Senior Civil Engineer

Contra Costa County; Martinez (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Contra Costa County Public Works Department seeks a Senior Civil Engineer to oversee design and construction of flood control and infrastructure projects in Martinez, CA.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams, supervise staff, and ensure timely, compliant project delivery while maintaining strong community relations.

Qualifications

• Four (4) years of full-time or equivalent professional civil engineering experience; at least one year at Associate Civil Engineer level in the County.
• Valid California PE license required.
• Valid California driver's license or equivalent out‑of‑state license accepted during application period.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of complex civil engineering projects with multidisciplinary teams.
• Directly supervise, coach, train, and mentor staff.
• Ensure delivery of projects and program initiatives on schedule and within standards.
• Represent the department in meetings and respond to inquiries from officials and the public.

Skills

Positive attitude

Team leadership

Effective communication

Strategic thinking

Mentoring others

Education

Bachelors in Civil Engineering

Job description

Bargaining Unit: Local 21 - Supervisory Management

The Position

Why join the Contra Costa Public Works Department?

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department is offering an excellent employment opportunity to fill one vacant Senior Civil Engineer position in the Flood Control Division, located in Martinez, CA. While the current vacancy is assigned to the Flood Control Division, Senior Civil Engineers work across five engineering divisions: Design/Construction, Engineering Services, Flood Control, Maintenance, and Transportation Engineering providing professional engineering services related to the planning, design, construction, improvement, and/or maintenance of road and drainage infrastructure within the unincorporated County, as well as flood control facilities for the County Flood Control District.

The Senior Civil Engineer works directly with the Division Manager, Associate Civil Engineer, and Project Engineers to shape the various types of infrastructure being developed and constructed as well as the projects, programs, services, policies, and procedures being developed and implemented to maintain and improve our community’s infrastructure and quality of life. The Senior Civil Engineer also helps develop and maintain long‑lasting relationships with our partner departments, agencies, and communities to provide safe and sustainable projects, programs, and quality services to our customers.

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) is responsible for the maintenance and operation of over 650 miles of roads, 79 miles of streams and channels, and over 150 County buildings. CCCPWD services include parks and recreation, sandbag distribution, flood control, road and facilities maintenance, and storm water management. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. CCCPWD strives for continuous improvement to deliver cost effective, safe reliable and sustainable projects, programs, and quality services.

We Are Looking For Someone Who

• Has a positive attitude; as both a supervisor and team leader.
• Is an effective communicator who can relate to staff with varied backgrounds/training, professional colleagues, County constituents, and County leadership.
• Is a multi-tasker willing to assume challenges and manage a varied workflow.
• Is flexible and adaptable to changing situations.
• Is willing to continuously learn and improve while also training and mentoring others.
• Is a strategic thinker that values input and contribution from others.
• Values the importance of mentoring staff.

What you will typically be responsible for

• Leading the design of complex engineering projects with a team typically consisting of Associate Civil Engineers, Project Engineers, staff engineers, engineering technicians, administrative analysts, professional consultants, contractors, outside agencies, developer engineers, etc.
• Directly supervising, coaching, training, and mentoring staff.
• Ensuring the delivery of projects and program initiatives.
• Resolving technical and personnel conflicts to maintain project workflow and progress.
• Monitoring changes in the civil engineering industry that may affect County standards, policies, and procedures and advise management on how to best adjust department programs to remain in compliance.
• Attending community meetings, as needed, such as Municipal Advisory Councils; represent the Department at public hearings such as the Board of Supervisors, County Planning Commission, and Zoning Administrator meetings; serving as the primary contact for the unit’s programs and services.
• Responding to inquiries and complaints from elected officials, constituents, department staff, outside agencies, and applicants/permittees and act as the primary department representative.

A few reasons you might love this job

• The Public Works Department team is great to work with. We value each other and contribute toward having a great work unit, division, department, County, and community.
• You will feel supported by senior staff while also having the ability to mentor others.
• You will work on interesting and challenging projects such as designing, constructing, and maintaining road and drainage facilities which will keep you engaged. The work directly affects our community’s quality of life.
• Collaboration with other divisions, departments, outside agencies, consultants, and the public will expand your reach and knowledge and help with building and fostering positive long‑lasting relationships.
• You will help implement standards, policies, and procedures related to road and drainage infrastructure, while also helping to review, refine, and change them to reflect changing times and help the department adapt to our political, social, and economic environments.
• You will share your knowledge and skills with others and positively contribute to their professional development and career.

