Public Works Civil Engineer I​/II

The County of San Luis Obispo is offering an exciting career opportunity for Engineers I and II to join our APWA-accredited Public Works Department, which currently has seven Engineer vacancies across five divisions:

• Water Resources
• Development Services
• Design and Construction
• Water Utilities
• Project Delivery

This Division manages the development of water supply and flood management technical studies, sustainability plans, and public engagement programs in order to understand conditions, set sustainability goals, identify solutions for achieving the goals, and facilitate the initial implementation of those solutions.

Engineers in the Water Resources Division are responsible for leading the following efforts. Multi-disciplinary skillsets are needed to be successful, combining strong communication and collaboration skills with technical expertise and knowledge application of water-related engineering, hydrology, and regulatory concepts:

• Water Supply and Infrastructure Optimization: developing feasibility studies and alternatives analysis for projects to optimize existing infrastructure and develop new water supplies;
• Flood and Drainage Management: identifying current and projected drainage and flood issues and developing strategic, science-based solutions to mitigate risks under various future hydrologic scenarios;
• Initial Implementation: leading or supporting development of cooperative agreements, governance structures, and funding mechanisms to implement identified water supply and flood management strategies;
• Technical Oversight and Consultant Management: developing and managing scopes of work, schedules, and budgets for technical consultants; providing strategic direction to consultants and reviewing technical outputs and deliverables;
• Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement: communicating findings/technical information and associated recommendations to facilitate transparent decision-making processes involving elected officials, partner agencies, regulatory and permitting entities, community groups, and members of the public impacted in a way that builds trust and best serves the community.

The Water Resources Division is seeking a staff-level engineer with a passion for sustainable water management to support the County’s mission of achieving long-term water resource resilience. The ideal candidate will bring technical knowledge and experience in land use-based water supply and demand analysis, groundwater and watershed modeling concepts and applications, and alternatives analysis and implementation of water supply and flood/drainage projects/programs.

The ideal candidate will also possess service-based leadership skills, such as collaborative negotiation skills, team facilitation, and public speaking and engagement necessary to facilitate transparent, collaborative decision-making processes. Personal qualities like integrity, reliability, and a team-oriented, solutions-focused mindset are also essential.

Contact:
Angela Ford at  or

Representative duties include (in addition to those listed in the description for Engineer I/II):

• Conduct engineering review of development plans including drainage and flood control, water supply, wastewater disposal, and post-construction stormwater.
• Review subdivision applications and subdivision improvement plans, road widening plans inclusive of curb, gutter, and sidewalk, land use permits, and encroachment permits for consistency with County standards, ordinances, and policies.
• Coordinate and participate in meetings with project applicants and consulting engineers to ensure developments are reviewed appropriately and in a timely fashion.
• Conduct field inspections for the projects they are managing.
• Interact with customers face-to-face at the front counter, on the phone, and through email to answer questions and help customers process their projects.

The ideal candidates will demonstrate the following characteristics:

• Self-motivation to manage their own workload, keep projects moving forward, and improving processes;
• The ability to clearly articulate County standards and policy consistently, fairly, and with a collaborative…