level duties in the following areas: Street and drainage design, structural engineering and plan checking, water and sewer facility design, construction inspection, storm water quality inspection, traffic and transportation engineering, or engineering economics; and perform other duties as assigned.

NOTES

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
  • 3.5% effective 7/1/27
  • 2% effective 7/1/28
  • 2% effective 1/1/29
• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).
• Junior Engineer - Civil employees with valid State of California registration as a Professional Civil, Structural, or Traffic Engineer are eligible for 31% additional pay.
• Junior Engineer - Civil employees who do not have a valid State of California Professional Engineer registration but have a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification that meets the requirements established by California’s Department of Consumer Affairs, Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists are eligible for 8% additional pay. The employee’s eligibility for EIT/LSIT/GIT certification pay will end when he or she achieves state registration.
• Job rotation and training under registered engineers provide opportunities for professional growth and advancement in the engineering specialties of Civil, Structural, and Traffic Engineering.

You must meet the following requirements on the date that you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EDUCATION

You must meet ONE of the following options:

1. Graduating senior in the final semester or quarter of a Civil Engineering or closely related engineering degree program. (Proof of graduation is required at the time of hire.)
2. Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering field.
3. Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate issued from a state licensing board.
4. Registration as a Professional Civil, Structural, or Traffic Engineer with a state licensing board.

NOTES

• Applicants MUST submit proof of degree/transcripts, certificate, or registration at the time of application.
• Qualifying professional civil, structural, geologic, and/or traffic engineering experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.
• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE

A valid California Class C Driver License may be required at the time of hire.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE(S)

• Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) experience.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology experience.
• Professional Engineering Certifications.
• Water and wastewater engineering experience.
• Storm water and street design engineering experience.
• Experience with planning or managing construction within public right-of-way.
• Technical writing experience.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION)

• Proof of degree/transcripts, certificate, or registration, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: [phone]; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, which may include a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All of these processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, or illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.

Rev. 9 - September 25, 2026 (New Recruitment Date)