Project Engineer

New England Water Works Association; Northbridge (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

New England Water Works Association is seeking a Project Engineer to provide direct oversight of assigned tasks and support the GM, FC, and OM in delivering projects safely, on time, and within budget.

You will assist with budgeting, reporting, subcontractor management, regulatory compliance, and cross-departmental coordination across a range of water infrastructure initiatives. The role requires collaboration with staff, regulators, and stakeholders in a dynamic office and field environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, construction management or related field or equivalent years of experience.
• 5 years of experience in utilities operations, construction, project management or related role.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and basic project management tools.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to occasionally travel to job or other offsite locations.

Responsibilities

• Assist with budgeting, forecasting, and cost tracking for projects and programs.
• Support administrative tasks including records, bids, receipts, and cost coding.
• Coordinate regulatory filings, data collection, and reporting requirements.
• Plan and schedule project activities, infrastructure upgrades, maintenance, and capital projects.
• Coordinate with Town departments, vendors, and engineering firms; manage RFPs and subcontracts.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Project coordination

Team collaboration

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, construction management or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Outlook

AutoCAD

GIS

Job description

Position Summary

The role of Project Engineer is to provide direct oversight for the tasks to which they have been assigned while also supporting the Company in a variety of other tasks and responsibilities. A list of the typical duties is detailed below. The successful candidate will work closely with the General Manager (GM), Financial Controller (FC) and Operations Manager (OM), to ensure that assignments are delivered safely, efficiently, on time, and within budget. The role involves a combination of responsibilities including budgeting, administrative support, subcontractor management, customer support, regulatory compliance, documentation, field coordination, and crossdepartmental communication.

Key Responsibilities

Budget & Resource Support

• Assist the GM in developing annual operational & capital budgeting, as well as forecasting the cost of singular internal and external projects.
• This position requires experience with budgets, annual reports, spreadsheets, and income statements, as well as the knowledge to utilize a variety of software used in their creation.
• Must have strong organizational skills with the ability to provide accurate & concise reporting up the chain of command.
• Track project-related expenses and assist in costtocomplete forecasting.
• Verify vendor invoices, deliveries, and materials used on projects.
• Support grant application documentation or reporting, when applicable.
• Assist with other projects assigned including but not limited to completion of monthly and annual DEP and DPU reports, rate case documentation or other tasks as requested by the General Manager, Financial Controller or Operations Manager.

Office & Administrative Support

• Promptly and curiously assist other personnel when needed to assist with billing, cost coding, extra work slips, or other questions that may arise.
• Ensure that records, bids, receipts, etc., are properly filed within the company’s database.
• Ensure that subcontractor and material receipts are properly cost coded
• Actively and positively support the Company in all interactions with staff, customers, regulators, Town Officials and other stakeholders.

Regulatory & Project Support

• Assist with the compiling of data needed for a variety of regulatory filings or requirements such as the Annual Water Quality Report, Annual Statistical Report, Rate Case filings, etc.
• Assist in the planning and scheduling of project activities, including infrastructure upgrades, maintenance programs, and capital improvement projects.
• Identify potential engineering, construction and other vendors, issue RFP’s, review proposals and issue subcontracts for the design of capital projects.
• Coordinate construction planning with Town of Northbridge departments including DPW, Fire, Police, Planning, Building, Board of Health and Conservation.
• Support procurement processes by gathering quotes and preparing requisitions.
• Ensure that project designs are delivered on time and in compliance with WWC standards.
• Review capital project applications for payment and track expenses against budget.
• Track project progress, milestones, risks, and deliverables. Attend project meetings, review RFI’s, approve change orders and monthly requisitions.
• Coordinate with contractors, vendors, engineering firms, and utility partners.
• Record field activity, collect measurements, verify quantities, and support inspections.
• Maintain accurate project records—including bid results, drawings, permits, purchase orders, change orders, cost summaries, as-built drawings, and tie cards in a clear and concise manner within the Company’s database.

Communication & Team Collaboration

• Serve as a liaison between the General Manager, Operations Manager, field & office staff, engineering teams, and contractors.
• Participate in project meetings and prepare meeting minutes.
• Communicate project updates to internal stakeholders in a clear and timely manner.
• Assist the GM, FC & OM in compiling data and generating reports to a variety of stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, construction management or related field or equivalent years of experience.
• 5 years of experience in utilities operations, construction, project management or related role.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and basic project management tools.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to occasionally travel to job or other offsite locations.

Preferred (In Addition to the Required Qualifications Noted Above)

• Knowledge of state and federal regulations related to drinking water.
• Ability to read construction drawings and interpret technical documents.
• Experience in Safety programs within the water, construction or related industry.
• Familiarity with GIS, AutoCAD.
• Previous use of Utility Cloud, Muni-link, Sensus of other asset management software.
• OSHA 30, Confined Space, NFPA 30, First Aid or HAZWOPPER Certification

Key Competencies

• Detailoriented and methodical
• Self-aware, ethical, and collaborative
• Teamoriented with a focus on service and reliability
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to adapt to changing roles and responsibilities
• Strong problemsolving and analytical skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously

Working Conditions

• This role operates primarily in an office environment. Routine use of standard office equipment like computers, phones and copiers is required.
• Occasional fieldwork may involve exposure to construction environments, varying weather, and uneven terrain.
• Occasional evening or weekend hours may be required based on project needs.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Some job functions are performed outdoors.