Water Utility Project Engineer

Job Description:

Water Utility Project Engineer

Description

Description

The City of Palo Alto Utilities is the only city in California that offers a full range of utility services to its citizens and businesses. This gives the City a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Palo Alto community, providing homegrown, reliable, and environmentally focused utilities. With over 130 years of successful public utility operations, Palo Alto continues its tradition of delivering safe services, local decision-making on policies, utility rate-setting, environmental programs, and tailored solutions for the community.

Join the City as Project Engineer, where you'll shape safety standards, lead innovative projects, and ensure the efficiency of vital water systems for our community!

Career Opportunity

The Project Engineer reports to the Principal Engineer of the Water Engineering Group within the Water-Gas-Wastewater (WGW) Engineering and Operations Division. In this role, you will manage public contracts, oversee Capital Improvement Projects for drinking water production and distribution facilities, and assist with regulatory compliance with local, state, and federal regulators. You'll also contribute to the development of WGW Utility Standards, support Engineering and Operations staff, and create engineering designs for potable water distribution system improvements. Additional responsibilities include researching historical records, recording data, collecting SCADA trends for existing facilities, and performing technical data analysis.

The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes:

• Strong technical background in drinking water distribution or transmission engineering and management principles.
• At least 5-10 years of experience in drinking water production, distribution, or transmission.
• Registration as a professional Civil Engineer in the State of California.
• B.S. in Civil or Environmental Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Experience with drinking water system management, planning, or implementation of water system master planning projects or programs.
• Experience with interpreting and applying the California Waterworks Standards of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
• In-depth knowledge of drinking water distribution operations.
• Proficiency In AutoCAD and other industry standard tools and techniques.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Embark on this rewarding career. Apply today!

Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here.

Benefits: The City offers a fantastic benefits package including:

• Schedule: Option of a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off
• Hybrid work: Ability to work remotely and onsite (current policy allows for 2 days/week remote and 3 days/week on-site)
• Professional development: Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities
• Education benefits: Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change)
• Childcare support: $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change)
• Commute benefits: Incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work. The City of Palo Alto participates in the Clipper Bay Pass program (Employee Cost: $5 per month).
• Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits

To learn more about benefits, clickhere.

Depending on the applicant's qualifications, the position will be filled at the appropriate level/salary of either: Project Engineer ($165,027.20 - $202,040.05 Annually) or Engineer ($153,524.80 - $187,930.62 Annually).

This is a continuous recruitment and may remain open until filled.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early!

Initial review of applications scheduled for May 8, 2026 , and May 22, 2026

This position is represented by Service Employee International Union position (SEIU).

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Conducts comprehensive utility engineering planning, design, and operational studies of the water utilities system.
• Performs design work including researching data, conducting feasibility and economic studies, and determining design criteria in accordance with required standards and codes for assigned projects in the drinking water utility.
• Prepares project documents including project justifications, budget analyses, calculations, plans, specifications, cost estimates, and schedules for assigned utility projects in the drinking water utility.
• Reviews and checks engineering drawings, plans, computations, estimates and reports for completeness, accuracy, and soundness of applied utility engineering principles and City utility standards and policies.
• Provides guidance and work supervision for other utility engineering and technical personnel as required by the projects.
• Responsible for contract administration including reviewing bid packages, preparing contracts, and preparing city manager’s reports and/or making presentations to council staff as required on each utility work assignment. Ensures that all procurement and contracts comply with City Purchasing Department regulations.
• Acts as the project manager on drinking water utility construction projects; directs the work of subordinate professional, field inspector, and/or operations staff to ensure quality control; takes responsibility for schedule coordination, political liaison, inter-utility coordination, public relations; evaluates, recommends, and prepares contract change orders as necessary; reviews progress payments and recommends payment authorization.

To see full job description of Project Engineer, click here.

To see full job description of Engineer, click here.

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:

• Bachelor of Science degree in civil, mechanical, or other approved engineering curriculum depending upon assigned area.

AND

• Equivalent to four years increasingly responsible engineering experience.

(Note: PE Certificate or Master's Degree in Engineering may be considered in lieu of one year of experience.)

Special Requirements for Project Engineer:

• Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California, or ability to obtain registration within one year of appointment to the classification or registration as a professional architect in the State of California.
• Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Special Requirements for Engineer:

• Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California required to attain top step in Engineer classification.
• Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Supplemental Information

The Selection Process:

• Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
• Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
• The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
• This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy.
  

Technical Support:

For technical issues applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Salary:

$153,524.80 - $202,030.40 Annually