Position:              Senior Staff Engineer
Department:      Public Works                                                                                   
Supervisor:         City Engineer    
FLSA Status:       Exempt                                                                               
Hours:                  40 hours per week, typically M-F 8am-5pm with some outside meetings and events required
 
The City of Belgrade is an equal opportunity employer. The City shall, upon request, provide reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities.
 
Summary of Position
Under the direction of the City Engineer, this position applies engineering knowledge and analysis, to review design plans, reports, and specifications to ensure compliance with City codes, regulations, and standards. This position works closely with the Engineering Inspector and may assist with inspections and construction project oversight. The nature of the work performed requires that this position establishes and maintains effective working relationships with City personnel, consulting engineers, architects, and other professionals, developers, and contractors, government officials and agencies, and the general public. The Senior Staff Engineer is a journey-level position, where the employee is expected to have broad, demonstrated engineering experience and mastery of tasks, that allows them work competently and exercise judgment with limited supervision.
 
Job Description/ Essential Duties
These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties the incumbent may be assigned.

• Reviews and inspects all phases of a variety of infrastructure, capital improvement, and private development construction projects, including structures such as utilities, streets, sidewalks, curb and gutter, drive approaches, playgrounds, irrigation systems, and other public works-related construction.
• Performs routine computer-aided drafting of plan sheets, drawings, and maps. May also perform drafting using ink or pencil.
• Develops, analyzes, and generates technical reports, correspondence, and official documents.
• Provides technical engineering services, advice, information, and recommendations to the City Engineer.
• Monitors the work and progress of consultants on construction plan development, ensuring that plan development criteria are followed, plans are reviewed for compliance to City standards, and schedules due dates are adjusted as necessary.
• Keeps the City Engineer and designated others accurately informed concerning work progress, including present and potential work problems and suggestions for new or improved ways of addressing such problems.
• Attends meetings, conferences, workshops, and training sessions. Review 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 staff to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities.
• Conducts permit and site inspection, field checks of permits, and monitors active construction projects for compliance with City standards and specifications by reviewing work as completed. Reports outcomes and makes recommendations regarding quality of work to the City Engineer.
• Leads topographic surveying, GIS data collection, construction surveying and staking using GPS, robotic total stations, and levels.
• Performs final inspections on right-of-way permits and communicates needed corrections to contractor, owner, and/or the City Engineer.
• Performs project management and contract administration activities for City projects, such as generating or reviewing pay estimates, measuring quantities, and drafting change orders.
• Performs inspections of City rights-of-way to ensure that there are no illegal or non-permitted encroachments.
• Monitors properties adjacent to active construction projects for damage from construction activity and reports issues to the contractor, owner, and/or City Engineer.
• Notifies property owners and the general public of property impacts, and construction schedules as requested; responds to citizen question and comments in a courteous and timely manner, including investigating complaints, conferring with property owners, relaying project schedules, hazards, inconveniences, and other potential impacts.
• Prepares a variety of correspondence, reports, correction notices, procedures, and other written materials.
• Maintains complete and accurate records and files.
• Demonstrates excellent customer service skills and establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other employees, officials, contractors, utility companies, and members of the general public.
• Meets all job and worksite safety requirements and all applicable OSHA safety standards.
• Demonstrates regular and predictable attendance.
• Attends evening meetings as required; occasionally travels out of town to attend workshops, conferences, seminars, and meetings during work and non-work hours as assigned; regularly modifies regular schedule to accommodate construction schedules.

 
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Related to this Position:
The successful candidate will possess: 

• Knowledge of general principles of civil engineering as related to design and construction of municipal facilities.
• Knowledge of standard construction methods and materials requirements for a variety of infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of GIS and CAD systems.
• Understanding of occupational safety and health practices.
• Knowledge of City policies, procedures, goals, and objectives, as well as Department policies, procedures, goals, and objectives.
• Good written and oral communication skills, using tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines; and the ability to comprehend written and verbal communications.
• Ability to use modern office equipment and operate specialized engineering, drafting, and utility modeling software.
• Ability to operate surveying instruments, to reduce and plot field notes, and to make field engineering computations.
• Ability to perform simple and complex mathematical calculations.
• Ability to complete design work related to municipal infrastructure, including development of complete and accurate plans, specifications, and construction notes with supervision from senior staff.
• Ability to prepare accurate documentation and maintain a variety of files and records in a neat and organized manner.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical materials in books, journals, and manuals.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and solve problems with limited oversight.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion.
• Ability to respond to routine telephone or email inquiries from the general public, other City departments, and/or City officials.
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite (Excel and Word) and the ability to learn and utilize various software and databases.
• Ability to operate computer systems effectively.
• Ability to write and present clear and concise administrative reports.
• Ability to interpret and apply Federal, State and local policies, procedures, laws, and regulations as they relate to the position.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, flexibility, creativity, and sensitivity in response to changing situations and needs.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

