Associate Engineer

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about San José.

About the Department

The Department of Public Works is responsible for delivering capital improvement projects for a wide variety of City facilities and infrastructure, maintaining City facilities and fleet assets, facilitating and regulating development activities, and providing animal care and services.

The Department is committed to high-quality service, partnering with the community, and providing an excellent environment in which to work. We strive to constantly demonstrate the City values of Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect, and Celebration, and seek employees who do the same.

The total salary range for the Associate Engineer classification is $130,057.20 - $164,651.76.

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates' qualifications and experience.

The Public Works Department is currently seeking to fill one Limit Dated full-time Associate Engineer vacancy as well as one full-time permanent Associate Engineer vacancy in the City Facilities Architectural Services Division (CFAS).

The City Facilities Architectural Services (CFAS) Division, Civil Engineering section is responsible for the project management and delivery of capital projects for buildings, parks, trails, libraries, public safety facilities and various cultural facilities.

The Associate Engineer classification is the third level of the engineering series and typically requires minimal supervision in the design, review, and management of projects. Incumbents of this class are typically supervised and provided lead direction and training by a Senior Engineer.

The ideal candidate will possess a high level of professionalism, excellent customer service skills, and a supreme work ethic. These positions require excellent judgment, initiative, perseverance, integrity, organizational skills, flexibility and written and verbal communications skills.

Typical duties include, but are not limited to:

• Prepares and/or reviews designs, improvement plans, estimates, specifications, and contract documents for capital improvement projects, private development projects or other engineering related projects that are prepared by subordinates and/or consultants engaged by the City or by private developers.

•  Reviews and responds to Request for Information memos (RFIs) and submittals, negotiate change orders and review pay applications.

•  Manages projects, i.e., oversees, controls, and guides the project.

•  Negotiates, prepares and manages consultant agreements and/or construction contracts.

•  Supervises staff by prioritizing and assigning work; conducting performance evaluations; ensuring staff is trained; making hiring, termination  and disciplinary recommendations.

•  Supervises the collection and analysis of field data and prepares recommendations.

•  Responsible for interfacing with the public, consultants, contractors, other City departments/sections, and other agencies, and is responsible for timely response to the stakeholders' requests and concerns on projects.

•  Coordinates with construction inspectors and attends field meetings to resolve problems arising in the field during the construction of a public improvement project.

•  Prepares clearly written and effective reports and Council Memos.

•  Tracks and manages project costs using appropriate tools and resources.  Responsible for permitting, managing, and designing capital projects.

Additional responsibilities specific to the CFAS Civil Engineering Section position:

Associate Engineer (Civil Engineering Section focus on Civil Engineering area):

• Manages multiple civil engineering projects for various city facilities, parks, and trails.

• Provide civil engineering expertise in one or more of the following areas: structural, geotechnical, transportation, water resources, surveying and geomatics.

• Reviews and analyzes project plans, specifications, calculations, and cost estimates.  Occasionally design or calculate civil engineering plans and details.   Projects may conform to various federal, state, regional, and local standards, codes, and regulations.

• Calculates construction cost estimates and overall project costs for budget preparation.

• Reviews and analyzes grading plans, erosion control and storm water management.

• Reviews and manages survey reports, maps, and plans.

Associate Engineer (Civil Engineering Section focus on Structural Engineering area):

• Performs structural engineering analysis and design conforming to the CBC requirements and other related local and state standards.

• Performs structural engineering related project management in building.

• Estimates construction cost for budget preparation.

• Performs structural design, analysis on some simple structures

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional engineering discipline or possession of an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate, and three (3) years of increasingly responsible professional engineering experience.

Acceptable Substitution

A Master's degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional engineering discipline may be substituted for one (1) year of professional engineering experience.

Exception

Associate Engineers working in the Building Division as plan reviewers must have four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in professional civil engineering work with at least two (2) years of experience in design and construction of buildings.  An EIT certificate is not acceptable as replacement for the required Bachelor's degree.

Required Licensing

• Certificate of Registration in a relevant professional engineering discipline may be required for some positions.

• Possession of a valid State of California driver's license may be required.

• Other licenses or certifications may be required for particular positions.

Basic Competencies

• Job Expertise

• Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

• Communication Skills

- Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

• Computer Skills

• MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.

• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills

• Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

• Analytical Thinking

• Approaches a problem or situation by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.

• Creativity

• Addresses objectives and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions in order to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business; exhibits creativity and innovation when contributing to organizational and individual objectives; seeks out opportunities to improve, streamline, reinvent work processes.

• Decision Making

• Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.

• Planning

• Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.

• Problem Solving

• Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

• Project Management

• Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives.

• Supervision:  Sets effective long and short-term goals based on good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.