Senior Engineer - Construction Management or Geotechnical

Valley-Water; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Water in San Jose, CA is seeking a Senior Engineer to lead construction management or geotechnical efforts for the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project. The role focuses on delivering complex infrastructure safely, coordinating with regulators, agencies, and contractors, and supporting real estate acquisitions and encroachment permits.

Ideal candidates will have six-plus years in public works construction or geotechnical engineering, with lead responsibilities, and a California PE

Job description

Senior Engineer, Construction Management: $175,219.20 - $224,286.40 Annually

Senior Engineer, Geotechnical: $175,219.20 - $224,286.40 Annually

Overview:

Help shape the future of one of our region’s most critical infrastructure projects. Bring your engineering expertise and leadership to the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project (ADSRP) and play a key role in delivering this complex project safely and successfully.

This position will provide Senior Engineer support to the ADSRP in Morgan Hill, CA during construction. This position is critical to ensure construction activities are completed efficiently, safely, and in compliance with contract documents and various regulatory requirements.

The ADSRP will require significant interaction with a variety of external agencies, including Dam Safety Regulatory agencies. The Senior Engineer is essential to coordinating timely reviews and inspections with the regulators. The Senior Engineer will submit monthly regulatory reports and provide weekly to daily updates during peak construction work. The Senior Engineer will lead the effort in coordinating annual meetings with the regulators and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)- required Board of Consultants.

The Senior Engineer will work closely with the City of Morgan Hill, County Roads and Airports, and County Parks on the use of their facilities. This includes approvals of traffic control plans, encroachment permit compliance, submittals, and the restoration of facilities.

This role may include providing supervision to Associate and Assistant Engineers assigned to the Project.

This posting is for one position that the selected candidate will be hired as a Senior Engineer- Construction Management or Senior Engineer- Geotechnical based on experience and licenses.

Our Commitment:

We are committed to building and sustaining a working environment where all individuals are respected and valued. We believe every member of our team brings unique perspectives that enhance our ability to serve the public effectively. By fostering a workplace with employees from the communities we serve, we broaden our collective understanding of the world around us and strengthen our mission to equitably provide safe, clean water, natural flood protections, and environmental stewardship.

About Valley Water:

Valley Water’s mission is to provide Santa Clara County with safe, clean water for a healthy life, environment, and economy. The FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget of $1.284 billion supports approximately 876 employees. W with headquarters in San José, Valley Water provides water supply, enhances streams and watersheds through creek restoration and habitat protection, provides flood protection for homes, schools, businesses and roadways, and partners with other agencies to provide trails and open space for the community.

Who We Are:

To learn how Valley Water provides safe, clean water and environmental stewardship for the Santa Clara community, please click here.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Managing, directing, and overseeing performance of professional engineering functions for the construction of the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project.
• Providing technical review of contractor submittals, RFIs, and design modifications.
• Coordination of assigned activities with other units, groups, outside agencies, consultants, and contractors. This includes submittal review and inspections.
• Coordination with Dam Safety Regulatory oversight, including annual updates to the FERC required by the Board of Consultants, FERC monthly compliance reports, weekly to daily updates to the agencies, scheduling of Dam Safety inspections and follow-up, and regulatory review of design modifications and submittals.
• Acquisition of the remaining real estate properties needed for the Project, and management of the permission-to-enter agreements for air monitoring stations set to expire at various dates throughout construction.
• Coordination with the City of Morgan Hill, County Parks, and County Roads and Airports for restoration of their facilities, encroachment permit compliance, submittals, and design modifications.

Ideal Candidate’s Background Includes:

Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria as listed below.

Ideal Experience:

• Ideal Experience for Construction: Six (6) years of professional engineering experience including experience managing public works projects through the construction phase, including at least two (2) years of lead experience.
• Ideal Experience for Geotechnical: Six (6) years of geotechnical engineering experience, including two (2) years lead responsibility.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee complex construction or geotechnical engineering projects, including schedules, budgets, contracts, technical studies, and project delivery.
• Read, interpret, and apply engineering plans, drawings, specifications, technical reports, and contract documents.
• Analyze complex technical and operational issues, evaluate alternatives and potential consequences, and develop and implement sound recommendations.
• Prepare, negotiate, and administer contracts, agreements, and change orders.
• Apply construction management or geotechnical engineering principles, practices, and specialized software to resolve engineering problems.
• Conduct engineering studies and prepare clear, concise, and defensible technical reports, correspondence, and presentations.
• Organize and prioritize multiple projects and assignments, maintain effective records and tracking systems, and allocate resources to meet established deadlines.
• Plan, assign, review, and evaluate staff work and provide effective training, coaching, and mentorship.
• Communicate effectively and establish positive working relationships with staff, contractors, public agencies, regulatory agencies, elected officials, stakeholders, and the public.
• Apply technical expertise and an understanding of applicable legal, regulatory, policy, and political considerations to advance Valley Water projects.

Ideal Knowledge:

• Principles and practices of project management, including planning, design, cost estimating, construction, installation, inspection, and delivery of infrastructure projects.
• Project and program budgeting, contract preparation, negotiation and administration, grants management, and sound financial management practices.
• Methods for researching complex issues, evaluating alternatives, developing sound recommendations, and preparing and presenting effective reports.
• Principles and practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment, review, evaluation, and staff development.
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, and safety requirements.
• Microsoft Office and relevant project management, construction management, or engineering software.

Construction Management/Engineering

• Construction management principles, practices, methods, materials, specifications, and codes.
• Engineering concepts related to hydrology, hydraulics, water treatment, structural, mechanical, electrical, control systems, and soil mechanics.
• Construction-related laws and regulations involving prevailing wages, certified payroll, prompt payment, stop-payment notices, retention, claims, subcontractors, underground utilities, excavation safety, and public works contracting.
• Relevant technical codes and standards, including NEC, plumbing and fire protection codes, Caltrans standards, and local public right-of-way requirements.
• Construction management software such as eADOC, Procore, Prolog, Primavera, or SureTrak.

Geotechnical Engineering

• Geotechnical engineering principles and practices, including soil mechanics, foundation engineering, geology, and dam safety.
• Geotechnical construction methods, materials, specifications, testing, and inspection practices.
• Applicable geotechnical and dam-safety standards and regulations established by organizations such as ASTM, ASCE, ISRM, FERC, DSOD, FEMA, and USACE.
• Geotechnical analysis software such as SLOPE/W and SEEP/W.

I deal Training and Education:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in civil engineering or a related field.

Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver's license. Individuals who do not meet the driver's license requirement due to a disability will be considered for a reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis.

Senior Engineer Construction Management:

Possess and maintain a valid license as a Professional Engineer issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Senior Engineer Geotechnical Engineering:

Possess and maintain a valid license as a Professional Civil Engineer and Professional Geotechnical Engineer issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Dam Capital Project Delivery I Unit (Position Code 352)

Valley Water Telework Program: Eligibility for telework will depend on the type of work performed, operational needs, and the ability for the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties while teleworking. Employment with Valley Water requires employees to live within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in San Jose, California by their start date.

This position requires on-site presence during active construction activities. During periods when construction is not in progress, the position may be eligible for a hybrid telework arrangement, typically consisting of 40% remote work and 60% on-site.

Valley Water's Equal Opportunity Non-Discrimination Policy is available for review upon request.

Valley Water will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please advise Human Resources in advance of any special needs by calling 408-630-2260.

Please be aware that once submitted all application materials become the property of Valley Water and will not be returned. Human Resources staff are not authorized to make copies of application materials for applicants.