Engineering Program Manager - Water

City of Vancouver • Park, KS

2d • $10,844 - $16,266 • Hybrid

About The Position

The City of Vancouver is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to help lead Washington’s third-largest municipal water system. Serving approximately 280,000 residents across a 72-square-mile service area, the utility delivers groundwater-sourced drinking water through nine well fields producing an average of 27 million gallons daily. The Water Engineering Division provides leadership in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of the City’s water production, treatment, and distribution systems, while supporting regulatory compliance and asset management initiatives. This role offers the opportunity to lead critical infrastructure and capital improvement projects tied to the City’s Comprehensive Water System Plan update and help shape the future of a growing regional water utility. The primary responsibilities for the job are to plan, direct, manage, supervise, and coordinate the programs and activities of Water Engineering within the Public Works Department through participation in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities. This role ensures effective management of the drinking water utility and compliance with water production, treatment, and distribution regulations. Key responsibilities include overseeing engineering budgets, program planning and capital improvement programs, advising the Utilities Engineering Manager, Public Works Director, and other Public Works managements as well as supervising staff responsible for capital improvement projects, developer water system approvals, water system plan implementation, and grants management.

Requirements

• Five (5) years of professional utility engineering experience (drinking water experience preferred); and two years’ experience managing and supervising staff.
• Experience in the public sector or entities of similar complexity is preferred.
• Equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering or related field
• Possession of: Registration as a Professional Engineer in Washington State
• Driver’s license
• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Office
• Principles and practices of modern civil engineering and water utility management
• Principles and practices relating to the supervision of public employees, both union and non-union
• Pertinent federal, state and local laws that pertain to: providing water to the 3rd largest customer base in Washington
• Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment
• Use of personal computers and basic software
• Facilitate work team in solving problems and developing service provisions
• Effectively manage and supervise professional and technical staff
• Select, coach, supervise, train and evaluate staff
• Analyze, interpret and apply City policies and procedures
• Prepare and administer budgets
• Recommend and implement goals, objectives, and practices for providing effective and efficient water engineering services
• Interpret and apply pertinent Federal, State and local policies, procedures, laws and regulations
• Identify problems or issues and develop effective solutions
• Define short-and long-term goals and corresponding services and timelines to affect their implementation
• Prepare clear and concise administrative and financial reports
• Operate a personal computer and appropriate software
• Work in a manner consistent with the City of Vancouver’s Operating Principles
• Work and act as a team player in all interactions with other City employees
• Always provide a high level of customer service
• Project and maintain a positive image with those contacted in the course of work
• Develop and maintain collaborative and respectful working relationships with team members and others
• Consistently provide quality service
• Maintain regular and dependable attendance
• Demonstrate a commitment to valuing differences among people and to being inclusive.
• Show the utmost respect for others, and act as a team player.
• Promote safety as a guiding principle and a regular practice in accomplishing work by focusing on safe practices and complying with safety and health policies and procedures.
• Recognize unsafe conditions which may be hazardous to an employee or to the public.
• Works in safe and responsible manner; not putting self or others at risk.
• Complies with applicable policies and procedures including but not limited to using personal protective equipment, observing warning signs, learning about potential hazards, and reporting all unsafe conditions.
• Responsible for ensuring a safe workplace in compliance with applicable policies, procedures and regulations.
• Ensures supervised employee review of the City Core Accident Prevention Plan, relevant safety policies and procedures, and training on illness and injury response and specific job-related safety concerns.
• Reports and appropriately escalates all safety issues and all injuries.

Nice To Haves

• Drinking water experience preferred
• Experience in the public sector or entities of similar complexity is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Continuously monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of water utility service delivery methods and procedures; plan, direct, coordinate, and review the work plan; assess and monitor staff workload, assign work projects and programs; review and evaluate work products, methods and procedures; identify opportunities for improvement and review recommendations with Public Works management and Director
• Select, train, motivate and evaluate personnel; Define and coordinate training and career development for staff; Conduct annual performance evaluations; work with employees to correct deficiencies; implement discipline and termination procedures. conduct corrective actions as needed; Engage with upper management and HR involvement is necessary.
• Prepare and implement long range planning for Public Works systems including the Water System Plan and necessary improvement for the Water utility to ensure needs are met and that State and Federal requirements are fulfilled.
• Identify and determine the scope of technical studies needed and the level of planning required to support and inform management of the City's Water Utility.
• Manage and participate in the development and administration of the annual budget, including capital improvement funding; develop a forecast to plan for additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; monitor and approve expenditures; direct and implement adjustments as necessary.
• Identify, determine, and prioritize budget items.
• Review and approve engineering plans and specifications, design, environmental documents, reports and studies including site evaluations; review development engineering plans, ensuring they meet Federal State and local regulations.
• Develop interlocal agreements with surrounding agencies relating to the provision of drinking water
• Coordinate work with water operations and assist with operational and maintenance related issues as well as water quality issues.
• Coordinate work with other city departments and divisions (Community Development, Fire, City Manager’s office, Procurement, Construction, Transportation, IT, Law), other local water utilities, local agencies and municipalities, state Department of Health and Department of Ecology.
• Hire consultants and manage consultants and consultant contracts.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries
• Hybrid schedule of telework for up to two days per work week
• Benefits and work environment support and encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle and ongoing development and learning opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager