Senior Engineer – Limited Term

American Society of Civil Engineers; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 224,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Water is seeking a Senior Engineer to lead flood protection projects, guiding planning, design and construction documents for major capital programs in the San Jose area.

The role directs an in-house design team and consultants, coordinating with USACE and partners to advance studies, manage risks, and ensure timely delivery of construction-ready documents. This is a limited-term, full-time position with a strong focus on leadership and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Six (6) years of professional engineering experience in flood protection; at least two (2) years in a lead role.
• Civil engineering background; structural engineering is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the in-house project team for planning, design, execution, and implementation of assigned flood protection projects.
• Coordinate meetings with project teams and cross-functional units for planning and stakeholder alignment.
• Manage cost-sharing, operations & maintenance, and other project-related agreements.
• Review and prepare engineering reports, plans, specifications, cost estimates and other technical documents.
• Oversee plan document compliance and ensure contractors meet contract requirements and standards.
• Provide construction support and contract administration through RFIs, submittals, and change orders.

Skills

Planning & design

Civil engineering

Hydrology

Engineering studies

Construction support

Project management

Public communication

Reading plans & specs

Structural engineering

Problem analysis

Job description

Senior Engineer - Limited Term

Valley Water

Salary: $175,219.20 - $224,286.40 Annually

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 02006-LT

Location: 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA, CA

Department: Watersheds Design and Construction

Closing: 8/16/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description

This Senior Engineer position will serve as the lead engineer for assigned critical flood protection projects (for example: Sunnyvale East and West Channels Flood Protection, Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection, and Upper Penitencia Creek Flood Protection), providing overall project management through planning studies, coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as needed, design and preparation of construction documents, support during construction, and project closeout. The selected candidate will direct the in-house design team and consultants and work closely with the USACE and other project partners to develop and deliver the planning studies and construction documents required to advance projects to construction. With the recent strategic prioritization of the Watershed Capital Program, this role will be instrumental in ensuring projects remain on track by coordinating design efforts, managing project risks, and maintaining alignment with project objectives. The Senior Engineer will oversee the successful execution of design deliverables, support construction-phase services and guide projects through completion and closeout. The position will provide leadership across a multidisciplinary team and serve as a key liaison among internal and external stakeholders, regulatory agencies, the USACE, and partner organizations to facilitate collaboration, resolve issues and support the timely delivery of projects.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Leads the in-house project team responsible for planning, design, execution, and implementation of assigned projects. Directs and supervises daily project management activities, ensuring effective coordination, timely delivery, adherence to project objectives and successful completion of project milestones.
• Coordinates and facilitates meetings with project teams and cross-functional Valley Water units and divisions to support project planning, execution, and stakeholder alignment.
• Manages cost-sharing, operations and maintenance and other project-related agreements.
• Review and preparation of engineering reports, plans, specifications, cost estimates and other technical documents.
• Oversees plan document compliance and ensures contractors perform work in accordance with contract requirements, specifications and project standards.
• Construction support and contract administration by reviewing requests for information (RFIs), submittals and potential change order items.

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 listed below.

Ideal Experience:

• Six (6) years of professional engineering experience in flood protection, including at least two (2) years of lead responsibility.
• Professional experience in civil engineering; structural engineering is a plus.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• Planning, design and construction of infrastructure projects, especially of flood control/protection projects.
• General civil and/or structural engineering experience including but not limited to bridges, retaining walls, levees, slope stability structures and other flood control structures.
• Strong familiarity with hydrology and open channel and/or closed conduit hydraulics.
• Preparing engineering studies, reports, plans, specifications, cost estimates and design calculations.
• Post design construction support services including construction field observation, construction administration and construction management.
• Project management and multi-objective projects.
• Public correspondence/communication and technical writing.
• Deliver complex, technical and sensitive engineering projects and programs in an independent and cooperative manner.
• Read, prepare, review and interpret engineering plans, drawings, specifications and contract documents.
• Apply structural engineering principles and computer programs to resolve engineering problems.
• Conduct various engineering studies to recommend engineering solutions.
• Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions,