UTILITIES ENGINEER

City of Fort Myers; Fort Myers (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Fort Myers is seeking a senior professional to manage and direct the Utilities Engineering function, guiding planning, design, and construction for water and sewer infrastructure. The role requires a Florida PE and a decade of public works experience, with supervisory duties and strong leadership.

Responsibilities include coordinating with county/state/federal agencies, managing capital improvement projects, and overseeing contracts for compliance and quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering; relevant substitutions allowed.
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in public works or utilities; two years in supervisory role.
• Florida Registered Professional Engineer or eligible to obtain FL PE within one year.
• Valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Manage and supervise Utilities Engineering staff.
• Provide professional engineering support for water, sewer, and facilities.
• Represent the City in engineering matters with County, State, and Federal Agencies.
• Develop and manage capital improvement projects and budgets for Utilities.
• Oversee construction contracts to assure code compliance and quality.
• Attend Council meetings as required.
• Ensure work force availability during emergencies and maintain reliable attendance.

Skills

Staff supervision

Budgeting

Engineering judgment

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Under the general supervision of the designated supervisor, performshighly responsible administrative and professional work managing all activities of the Utilities Engineering function. Manages and provides direction and leadership to the Utilities Department in carrying out its assigned function of providing professional engineering services to the staff and citizens of Fort Myers in the planning, design, and construction management for all utilities infrastructure improvements as well as for repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure.

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the City’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Responsibilities and Reporting During an Emergency Situation

Essential Employees

may be required to work during a declared emergency. Depending on the nature of the emergency, this may require working around the clock for several days on short notice.

Non-Essential Employees

will not be required to work during a declared emergency. The employee’s Department Head will determine when the employee will be required to work.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Manages and supervises the Utilities Engineering staff.
• Provide professional engineering support to City staff in the areas of the operation and maintenance of infrastructure.
• Represent the City in engineering matters to County, State and Federal Agencies.
• Research field conditions, budgetary resources and develop capital improvement projects for City water, sewer, and other facilities.
• Provide project management for capital improvement projects.
• Oversee the implementation of construction contracts to assure code compliance, quality of work and materials, and operation of facility upon completion.
• Provide advice and counsel with respect to engineering matters, including approval/disapproval of annexations, variances, conditional uses, and vacations for consideration.
• Meet with City’s consultant’s on water, sewer, and special projects to convey the related City’s requirements and code requirements.
• Prepare, submit and implement permit applications to Federal and State authorities for operation of water and sewer plants, water withdrawals, water use, reuse water, streets, etc.
• Prepare and manage budget for Utilities Engineering and assist in the planning and implementation of the Capital Improvements Budget for Utilities projects.
• Attend Council meetings, as required.
• This position requires regular and reliable attendance and the employee’s physical presence at the workplace.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Proficient in the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, and presentation software.
• Must possess stress tolerance, flexibility, sound judgment, high ethical standards, personal integrity, and sensitivity to political concerns.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written form.
• Ability to speak clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations.
• Ability to operate necessary equipment, including personal computer, calculator, printer, copier, facsimile, and other standard office equipment.
• Ability to make quick decisions; good managerial skills; analytical skills, organizational and problem-solving skills.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in civil engineering or related field. Experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, abilities and essential job functions may be substituted for the degree.
• Ten years’ of progressively responsible experience in public works, planning, design and contract administration or related work; two years of which must have been in the administrative and supervisory capacity.
• Must possess a valid Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record.
• Must be a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Florida or must be a Registered Professional Engineer in another state and have the ability to obtain a Professional Engineer License in the state of Florida within one year.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's Degree preferred from an acredited college or university.
• Preferably five years' experience to be specifically in local government or similar enviornment.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

This work typically requires the following physical activities to be performed.

• Balancing – maintain equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing, or crouching.
• Climbing – ascending, descending ladders, stairs, ramps, requires body agility.
• Crawling – moving about on hands, knees, or hands, feet.
• Pushing – use upper extremities to press against objects with force, or thrust forward, downward, outward.
• Reaching – extending hands or arms in any direction.
• Repetitive Motion – substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
• Speaking – expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
• Standing – for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping – bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.
• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word
• Crouching – bending body forward by bending leg, spine.
• Feeling – perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
• Fingering – picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
• Grasping – applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
• Handling – picking, holding, or working with whole hand.
• Hearing 1 – perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
• Hearing 2 – receive detailed information, make discrimination in sound.
• Kneeling – bending legs at knee to come to rest at knees.
• Lifting – raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.
• Mental Acuity – ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
• Pulling - use upper extremities to exert force, haul or tug.
• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 2 - color, depth perception, field of vision.
• Visual Acuity 3 - determine accuracy, neatness, observe facilities/structures.
• Visual Acuity 4 - operate motor vehicles/heavy equipment.
• Visual Acuity 5 -close acuity for inspection of small defects, machines, use measurement devices, or fabricate parts.
• Walking - on foot to accomplish tasks, long distances, or site to site.

Work performed is primarily:

• Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• May be required to work hours other than the regular schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Contact with internal and external customers, vendors, outside agencies, and the general public.
• Occasionally exposed to adverse weather conditions, including wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; extreme cold; extreme heat; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation and vibration.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions described herein. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.