City of Durham, NC

Position Description

Work. Serve. Thrive. With the City of Durham

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Salary Range: $76,399 - $118,415 

Hiring Range: $76,399 - $97,407 

Hours/Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

• This position will also be posted as a Principal Engineer (CE III). Only one position will be filled depending on qualifications. You must apply for both positions to be considered for either the Sr. Engineer (CE II) or the Principal Engineer (CE III).

Top-notch management, highly qualified, competent staff and opportunities for career advancement and professional success make the City of Durham’s Public Works Department a great place to work. We create the foundation on which Durham is built, using innovative methods that support the City’s growth and enhance our quality of life. If growing professionally while serving your community is for you, bring your skills to Durham!

The purpose of this position is to prepare and assist in the preparation of professional civil engineering work performed in the planning, surveying, design, review, contracting, inspection, field supervision, and maintenance of multiple types of municipal engineering projects and systems. These types of systems include but are not limited to roads, sidewalks, traffic calming devices, water systems, sewer systems, stormwater conveyance systems, stormwater management systems, and pumping systems.

This position will primarily be in the Design Engineering Group and be responsible for the design of construction projects using AutoCAD C3D and other related design software in the preparation of construction documents related to the work described above. Tasks include but are not limited to construction plan preparation, permit applications, quantity take-offs, field investigations, and project management. Other duties include providing administrative or technical support to staff, attending meetings on projects with internal and external customers, and developing engineering skill sets. Work is performed under the direct supervision of a registered licensed professional engineer.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Performs project management duties to include scope development, preparing and administering contracts, and developing and managing project schedules and budgets; develops City Council agenda items; obtains permits; reviews and approves invoices and other documentation; facilitates project meetings; participates and recommends hiring of contractors; conducts site visits; monitors contractor, consultant, and other project work; applies for and administers grants; and prepares and distributes project updates.
• Prepares and/or reviews technical presentations, reports, land development applications, plats, agreements, engineering and construction drawings, contracts, plans (including development, zoning, and traffic and signal plans), and correspondence; drafts ordinances and resolutions; maintains records, logs, and databases; reviews and analyzes information; researches trends; makes recommendations; and ensures compliance with City requirements, and applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Performs engineering design work, or provides technical engineering support for the planning, design, operation, and construction of transportation facilities, projects, and systems; designs or reviews plans; conducts studies including collecting and analyzing data; performs engineering and complex fee calculations; and manages programming of technical systems and databases.
• Coordinates with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies and the public, and attends meetings, to provide professional-level technical expertise; responds to and investigates questions, concerns, and requests; performs outreach activities; trains staff, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Manages special projects when assigned, including providing guidance to staff and other managers, coordinating program and project operations, and researching and designing solutions. May lead or supervise operations of support/paraprofessional staff; coordinates operations related to application processing, billing, and infrastructure acceptance; develops operational policies and procedures; establishes work unit goals, as assigned; and ensures that all operations comply with applicable policies and procedures.
• As assigned, may serve as a lead worker, assigning work and monitoring work completion, or supervise paraprofessional and support staff, to include conducting performance evaluations; coordinating training; and implementing hiring, discipline, and termination procedures
• Serving as a supervisor of engineering services paraprofessional staff.
• Establishing goals and objectives for the work unit.
• Developing operational policies and procedures.
• Participating in strategic planning.
• Providing direction to lower level staff in the execution of operational tasks.
• Ensuring quality control activities.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction project management, or a directly related field;
• Five years of related engineering and/or project management experience;
• A valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license "or" if you currently have another state driver's license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire. 

Additional Preferred Skills

• Engineer Intern Certificate (or greater);
• Proficient knowledge of AutoCAD Civil 3D;
• Knowledge of ArcGIS, Word, Excel is preferred, Primavera and GIS is desirable;
• Work requires the preparation of professional civil engineering work performed in the design of multiple types of municipal engineering projects and systems;
• Work requires the occasional direction of helpers, assistants, seasonal employees, interns, or temporary employees.

Benefits – General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman's Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan

Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service