Principal Civil Engineer

This position is responsible for performing difficult professional and administrative work in applying professional engineering services to a wide variety of Public Works planning, development, and design projects. The employee manages Public Works Programs to ensure sustainable service delivery in areas such as water and wastewater as well as manages individual design projects and directs and supervises the work of other personnel in a matrix organizational structure towards project execution. This position is responsible for assessing utility deficiencies and requisite infrastructure improvements to support private development. The work has major impact on the City and requires comprehensive knowledge of SWM, utility, and civil engineering in order to review and resolve a variety of unusual, difficult, and technical issues. The work is proactive with high level contacts on matters requiring cooperation, explanation, and persuasion and includes ensuring the adherence to laws, codes, policies, and procedures. The work includes handling multiple complex projects and meeting deadlines in order to facilitate the work of others and the projects. Work is subject to functional policies and goals under general managerial direction of the Chief of Engineer and/or Engineering Supervisor, with serious consequences.Functions of all Principal Civil Engineers

• Supervises and coordinates the preparation and review of construction plans, specifications, computations, and contract documents for the Public Works Capital Improvement Projects and development permits prepared by consulting engineers and City staff.
• Performs reviews of complex engineering plans, reports, and computations for compliance with engineering principles and applicable city, county, state, and federal codes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Assists reviewing laws, regulations, requirements, and standards of the federal government, the state, and non-governmental bodies (such as AWWA or LEED) to identify and assesses changes and recommend changes to the Rockville City Code.
• Reviews the impact of development projects on City water and wastewater infrastructure for conformance with the Adequate Public Facility Standards and recommends improvement to the water and wastewater systems to ensure system integrity.
• Conducts studies; recommends policies, regulations, and procedures; and analyzes fees and rates to achieve division goals.
• Interprets designs and advises on intent issues as they arise, refines or revises designs or adds designs, as necessary, and may resolve design/construction conflicts during the construction phase.
• Prepares and reviews complex construction plans, studies, plats, easements, specifications, and estimates for projects ranging from new construction to repair/modification of existing infrastructure.
• Schedules and reviews the work of lower level engineers to ensure design quality and compliance with City standards, specifications, and good engineering practice, and maintains a status report on all projects.
• Coordinates projects and obtains permits from appropriate City departments, outside agencies, and private utility companies.
• Reviews standards, specifications, ordinance requirements, and regulations within the City in order to recommend modifications and advise on their probable impact.
• Assists and provides advice to inspection personnel to resolve field problems and respond to contract administration inquiries.
• Answers public inquiries regarding projects and other engineering matters; attends and acts as City representative at citizen and community meetings.
• Evaluates proposed development and establishes water, wastewater, and SWM requirements through the Water and Sewer Authorization and the Stormwater Concept approval process to ensure development complies with the City, State, and federal codes, including the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.
• Drafts proposed legislation for the City Code to stay current with modern standards and practices, and local, state, and federal regulations.
• Receives and resolves inquiries regarding complex complaints from interested parties involving issues that are the purview of the department’s codes.
• Assists division chief in the preparation of the operating and CIP budgets and other administrative and personnel duties.
• Manages individual engineering projects and provides estimates for CIP planning, budgeting, and design purposes.
• Supervises engineers and consulting engineers in project execution for the Engineering Division.
• May be required to attend meetings after hours and respond to emergencies.
• Performs other duties as required.

 
Functions of Capital Projects

• Manages the planning and implementation of Programs, such as the Bridge Rehabilitation Program, Sanitary Sewer Preventative Maintenance Program, or Water Distribution Rehabilitation Program. Program management includes recommending funding levels; identifying, planning and implementing Capital projects; and applying GIS to implement an Asset Management program.
• Manages the A&E contract to ensure adequacy of the A&E firm’s work, timeliness, accuracy of construction cost estimates, and appropriate coordination with others, including governmental bodies in the design phase.
• Prepares request for proposal for engineering projects, and serves as staff liaison to consultants on Public Works design projects.
• Plans and designs public infrastructure improvements including water, sewer, stormwater, and bridges implemented through the Capital Improvement Program.

 
Functions of Water and Sewer Planning

• Manages planning level studies including master plans, feasibility studies, preliminary designs, budget level estimates, and technical memos.
• Manages water and sewer aspects of Water Resources Element of the City master plan and Montgomery County Water and Sewer plan.
• Manages the water and sewer authorization process for new development projects.
• Manages City code and regulation revisions related to water and sewer.

 
Functions of Development Review

• Reviews stormwater management (SWM) concept proposals and recommends appropriate level and type of SWM to the Chief of Engineering as part of the development review process. 
• Schedules and coordinates Public Works reviews and recommendations on predevelopment submissions from the Planning Department for compliance with City standards and determines public improvement requirements for permit projects.
• Reviews site and subdivision plans and recommends permit conditions to meet City Code and standards, and conform to good engineering practices.

Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or environmental engineering from an accredited university or college, plus seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in civil engineering, or any combination of substantially equivalent education and experience.
 
Special Qualifications:
Must be a licensed Professional Engineer and be registered with the State of Maryland within one year of employment. Possession of (or ability to obtain) certification from the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Professional (PMP), is desirable. Must possess a valid state driver’s license.Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of civil engineering.
• Considerable knowledge of the appropriate standards and procedures used in the design and construction of roadway, water, wastewater, storm drainage, stormwater management, sediment control, and other public works construction.
• Considerable knowledge of information sources, research techniques, and reporting standards used in public works engineering.
• Knowledge of government procurement practices, policies, and procedures.
• Skill in program leadership and dealing with a variety of individuals and groups, at all levels, including stakeholder outreach and explaining technical aspects of programs to citizens and groups.
• Skill in critical strategic thinking and project planning.
• Skill in the use of personal computers, GIS, and design software (AutoCAD and/or Microstation).
• Skill in the use of specialized engineering software for water, wastewater, or stormwater modeling.
• Skill in good communication, both written and verbal and excellent human relations skills.
• Skill in making engineering computations, estimates, and designs.
• Skill in the use of word processing and data processing equipment.
• Ability to complete difficult engineering computations and to design a variety of public works projects quickly and accurately.
• Ability to review complex engineering plans, specifications, and documents and to discern and correct errors in design and criteria.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other engineers, employees, contractors, and other persons contacted in the course of the work.
• Ability to plan and assign work for contract engineers, inspectors, surveyors, and lower level engineers.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The work is sedentary work, which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

• Mental Acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Hearing 2: Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Repetitive Motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Speaking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Visual Acuity 1: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 2: Including color, depth perception, and field vision.
• Visual Acuity 3: Visual Acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Visual Acuity 5: Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
This job is performed in a dynamic environment, which requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs.