Senior Water Engineer

Jobtailor; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

A Portland-area water engineering team seeks an experienced senior project engineer to lead capital-improvement programs from concept through closeout. You will oversee scope, schedules, budgets, risks, and documentation while coordinating with operations, finance, procurement, regulators, and community stakeholders.

Responsibilities include reviewing designs, managing consultants and contractors, ensuring regulatory compliance, and mentoring staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from an accredited institution.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible engineering and capital project-delivery experience.
• Professional Engineer certification, or ability to obtain within six months of appointment.
• Experience independently managing major engineering or infrastructure projects, or multiple projects of moderate scope with complex features.
• Experience directing engineering consultants, reviewing complex technical deliverables, and leading contractors and stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of civil engineering methods and project-management principles.
• Willingness to travel approximately 10–20% to project sites and other locations.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital improvement projects from concept development through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.
• Develop and manage project scope, schedules, budgets, estimates, cost forecasts, work plans, and risk management.
• Coordinate engineering planning studies, designs, plans, specifications, and technical reports; review deliverables.
• Direct consultants, negotiate contracts, and manage procurement and contractor performance.
• Provide construction-phase management, field oversight, QA/QC, commissioning support, and closeout.
• Ensure compliance with all laws, regulations, and safety requirements.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and communicate technical issues to diverse audiences.
• Mentor junior staff and act as a senior technical resource.
• Maintain complete project records and support continuous improvement of practices.

Skills

Project management

Civil engineering

Professional Engineer Certification

Contract administration

Stakeholder communication

Effective communication

Leadership

Problem solving

Mentoring

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering

Job description

• Lead major capital improvement projects and multiple complex moderate-scope projects from concept development through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, closeout, and transition to operations
• Develop and manage project scope, schedules, budgets, estimates, cost forecasts, work plans, status reports, risks, and documentation
• Lead or coordinate engineering planning studies, alternatives analyses, designs, plans, specifications, estimates, technical reports, contract documents, and bid packages
• Select and scope outside engineering services; direct consultants and review, approve, and accept complex engineering deliverables
• Exercise advanced professional engineering judgment in evaluating designs, calculations, drawings, specifications, cost estimates, technical recommendations, risks, and proposed changes
• Lead procurement, competitive bidding, consultant and contractor selection, contract administration, and procurement-record maintenance
• Manage contracts, change orders, invoices, deliverables, and contractor performance; resolve variances and implement or recommend corrective action
• Coordinate internal and external participants including operations, finance, procurement, legal, communications, regulatory agencies, community representatives, property owners, consultants, and contractors
• Develop and lead public and stakeholder outreach; communicate technical issues, impacts, risks, alternatives, and decisions to technical and nontechnical audiences
• Provide construction-phase management including field oversight, inspection coordination, constructability review, contractor direction, submittal and RFI review, QA/QC review, commissioning support, deficiency resolution, and closeout
• Ensure compliance with contract requirements and applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, codes, permits, and safety requirements
• Anticipate and address technical, financial, schedule, permitting, construction, operational, and stakeholder risks; evaluate alternatives and resolve high-impact issues
• Lead evaluation of engineering alternatives and project-delivery strategies and make or recommend decisions
• Lead resolution of significant technical, construction, operational, regulatory, and stakeholder issues; elevate matters beyond delegated authority
• Maintain complete project records, including decisions, approvals, correspondence, design documents, field records, financial information, as-built documentation, and closeout materials
• Act as a senior technical resource, providing technical guidance, mentoring, project leadership, and peer review
• Represent Water Engineering on major cross-functional projects, initiatives, and technical discussions
• Conduct site visits and participate in meetings at project and business locations
• Lead or contribute to capital planning, project prioritization, cost forecasting, risk evaluation, and continuous improvement of engineering and project-management practices
• Identify emerging engineering, infrastructure, and project-delivery needs and recommend solutions, standards, design criteria, or process improvements

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related engineering discipline from an accredited institution
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible engineering and capital project-delivery experience
• Certification as a Professional Engineer, or ability to obtain certification within six months of appointment
• Experience independently managing major engineering or infrastructure projects, or multiple projects of moderate scope with complex features, through design and construction
• Experience directing engineering consultants, reviewing and approving complex technical deliverables, and leading contractors and multifaceted stakeholder groups
• Advanced working knowledge of civil engineering methods and practices used for engineering planning studies, designs, plans, specifications, estimates, and reports
• Advanced working knowledge of project-management principles and the application of engineering technical principles and practices
• Working knowledge of technical drafting principles and the interpretation and use of engineering plans, maps, and specifications
• Working knowledge of governmental procurement, competitive bidding, contract administration, and applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and codes
• Working knowledge of project and program budgeting, cost estimating, cost tracking, forecasting, and financial analysis
• Ability to lead complex negotiations, exercise independent professional judgment, resolve ambiguous issues, manage competing priorities, and communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical audiences
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project and business locations
• Approximately 10% to 20% travel to project sites and other business locations
• Must be able to safely access project and construction locations and work in varying weather, terrain, noise, and environmental conditions, with reasonable accommodation as required
• Maintain required professional licensure and job-related training or certifications
• Follow site-access, personal protective equipment, driving, and contractor-safety requirements applicable to assigned work
• Additional background screening, drug testing, driving-record review, or regulatory requirements may apply
• Preferred: Engineering or project-delivery experience in the drinking water, wastewater, utility, public works, or related infrastructure industry
• Preferred: Experience with public or governmental procurement, competitive bidding, and capital construction contracts
• Preferred: Project Management Professional certification or comparable formal project-management training
• Preferred: Experience providing technical guidance, peer review, or project leadership to engineers and other project professionals
• Preferred: Ability to support emergency response when needed

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in leading capital improvement projects, managing project scope, schedules, and budgets, while ensuring compliance with engineering standards and regulations. Proficient in stakeholder communication and technical guidance, with a strong focus on risk management and project delivery.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Project Management
• Civil Engineering
• Professional Engineer Certification
• Contract Administration
• Stakeholder Communication

Hard Skills

• Project Scope Management
• Cost Estimating
• Engineering Planning Studies
• Technical Report Writing
• Construction Management
• Risk Evaluation
• Budgeting
• Negotiation
• Technical Drafting Principles
• Regulatory Compliance

Soft Skills

• Effective Communication
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Mentoring
• Team Coordination

Certifications & Qualifications

• Professional Engineer Certification
• Project Management Professional Certification

Industry Keywords

• Capital Improvement Projects
• Infrastructure
• Public Works
• Drinking Water
• Wastewater
• Governmental Procurement
• Competitive Bidding
• Contract Management
• Construction Contracts
• Engineering Deliverables