The Position
The current vacancy is for Assistant Engineer I/II in the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department. The eligibility list established from this recruitment may be used to fill other Assistant Engineer I/II vacancies during the life of the list , such as other divisions in the Public Works and Water Department. The eligibility list established from this recruitment is valid for up to one year from the date established unless the list is extended or abolished by the Human Resources Director.
Under general supervision, the Assistant Engineer designs, plans and coordinates various public works or water facilities projects; leads technical staff in project work; and performs related work as required.
This current Assistant Engineer I/II vacancy in the Public Works Department will be assigned to the Wastewater Stormwater Engineering Group. In this role, incumbents will help plan, design, coordinate, and inspect a variety of public works projects, ranging from facility upgrades to major infrastructure improvements. Candidates will play a key part in delivering capital improvement projects for the City’s regional Wastewater Treatment Facility and its sanitary sewer and stormwater systems.
To read about the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department (current vacancy) Engineering | City of Santa Cruz
To read about the Traffic Engineering Division Traffic Engineering | City of Santa Cruz
To read about the City's Water Department and the Water Engineering Division Water Department | City of Santa Cruz
Recruitment #25-085
APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS:
The following process may be changed as deemed necessary by the Human Resources Director. The information contained within this announcement may be modified or revoked without notice and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.
- On Thursday, 07/03/25 recruitment will close. All application materials must be received by the Human Resources Department by 5:00 pm; postmarks are not accepted.To apply, submit:
- Application- online application only. Resumes are not accepted in lieu of filling out the application form completely. Click the Apply button to begin the online process.
- Response to supplemental questions- will be a primary tool in the evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Any work experience described here must also be included in your employment history on the main application.
- Week of 07/07 and 07/14/25: Applications will be competitively screened based on the minimum qualifications for this position. C andidates will be notified of their status in the recruitment once all applications have been reviewed.
- Week of 07/28 and/or 08/04/25: Interviews will be tentatively scheduled for top candidates. The examination process will include an interview and may include a written and/or performance exam.
Typical Duties
( May include, but not limited to, those duties listed below.)
- Performs intermediate to advanced level engineering calculations, computations, research, and analysis and related engineering support work for projects assigned.
- Coordinates and leads technical engineering personnel on a variety of projects or assignments as required.
- Works as technical liaison with developers, consultant engineers and other agency representatives on private and public development projects, subdivisions, systems design, assessment districts and other related projects. Inspect subdivisions and offsite infrastructure.
- Performs contract administration on assigned construction projects; may include assisting in the development of request for proposals; developing specifications; monitoring progress payments; ensuring conformance with the conditions of the contract; conducting field inspections; reviewing change orders; and maintaining related documentation.
- Applies for federal, state, and other grants to fund projects and programs; monitors grant requirements; and prepares reports and reimbursement requests.
- Reviews and critiques development plans and specifications for conformance with the City requirements, State and Federal regulations and sound engineering practice.
- Prepares staff reports and correspondence as needed.
- Responds to inquiries and complaints relating to City projects and functions.
- Performs other related duties that may be reasonably expected as part of this classification.
In addition to the above, the following duties are also performed in specific divisions:
Public Works/Engineering Division:
- Designs and prepares plans, specifications and estimates for various construction projects and activities such as streets, drainage structures, wastewater collection and pumping systems, utility facilities, landfill and recycling facilities and other public works projects.
- Assists in the implementation of the sewer system master plan.
- Performs sewer capacity and flow calculations for proposed developments.
- Calculates solid waste disposal volumes and performs landfill site capacity analyses.
- Performs various administrative projects, including city ordinance revisions and sewer and refuse fee rate schedule reviews.
Public Works/Traffic Engineering Division:
- Develops requests for proposals for area-wide traffic studies.
- Administers contracts and agreements with traffic engineering consultants and field contractors.
- Prepares the Annual Traffic Report.
- Conducts traffic engineering studies such as traffic volume studies, collision diagrams, speed surveys, time-space diagrams, parking usage studies, travel time and delay studies and other related projects.
- Designs and prepares plans, specifications and estimates for various traffic projects such as parking, circulation, signalization and median improvements.
- Assists in staffing commissions, including agenda preparation, oral presentations and written reports.
Water Department:
- Designs and prepares plans, specifications and estimates for various construction projects and activities such as, distribution and transmission pipe installations, groundwater and surface water treatment and pumping facility design and related civil engineering projects.
- Checks survey calculations, legal descriptions of various properties and/or easements as required.
- May negotiate water main extension agreements.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Position requires prolonged sitting, walking, climbing, reaching, working overhead, twisting,kneeling, squatting, crouching and stooping in the performance of daily activities. Prolonged standing is frequently required. The position also requires grasping, identifying by touch, and repetitive hand movements of both hands and feet. Additionally, the position requires talking, hearing; it requires far and near vision using both eyes (field of vision) with the ability to distinguish basic colors, shades of colors, to perceive depth and see distances over 20 feet. The need to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds is occasionally required. Computer use is constantly required.
The incumbent in this position works inside daily, and outside in various types of weather on a weekly basis. The working environment may sometimes include constant noise (have to shout to be heard), with some exposure to dust. Work may occur on slippery uneven surfaces, around machinery with moving parts, around stationery equipment, and often around moving vehicles. The nature of the work requires the incumbent to drive motorized vehicles daily.
Some of these requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations.
Minimum Qualifications
The minimum qualifications for Education, Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are the following:
ASSISTANT ENGINEER I:
Education and Experience:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university or a California EIT Certificate.
OR
- One (1) year of applicable engineering related work experience such as working or interning in the engineering department of a public agency, or design or construction company and,
- Two (2) years of related college level engineering coursework.
OR
- Three (3) years of applicable engineering related work experience such as working or interning in the engineering department of a public agency, or design or construction company.
Knowledge:
- Basics of engineering design.
- Some understanding of the engineering contracting process.
Abilities:
- Gain proficiency with AutoCAD, Excel and word processing software.
- Identify design challenges and analyze the benefits of competing approaches to solve those challenges.
ASSISTANT ENGINEER II:
Education and Experience:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university and,
- Two (2) years of applicable engineering related work experience such as working or interning in the engineering department of a public agency, or design or construction company.
(A California EIT Certificate may be substituted for one year of the experience.)
OR
- Three (3) years of applicable engineering related work experience such as working or interning in the engineering department of a public agency, or design or construction company and,
- Three (3) years of related college level engineering coursework, and
- The ability to obtain a California EIT Certificate within four (4) months of appointment.
OR
- Five (5) years of applicable engineering related work experience. such as working or interning in the engineering department of a public agency, or design or construction company.
Knowledge: ( In addition to the knowledge requirement for the Assistant Engineer I):
- Proficiency with computer applications used in civil engineering such as AutoCAD and GIS
Abilities:
- Perform difficult engineering computations, evaluations and research.
- Write and compile effective technical and administrative reports.
- Understand and give verbal and written instructions, to assign tasks and review quality and accuracy of work.
- Communicate information clearly and accurately.
- Effectively plan and coordinate all aspects of an assigned project.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of individuals.
In addition to the above, the following are also required for Assistant Engineer II in specific divisions:
Public Works/Engineering Division:
- Knowledge of and ability to apply the principles, practices and methods of current civil engineering as related to the planning, design and construction of public works projects and facilities.
- Knowledge of and ability to apply the principles, practices and methods of current sanitary engineering as related to the planning, design and operation of wastewater and solid waste facilities.
Public Works/Traffic Engineering Division:
- Knowledge of and ability to apply the principles, practices and methods of current traffic engineering as related to the planning, design and construction of transportation-related projects.
Water Department
- Knowledge of and ability to apply the principles, practices and methods of current civil engineering and hydraulics as related to the planning, design and construction of water utility projects and facilities.
Licenses and Certificates:
- Possession and continued maintenance of a valid California Class C driver’s license.
Desirable Qualifications
- Ability to obtain or possession of Registration as a Civil Engineer in the state of California.
- Supervisory experience.
- Civil engineering work experience with a public agency.
Public Works/Engineering Division:
- Knowledge of State Department of Transportation programs, policies and standards related to federal and state funded projects.
- Knowledge of State and Federal water quality and solid waste regulations.
- Knowledge of the procedures and requirements of the California Clean Water Act.
Public Works/Traffic Engineering Division:
- Knowledge of State and Federal traffic design manuals codes and standards.
- Experience in using computers in engineering related functions.
Water Department
- Knowledge of standard waterworks practices including piping, pumps, motors and water treatment equipment.
- Knowledge of the principles of sanitary engineering and public health, including water quality and discharges to receiving waters, and applicable State and Federal requirements.
- College Accreditation of ABET (Accredited Board for Engineering and Technology).
- Proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D, ArcGIS Pro, and Bluebeam.
- Knowledge of hydraulic modeling and current modeling software, such as InfoWater Pro.
- Knowledge of and experience using GPS data collectors, such as Trimble Geo 7X.
Career Ladder
- Assistant Director/City Engineer (PW) or Deputy Director/Engineering Manager (Water)
- Senior Professional Engineer
- Associate Professional Engineer or Engineering Associate
- Assistant Engineer I/II
- Engineering Technician