A few challenges you might face in this job

• Public/government agencies have limited resources, which gives us opportunities to be strategic in maneuvering through myriads of requirements, regulations, policies, procedures, and oversight. Meeting these requirements may be time‑consuming but are necessary, as they are part of the checks and balances in place.
• You will be joining a unit that will likely have team members of varying levels of knowledge and experience. Maintaining a sufficient level of adequate and well‑trained staff may be a challenge with retirements, departures, rotations, and promotions.
• Projects, tasks, priorities, and daily demands may change requiring you to adjust your planned activities to provide quality services within the target date and budget. Various political, social, and economic factors influence our work, thus any changes affect the work we do and require reviewing and updating our ordinance, policies, and procedures.
• Public meetings may occur outside of our core office hours; thus, you will need to be flexible in your schedule and balance these meetings with other priorities and tasks.

Competencies Required

• Analyzing & Interpreting Data: Drawing meaning and conclusions from quantitative or qualitative data
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new ways to do business
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation: Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Building & Maintaining Relationships: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships
• Coaching & Developing Others: Supporting others in stretching and expanding their capabilities
• Driving Results: Demonstrating concern for achieving or surpassing results against an internal standard of excellence
• Political & Organizational Savvy: Working skillfully with politics, procedures, and protocols across organizational levels and boundaries
• Strategic Thinking & Perspective: Evaluating immediate actions in context of achieving long range objective

Minimum Qualifications

To read the complete job description, please visit the website; Government Jobs | Senior Civil Engineer

Licenses Required

• Possession of a valid California Motor Vehicle Operator's License. Out of state Motor Vehicle Operator’s License will be accepted during the application period. AND
• Possession of a valid State of California certificate of registration as a Professional Civil Engineer.

Experience

Four (4) years of full-time, or its equivalent, professional civil engineering experience, which must have included a minimum of one (1) year at a level equivalent to an Associate Civil Engineer in the Contra Costa County Public Works Department.

Desirable Qualifications

• Previous experience working for a Municipal Agency or Special District
• Hands on experience in the construction industry or construction management
• Previous experience training or mentoring others

TENTATIVE DATES

Online Interview Assessment: Tentatively scheduled for November 2026.

The online interview will be administered remotely using a computer or mobile device such as a tablet. You will need access to a reliable internet connection to participate in the online interview, as well as computer or mobile device with a camera.

The Human Resources Department may change the examination steps noted above in accordance with the Personnel Management Regulations and accepted selection practices.

For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Fina Prak at [e-mail] . For any technical issues, please contact the GovernmentJobs' applicant support team for assistance at [phone].

CONVICTION HISTORY

After you receive a conditional job offer, you will be fingerprinted, and your fingerprints will be sent to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The resulting report of your conviction history (if any) will be used to determine whether the nature of your conviction conflicts with the specific duties and responsibilities of the job for which you have received a conditional job offer. If a conflict exists, you will be asked to present any evidence of rehabilitation that may mitigate the conflict, except when federal or state regulations bar employment in specific circumstances. Having a conviction history does not automatically preclude you from a job with Contra Costa County. If you accept a conditional job offer, the Human Resources Department will contact you to schedule a fingerprinting appointment.

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER

All Contra Costa County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

It is the policy of Contra Costa County to consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

Contra Costa County is committed to providing equal access and opportunity to qualified individuals with disabilities in its employment practices. If you believe you may anticipate needing reasonable accommodation, please visit our job seeker resources page at: Special Testing Accommodations | Contra Costa County, CA Official Website.

To find more information on Benefits offered by Contra Costa County, please go to https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/1343/Employee-Benefits

01

• I understand

02

• Yes
• No

03

• Yes
• No

04

If you possess a valid State of California certificate of registration as a Professional Civil Engineer, what is your license number? If you do not, please indicate N/A below.

05

How many years of full-time or its equivalent experience, professional civil engineering experience do you possess ?

• 5 or more years of experience as described
• 4 or more, but less than 5, years of experience as described
• 3 or more, but less than 4, years of experience as described
• 2 or more, but less than 3, years of experience as described
• 1 or more, but less than 2, years of experience as described
• Less than 1 year of experience as described
• I do not possess any experience as described

06

While working as a Professional Civil Engineer, how much experience do you possess equivalent to an Associate Civil Engineer in Contra Costa County Public Works Department? (Note: You may visit the Contra Costa County Human Resources website at www.cccounty.us to review the job classification for Associate Civil Engineer)

• 2 or more years of experience as described
• 1 or more, but less than 2, years of experience as described
• Less than 1 year of experience as described
• I do not possess any experience as described

07

Do you possess experience working for a Municipal Agency or Special District?

• Yes
• No

08

I am confirming that all statements made in this supplemental questionnaire and on the application are accurate and true; and I understand that misstatements or omissions of material facts will result in being rejected from this recruitment process, or released from future employment with Contra Costa County.

• Yes
• Required Question