Associate/Project Engineer-O&M And Cip

City of Farmington•Farmington, NM

20d•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Farmington is hiring an Associate/Project Engineer for its Public Works Water-Wastewater Division, supporting Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). The position works under the direction of the Water/Wastewater Operations, Maintenance, & Environmental Administrator or the Water/Wastewater CIP Administrator. The position level is determined by the selected applicant’s qualifications and may range from Project Engineer Technician to Project Engineer. The role supports planning, operation, maintenance, construction, and improvement of the City’s water and wastewater systems. It combines utility operations and emergency response with construction project oversight, development-plan review, regulatory compliance, asset management, work-order tracking, capital planning, reporting, and public communication. Work is primarily in an office, with frequent daily driving to City facilities and occasional field visits. Significant after-hours emergency response may be required.

Requirements

Project Engineer Technician: Obtain an associate degree in engineering or a closely related field within two years of hire, or have four years of relevant engineering-related experience.
Associate Project Engineer I: Have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related field; a degree from an ABET-accredited institution is strongly preferred. Alternatively, eight years of relevant engineering experience may substitute for the degree.
For the O&M Division, a bachelor’s degree combined with a Level II or above Water or Wastewater Certification may substitute for the Associate Project Engineer I baseline requirements.
Associate Project Engineer II: Hold an Engineer-In-Training (EIT) certificate. A New Mexico EIT is strongly preferred at hire; an out-of-state EIT must be transferred or obtained in New Mexico within two years of employment.
For the O&M Division, a bachelor’s degree combined with ten years of water or wastewater utility operations experience may substitute for the Associate Project Engineer II qualification.
Project Engineer: Hold a Professional Engineer (PE) license. A New Mexico PE license is strongly preferred at hire; candidates licensed in another state must obtain a New Mexico license by comity or endorsement within two years of employment.
A valid Operator Level 4 certification in both Water and Wastewater may substitute for the Project Engineer PE licensure requirement.
Undergo pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable-suspicion, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing under City policy.
Pass extensive background checks.
Communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing, with employees, contractors, government representatives, City officials, and the public.
Maintain positive public relations and respond calmly to public concerns under stressful circumstances.
Balance daily utility operations with long-term capital projects and reprioritize work and engineering resources in response to emergencies, regulatory demands, or changing field data.
Conduct engineering research, compile comprehensive reports, and meet time and cost constraints accurately.
Work with minimal direction and follow initial instructions accurately and in a timely manner.
Perform accurate mathematical calculations.
Hold a valid state driver’s license and have an acceptable driving record for the past three years.
Be able to operate the tools and equipment required for the job.

Nice To Haves

A degree in engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five years of experience in the operations of a medium-to-large public water and wastewater utility.
Working knowledge of municipal civil engineering principles, practices, methods, and applicable City policies and laws.
Extensive knowledge of irrigation, water, and wastewater utility operations and related technical issues.
Considerable knowledge of New Mexico Environment Department and U.S. EPA regulations and permit requirements.
Familiarity with New Mexico land and survey laws.
Working knowledge of personal computers, word processing, spreadsheets, engineering modeling techniques, and drafting software such as Civil-3D.
Proficiency in drafting techniques and the ability to interpret working plans and drawings and make field changes to improve projects or correct oversights.

Responsibilities

Support the safe, reliable, and efficient operation and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure, including mains, valves, hydrants, manholes, lift stations, pump stations, meters, service connections, and related facilities.
Investigate system deficiencies, leaks, blockages, sanitary sewer overflows, service interruptions, and other operational issues, and coordinate corrective action.
Respond to water and wastewater emergencies, including significant after-hours emergencies, to assess conditions, coordinate resources, protect public health and safety, minimize service disruptions, and restore operations.
Provide field support and project oversight for water and wastewater construction, rehabilitation, repair, replacement, and capital improvement projects.
Review construction work for compliance with approved plans, specifications, contracts, schedules, City standards, permits, codes, and regulatory requirements.
Provide technical input and direction to contractors and construction inspectors; work with engineers, consultants, and City staff to resolve field issues, evaluate construction quality, and determine whether completed work is acceptable.
Assist with preparing and reviewing plans, specifications, scopes of work, cost estimates, bid documents, construction documents, and technical requirements.
Participate in pre-bid, pre-construction, progress, and final project meetings.
Review construction plans, plats, development plans, planning memorandums, building permits, and utility plans for compliance with City requirements.
Coordinate review and approval of new water and sewer services, utility connections, mainline extensions, easements, and related development requirements with contractors, developers, consultants, City divisions, and departments.
Monitor mainline extension requirements and assist with applicable fees, special assessments, recapture agreements, and related utility development requirements.
Serve as a City liaison with contractors, engineering consultants, developers, vendors, inspectors, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
Monitor contractor and consultant performance and review invoices, pay applications, monthly reports, schedules, change orders, and additional service authorizations for accuracy and compliance.
Assist with preparing, soliciting, evaluating, and awarding water and wastewater bids and contracts, and coordinate schedules for consultants, contractors, inspectors, and City crews.
Support compliance with applicable laws, regulations, permits, standards, and reporting requirements, including NPDES requirements, wastewater discharge limits, and environmental compliance.
Coordinate with regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, laboratories, and other organizations on compliance matters, corrective actions, inspections, and required reporting.
Provide input on and assist with updating water and wastewater operations and maintenance requirements in City Technical Specifications and Construction Standards.
Support asset management and GIS activities through field verification, survey information requests, utility asset documentation, identification of mapping inaccuracies, and coordination of map updates.
Assist in evaluating infrastructure condition, capacity, reliability, and performance, and identify maintenance, rehabilitation, replacement, expansion, and capital improvement needs.
Assist with identifying, prioritizing, developing, and budgeting capital improvement projects, including preparing scopes, preliminary designs, cost estimates, schedules, and supporting documentation.
Create, assign, monitor, and verify completion of work orders and ensure maintenance, repair, inspection, construction, and emergency activities are accurately documented.
Prepare and maintain project, operational, maintenance, regulatory, inspection, and other reports and records; review contractor and consultant documentation for accuracy and completeness.
Communicate with Public Works leadership and other City departments about system conditions, project progress, operational issues, emergencies, regulatory matters, contractor performance, and significant public contacts.
Respond to public inquiries, IPRA requests, customer concerns, and requests for information about utility operations, maintenance, construction, infrastructure, and projects.
Coordinate with other Public Works divisions and City departments to support effective utility operations, maintenance, emergency response, development review, and capital improvement activities.
Maintain effective working relationships with employees, officials, consultants, contractors, developers, regulatory agencies, and the public through professional customer service.
Operate a City vehicle as needed for inspections, emergency response, meetings, field investigations, and other department business.
Follow safety procedures, identify hazardous conditions, and take precautions to protect employees, contractors, the public, materials, equipment, and City infrastructure.
May work with water rights, including administering and maintaining the water rights portfolio and ensuring compliance with New Mexico requirements while protecting the organization’s water rights assets.
Perform other related duties as assigned; attendance at work is an essential function.
May serve on employee committees as assigned.