Senior Civil Engineer/Principal Civil Engineer

Summary/Class Characteristics

Senior Civil Engineer/Principal Civil Engineer



The City of Petaluma, is seeking experienced professionals for the Senior Civil Engineer and Principal Civil Engineer positions, to join its expanding Public Works Department. These positions present a unique opportunity to lead high-impact capital improvement projects in one of the Bay Area’s most vibrant and community-focused municipalities. The City is seeking accomplished professionals who are committed to engineering excellence, mentorship, and public service, and who are driven to design and implement projects that advance sustainability, innovation, and public safety.

This recruitment will remain open until filled and may close at any time. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply early for first consideration. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

For a full detailed Senior Civil Engineer job description, please click here .

For a full detailed Principal Civil Engineer job description, please click here .

SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE

• SALARY RANGE :
  Senior Civil Engineer: $131,892.80 - $160,347.20 annually
  Principal Civil Engineer: $145,080.00 - $176,384.00 annually
• FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING:
  • MEDICAL INSURANCE: Choice of a variety of CalPERS Health Plans. City pays ~95% of the Bay Area Kaiser premium for employee & eligible dependents; or alternative option to receive Medical Cash Back (if you have medical coverage elsewhere). Please see the 2026 Health Plan Contribution Memo
  • DENTAL & VISION INSURANCE: Coverage for employees & eligible family members, paid for by the City.
  • LIFE INSURANCE: 1.5x annual compensation up to maximum of $200,000. Option to purchase additional insurance. Long-Term Disability up to 60% of your current monthly salary after eligibility requirements are met and subject to maximum amounts.
  • EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: Support and benefits, for you and eligible family members, paid for by the City.
  • WELLNESS BENEFIT: $500 annual allowance (is subject to the annual budget approval process and may change in the future.)
• FOR YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE:
  • CALPERS RETIREMENT PACKAGE
    • 2% at 60 for classic CalPERS members
    • 2% at 62 for PEPRA CalPERS members
  • DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN: Voluntary participation in your choice of three plans.
• FOR YOUR WORK / LIFE BALANCE (annual amounts):
  • Vacation: 80 Hours, increasing with years of service, up to 5 years service credit towards vacation accrual rate for prior qualifying employment.
  • Sick Leave: 96 hours
  • Administrative Leave: 80 hours (per fiscal year)
  • Holidays: 12 fixed and 1 floating
• Other Exceptional Benefits:
  • Paid Parental Leave - up to 8 weeks of paid time for qualifying family bonding
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Employer

For more information regarding the benefits associated with this position, visit our website and look at the Memorandum of Understanding and Employee Benefits .

Class Characteristics:

Senior Civil Engineer

The Senior Civil Engineer performs the most complex professional engineering work which requires a substantial level of professional training and experience. Incumbents are expected to exercise considerable discretion and independent judgment in the supervision, coordination, and prioritization of different projects within the area of responsibility as well as in providing direction and technical expertise in the more complex engineering assignments.

Principal Civil Engineer

This class has supervisory responsibility for administration and direction of specific professional engineering activities in addition to performing professional engineering work. Incumbents provide direction to assigned staff and perform professional engineering activities requiring considerable professional knowledge and the use of independent judgment as well as assisting in the formulation of policy, developing goals and objectives, and assisting in budget administration. This class is distinguished from the lower-level Senior Civil Engineer in that the latter is the advanced journey level in the series, performing complex tasks and supervising a small staff; whereas the Principal has overall supervisory responsibilities for an assigned section. It is further distinguished from the next higher-level manager in that the latter has overall management responsibility for the administration of the division.

Duties

Senior Civil Engineer

Supervise and participate in the plan review and permit programs, and private development review and inspection.

Make public presentations to the City Council, Planning Commission, other boards, and commissions and at community meetings.

Plan, design, and construct various capital improvement projects for water system infrastructure (tanks, pump stations, distribution lines), sewer system infrastructure (transmission lines, lift stations, force mains), storm system infrastructure (collection and treatment systems, streets and public right-of-way infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, airport facilities, parks and recreation facilities, and other City owned buildings and facilities.

Manage construction contract administration.

Supervise, train, and evaluate professional and technical staff.

Prepare and administer or assist in the preparation and administration of the section budget.

Review plans and estimates for construction prepared by private engineers.

Review and make recommendations on technical reports and studies.

Check computations and specified materials for accuracy and conformance within regulations.

Inspect project sites and City infrastructure including water, sewer, storm, streets, and other City facilities for operational integrity and to establish capital improvement projects.

Coordinate engineering and plan review related activities with other City departments, divisions, and sections and with outside agencies.

Obtain environmental compliance and permitting requirements for City capital improvement projects.

Research, interpret, and apply the City code, and federal and state laws and regulations related to public works, subdivisions, and building projects.

Interpret specifications and City policy and make change orders.

Participate in the selection and supervision of private professional engineers for the development of plans and specifications, studies, and reports.

Supervise, review, and participate in the preparation of environmental assessments and studies.

Supervise and participate in the development of plans, specifications, estimates, and work orders for the construction of public works and City projects.

Prepare reports and assist in the preparation of the capital improvement plan and budget.

Review subdivisions and development plans for compliance with City standards.

Sign and stamp civil engineering documents including various types of studies, reports, and construction documents such as specifications and improvement plans; this includes oversight, review, signing, and stamping documents prepared by CIP staff.

Serve as staff representative to a variety of City commissions, boards, and committees on engineering matters.

Prepare various applications for federal and state grants; initiate and conduct engineering planning studies to identify public works facility needs.

Perform related duties as assigned.

Principal Civil Engineer

Plan, organize, assign, direct, review, and evaluate the work of staff; provide staff training and professional development; conduct performance evaluations; make recommendations for appointments, promotions, and discipline; set work priorities, goals, and objectives.

Assist in the preparation, implementation, and administration of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget; perform research and administrative and technical activities necessary to achieve CIP objectives; manage the work of consultants and contractors.

Develop, recommend, and implement vision, goals, objectives, policies, procedures, and priorities for the CIP Division.

Analyze complex policy issues and recommend strategies; review new and pending legislation and assess impact to programs and projects; develop recommendations for implementing change; establish and refine standards for engineering projects.

Supervise and participate in the preparation of various applications for federal and state grants.

Research, compile, and analyze data, and make recommendations on the more complex capital improvement engineering projects; prepare complex statistical and narrative technical reports; serve as technical consultant and provide technical advice to engineering staff in solving difficult assignments.

Prepare and coordinate a variety of reports or presentations for the department to fulfill policy and legal requirements related to capital improvement projects and programs; review elements of environmental impact reports; interpret and ensure the City's compliance with various ordinances, codes, and applicable laws; review critical and complex reports and documents applicable to projects.

Prepare and direct the preparation of designs, specifications, plans, estimates, and reports for capital improvement projects and the development and modification of City infrastructure.

Research project design requirements, perform calculations, prepare estimates of time and material costs, and determine construction sequencing and related project logistics.

Serve as project manager on complex projects; define project scope; select consultants and negotiate contracts, amendments, and change orders; prepare and monitor project schedules; monitor, review, and coordinate project design and construction; evaluate consultants’ and contractors’ requests for extra work; enforce terms of contracts, conduct field and construction site inspections and resolve contract disputes.

Serve as the Engineer of Record (EOR) on Capital Improvement Projects designed by in-house staff, including reviewing, signing, and stamping applicable engineering documents.

Evaluate and analyze the most difficult and complex engineering problems and recommend solutions; analyze capital improvement projects to determine the economic, engineering and environmental feasibility of such projects; prepare comprehensive reports and make recommendations for solutions.

Serve as a member of the department’s leadership team and participate in discussions and decisions at various levels, including City Council meetings and with the City Manager’s office; disseminate information and discuss issues regarding capital improvement projects, policies, and programs to determine priorities and resource management issues.

Coordinate assigned activities with outside agencies as appropriate; represent the department to outside agencies and organizations; participate in external community and professional groups and committees; attend meetings, conferences, and workshops; provide technical assistance as necessary.

Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Senior Civil Engineer

Education and Experience

Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in civil engineering or a related field.

Experience:

Five years of progressively responsible professional engineering experience to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above, including indirect supervisory or project management experience.

Certifications/Licenses:

Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California with good standing is required.

Principal Civil Engineer

Education and Experience

Any combination equivalent to the education and experience likely to provide the required knowledge and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to gain such knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in civil engineering or a related field. A Master’s degree in one of these fields is desirable.

Experience:

Five years of progressively responsible professional civil engineering experience to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above, including one year of supervisory experience.

Certifications/Licenses:

Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California with good standing is required.

Physical Demands and Working Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be frequently required to sit and talk and hear. The employee will be required to stand, walk, and use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee frequently is required to sit, enter data into a terminal, personal computer, tablet, or keyboard device; operate office equipment requiring repetitive arm/hand movement. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions and must operate an automobile to attend various meetings and workshops. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The City of Petaluma offers a wide-ranging, comprehensive benefit package including CalPERS retirement, medical, dental, vision, life, LTD, etc. For moreinformation regarding the benefits associated with this position, visit our website: https://cityofpetaluma.org/employee-benefits-information/

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• City of Petaluma

• 707-778-4534

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