Assistant Engineer

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes is excited to announce it is hiring an Assistant Engineer to join the Public Works Department!

This recruitment will be open on a continuous basis until filled and can close at any time. The first review of applications will be the week of June 24, 2024. 

WHO ARE WE? 
Rancho Palos Verdes is a semi-rural community situated atop the hills and bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles County. The city enjoys expansive views of the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island, and Los Angeles basin. Within the city’s 13.6 square miles are the 1,400-acre Palos Verdes Nature Preserve, approximately 31 miles of trails, two beaches, and 7.5 miles of Pacific coastline. There are historic landmarks and points of interest such as Wayfarers Chapel, Point Vicente Interpretive Center, Terranea Resort, Trump National Golf Club, and the Point Vicente Lighthouse. With all this and more, Rancho Palos Verdes has become known as “paradise” or “a place set apart”. DEPARTMENT
The Public Works Department oversees the planning, engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance of the City’s transportation network, storm water system, buildings/facilities and associated parks, Abalone Cove Sanitary Sewer System, and landslide monitoring and remediation. The Department is also responsible for programs such as solid waste management, fuel modification, public street beautification/landscaping, and environmental sustainability. Utilities including gas, electricity, water, and sanitary sewer collection (exclusive of Abalone Cove) are provided by third parties under franchise agreements and/or permits overseen by the Public Works Department.

 
The Department delivers core services and programs/projects primarily through consultants and contractors; with approximately 20 staff members overseeing and administering the work. The typical annual operating budget is approximately $8 million, and the Capital Improvement Program budget is expected to average approximately $10 million annually over the next several years. POSITION  
This non-exempt position is covered by the Rancho Palos Verdes Employees Association and is the entry-level class in the professional engineering series. The Assistant Engineer's daily responsibilities involve providing technical, engineering and management support to the delivery of the City’s Capital Improvement Program of Projects for core infrastructure (sewers, storm drains, storm water quality, roads, sidewalks) and various facilities (parks and buildings).

 
WHY JOIN OUR TEAM? 
You won’t be bored working for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes! With a variety of responsibilities and projects/programs to work on, you will probably be doing something different every day. If you value job stability, this is the place for you. Rancho Palos Verdes has a long tradition of being fiscally sound with healthy annual budgets and reserves that are twice the recommended levels for municipalities. Furthermore, the Capital Improvement Program has a total reserve balance of approximately $20 million. When the private sector and other government agencies are forced to reduce their workforce during difficult budget times, Rancho Palos Verdes stands strong on its decades of sound fiscal policy and continues working! The current salary range for Assistant Engineer is $94,039 to $122,251 with a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to be applied effective July 1, 2024. IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate is someone that can work effectively with the Department’s team of engineers, support staff and consultant partners to deliver a multitude of public works projects on an aggressive schedule. Additionally, the incumbent possesses the ability to manage and complete multiple assignments in an organized and timely manner. Strong written and oral communication skills are highly desirable, with the ability to be assertive while also providing excellent customer service. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

• Participate in the scoping of utility and roadway related capital improvement projects and perform feasibility analysis, scheduling, and cost estimating work.
• Assist in managing the entire life cycle of various capital improvement projects through the use of consultants, including planning, environmental clearance, design, procurement and construction oversight. Sample project types include the following:
  1. Sanitary Sewers
  2. Drainage
  3. Roadways and Sidewalks
  4. Other right of way improvements
• Assist in preparing requests for bids and proposals for various public works projects and services, and evaluating submitted proposals.
• Assist in updating the department’s asset management program for roadways, sidewalks, storm drains, sanitary sewers, and public facilities.
• Perform field observations and analyses pertaining to public inquiries, construction progress, and to support the scoping and design of projects.
• Prepare reports and deliver presentations to summarize findings and make recommendations to executive management, commissions, City Council, and the public.
• Other utility, development, and permit related projects and tasks
• Plans, designs, and inspects all phases of civil engineering public works construction projects, including defining the scope of the project; securing adequate funding from Federal and State grant programs and other funding sources; coordinating with permitting and public utility agencies; performing historical document research and review; preparing plans, specifications, and cost estimates; performing research, map, and field studies and surveys; coordinating construction schedules with other projects and agencies; preparing and reviewing cost estimates; inspecting construction of projects to ensure compliance with construction documents and conformance with plans and specifications; tracking and maintaining all project accounting; coordinating schedules; and providing public notices of projects. 
• Attends meetings, conferences, workshops, and training sessions and reviews publications and audio-visual materials to become and remain current on principles, practices, and new developments in assigned work areas.
• Communicates and coordinates regularly with appropriate others to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities.
• May provide technical direction and training to other engineering and technical staff.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

 
Education: At time of hire, possess a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from a program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). 
Experience: One (1) year of professional engineering design, plan review, and project administration experience, preferably in a public agency setting. Licenses and Certifications:

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid California Driver's License by time of appointment

Knowledge of:

• Civil engineering principles, techniques, policies, and procedures.
• Methods, materials, and techniques used in the construction of public works projects, including water and wastewater systems, stormwater, street, and traffic systems design.
• Basic principles, practices, procedures, and standards related to City public works, engineering infrastructure development and maintenance, and surveying.
• Basic principles and practices of capital improvement program budgeting, cost estimation, funding, project management, and contract administration.
• General design, layout, and construction practices for public improvements such as streets, storm drains, grading, and landscaping.
• Bidding requirements for public works projects.
• Basic project management and contract administration principles and techniques.
• Engineering plan types, review practices, and permit filing and approval procedures.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, and procedures relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Modern office practices and technology, including personal computer hardware and software applications related to the work, such as computer-aided drafting (CAD) concepts and applications, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs.
• Modern developments, current literature, and sources of information regarding engineering.
• Principles of advanced mathematics and their application to engineering work.
• Practices of researching engineering and design issues, evaluating alternatives, making sound recommendations, and preparing and presenting effective staff reports.
• Methods and techniques of effective technical report preparation and presentation.
• English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation.
• Techniques for effectively representing the City in contacts with governmental agencies, community groups, various business, professional, educational, and regulatory organizations and with property owners, developers, contractors, and the public.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors and City staff

 
Ability to:

• Conduct basic civil engineering research projects, analyze problems, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective staff reports.
• Prepare, understand, and interpret engineering construction plans, specifications, and other contract documents.
• Conduct comprehensive engineering studies and prepare reports with recommendations.
• Assist in and develop and administer contracts for professional services and construction in a public agency setting.
• Interpret, apply, explain, and ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations, technical written material, and City engineering policies and procedures.
• Read and understand technical drawings and specifications.
• Perform mathematical and engineering computations with precision.
• Make engineering design computations and check, design, and prepare engineering plans and studies.
• Effectively represent the department and the City in meetings with governmental agencies, community groups, and various business, professional, and regulatory organizations and individuals.
• Prepare and present clear, concise, and logical written and oral reports, correspondence, policies, procedures, legal descriptions, and other written materials.
• Establish and maintain a variety of filing, record-keeping, and tracking systems.
• Make sound, independent decisions within established policy and procedural guidelines.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Applicants with disabilities who require special testing arrangements must contact Human Resources. If you have a disability for which you require an accommodation, please contact us at (310) 544-5332 no later than five (5) business days before the test date. #J-18808-Ljbffr