Project Assistant

See NOTES below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.

Project Assistant positions prepare, review and evaluate cost estimates, drawings, designs and specifications; utilize advanced computer-aided design and drafting software (CADD); supervise and review the work of drafting staff; provide computer-aided design support to staff; manage project schedules; manage consultant contracts and make community presentations; assist in the coordination of design, construction, operation and inspection of City projects; coordinate the acquisition of permits and regulatory approvals for the City's construction projects; act as technical liaison with various regulators; track compliance requirements for facility construction and operational permits; review the issuance of discretionary permits on public facilities; develop facilities financing plans for public facilities; meet with citizen groups, City officials, other agencies, contractors and professional experts; prepare and review documents, plans and blueprints, specifications and contract awards; perform on-site inspections; prepare, create and/or modify project alignments or maps in a Geographic Information System (GIS) application; and perform other duties as assigned.

NOTES:

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
  4% effective 7/1/24
  2% effective 1/1/25
  5% effective 7/1/25

• In addition to the scheduled general wage increases, the following special salary wage increase is also scheduled to take effect for Project Assistant:
  5% effective 1/1/25
  5% effective 1/1/26

• Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).

• Project Assistant positions may require site inspections of facilities in the field around sewage, mud, sludge, high places, roofs, crawl spaces or undeveloped sites with uneven terrain.

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EXPERIENCE: Two years of full-time professional-level commercial, industrial, governmental, park construction, or large-scale residential construction project management experience. Qualifying experience must include one of the following:

• Preparing and reviewing contract documents.

• Planning, coordinating, estimating, and scheduling construction projects.

• Designing or inspecting construction projects.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: In addition to the experience requirement above, you must meet ONE of the following options:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter).

• Engineer-In-Training (E.I.T.) Certificate issued by a state licensing board.

• Four ADDITIONAL years of full-time professional-level or subprofessional-level engineering or drafting experience, typically under the direction of a professional engineer, architect or land surveyor. Qualifying professional-level or subprofessional-level engineering or drafting experience must be in at least ONE of the following areas:

• Preparation of construction plans and specifications.

• Reviewing engineering plans and drawings or inspecting construction sites or facilities to verify conditions as represented in construction or final plans and maps.

• Making precise distance and elevation measurements and keeping field notes.

• Collecting, interpreting and analyzing engineering data.

• Researching existing pipelines as-builts, right-of-ways and easements.

• Preparing engineering documents utilizing GIS and/or CADD software.

NOTES:

• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis.  One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.

• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE: A valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of hire.

NOTE:

• For some positions, you must provide your own vehicle for which mileage will be reimbursed.

HIGHLY DESIRABLE:

• Experience utilizing advanced computer-aided design and drafting software (CADD).

• Experience drafting, reporting and supporting a Geographic Information System.

• Experience with American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) project compliance.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts or certificate, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next one year. For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may constitute cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities. 

Rev. 9 - June 21, 2024 (New Recruitment Date)