 
Supervision Received
Works under the general supervision of the City Engineer.

 
Minimum Required Qualifications (Education, Experience and Training)

• Graduation from a four-year college or university majoring in civil engineering, construction management, construction engineering technology, surveying, or a related field; and
• Four (4) years of civil engineering experience; and
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office software products; or
• Any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work may be considered.

 
Preferred Qualifications

• More than four (4) years of engineering experience, specifically municipal infrastructure design or construction.
• Graduate-level degree majoring in civil engineer, construction management, construction engineering technology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and ArcGIS.

 
Special Requirements/Licenses or Certificates

• Must possess a Valid driver’s license at the time of hire and have the ability to obtain a Montana driver’s license within six (6) months of hire.
• Current Montana Professional Engineer License, or ability to obtain within six (6) months of hire.  
• Offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of a pre-employment, background check, reference checks, and driving record check.

 
Tools and Equipment Used

• Light-duty motor vehicles.
• Modern office equipment (e.g. telephones, copy machines, personal computers, calculators, etc.).
• Surveying equipment, including GPS, robotic total stations, and levels.
• Specialized engineering and drafting software, including AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and ArcGIS.

 

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Requires regular and punctual attendance and reports to work fit for duty.
• Must be available to work outside of normal working hours to accommodate construction schedules, attend meetings, and travel out of town to attend workshops, conferences, seminars, and meetings, as assigned.
• Administrative duties are generally performed in an office environment, although some daily outdoor work is required to monitor field facilities and projects.
• Ability to communicate fluently in the English language, both in verbal and written formats, sufficient clarity of speech and hearing or other communication capabilities in person, by radio and by telephone, to answer questions and elicit information, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to communicate effectively.
• While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is frequently required to walk or sit for extended periods of time; and to occasionally climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, or smell.
• The employee may occasionally lift, and/or move up to 75 pounds.
• While performing the duties of the is job, the employee regularly works outdoors and in inclement weather.
• Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and vibration.
• The noise level in the work environment is typically low to moderate, but when working outside may occasionally be loud.
• Occasionally works in high, precarious places or confined spaces, and is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne, particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, unsanitary conditions, and risk of electrical shock.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

 
Behavioral Expectations

• Employee treats all customers and coworkers with respect, dignity, and honesty and manages relationships and communications in a way that promotes the interests of all parties.
• Employee works through adversity in a productive and positive manner.
• Employee shows nonjudgmental respect for all other’s perspectives.
• Employee appreciates the uniqueness, commonalities, and value of others.
• Employee maintains an appropriate level of transparency in their work and interactions with others.
• Employee stops disparaging remarks about others and does not participate in these remarks in front of the public or during work time.
• Employee does not hinder, obstruct, or interfere with the work of other employees.
• Employee does not show poor attitude (for example, rudeness or lack of cooperation) with others or supervisors by failing to perform reasonable requests, being insubordinate, or refusing to comply with instruction given.
• Employee does not abuse the use of materials, time, equipment, or property of the City.
• Employee’s performance does not fall below average in quantity or quality in relation to the requirements of the job.

 
Safety Related Duties

• Follows the City’s and department’s work practices.
• Reports occupational injuries, illnesses, and near misses immediately to Supervisor.
• Follows supervisor instructions for obtaining first aid or medical attention. 
• Participates in accident investigations as required.
• Participates in safety training.
• Suggests improvements in safety training requirements or programs to Supervisor.
• Identifies unsafe work conditions and unsafe practices. Correct hazards or report them to supervisor as appropriate.

 
The specific statements shown in each section of this position description are not intended to be all inclusive.They represent typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully.