Wastewater Facility Senior Engineer – Environmental Services Department

Job Description:

Wastewater Facility Senior Engineer – Environmental Services Department

Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at [email protected] .

About the Department

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is a national leader in pollution prevention, watershed protection, utility service provision, and climate action. Together, ESD employees positively impact every resident and business in San Jose.

Our department is an exceptional place to start or grow your career. We have a supportive leadership team, numerous professional growth opportunities, and an inclusive workplace culture that is welcoming of your talents!

To learn more about ESD, follow @sjenvironment on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and San Jose Environmental Services on LinkedIn.

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Division
The Capital Improvement Program (CIP) division is leading one of the largest public works programs in San José’s history! The division is responsible for delivering a 10-year capital improvement program estimated at $1.6 billion and assuring the future of wastewater treatment services for 1.7million residents and 17,000 businesses. The CIP division performs the overall planning and project delivery for all aspects of the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF) treatment process, including program administration and budget planning. The division is also supported by a co-located team of consultant staff and staff from the Department of Public Works, who provide program management and construction management services, respectively.

Position Duties

The Environmental Services Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) Wastewater Facility Senior Engineer position in support of the RWF’s CIP division. The Senior Wastewater Facility Engineer position is a management classification and reports to a Wastewater Facility Principal Engineer.

Wastewater Facility Senior Engineers work closely with Program Management Consultant (PMC) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) staff in an integrated Program Management Office (PMO) to deliver a wide variety of capital improvement projects at the RWF.

Wastewater Facility Senior Engineers serve as Project Managers or Electrical Subject Matter Experts (SME) through all phases of their assigned capital project(s) from project initiation to feasibility development, design, bid and award, construction, testing, start-up, commissioning, and post-construction.

Project Manager : Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, preparing consultant procurement documents (RFQs/RFPs); conducting contract negotiations and administration; directing the preparation and approval of project deliverables prepared by Consultants (i.e., condition assessment reports, alternative analysis reports, conceptual design reports, preliminary design reports, detail design drawings, specifications, permit documents, and construction estimates); preparing and negotiating level of efforts for service orders; reviewing invoices; preparing Council memos and presentations for contract award.

Electrical SME : Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, performing specialty engineering design (protective relaying, motor, and generator controls), reviewing and permitting of electrical building systems, reviewing complex professional plans and calculations to ensure the sound application of engineering principles, compliance with building codes, best design and maintenance practices, and other ordinances and regulations as they relate to the RWF.

Wastewater Facility Senior Engineers also participate in resource planning, staff recruitment, and development. They are responsible for the training, development, management, and supervision of professional engineering and technical support staff.

Key upcoming planned projects include additional Digester Facility Upgrades, Primary Clarifiers Rehabilitation, Aeration Basin Modification, and Pump Station Improvements. Additionally, this role may support urgent, unscheduled miscellaneous process and infrastructure improvements.

The annual salary range for this classification is:

• $166,377.12 - $210,581.28

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this division or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize applicants from this recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, or related engineering discipline AND five (5) years of progressively responsible professional engineering experience in the wastewater treatment industry.

Acceptable Substitution
A Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering or other related disciplines can be substituted for one year of professional engineering experience.

Required Licensing (such as driver’s license, certifications, etc.)

• Possession of a Certificate of Registration from the State of California in a Civil/ Electrical/Mechanical/Chemical professional engineering discipline.
• Possession of a valid State of California driver’s license.
  • If selected, the Conditional Offer of Employment may be contingent upon you providing proof of a valid State of California driver’s license and an assessment under the California DMV Employer Pull Notice (EPN) system as per the DMV Release of Driver Record Information form. Failure to pass the DMV Pull Notice assessment will deem you ineligible for employment.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history:

Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies, and federal and state rules and regulations. Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with:

• Applicable professional/technical principles as related to wastewater process and treatment practices, open/closed channel hydraulics, hydraulic modeling, pump design, wastewater collection design, and design of various wastewater treatment unit processes.
• State and federal regulations for wastewater treatment, biosolids, nutrient removal, and recycled water.
• Fundamentals of engineering research and accepted research procedures; Knowledge of engineering mathematics and hydraulic principles.
• Ability to apply engineering principles to the solution of sanitary engineering problems and to perform engineering studies and make evaluations.
• Knowledge of emerging new technologies in wastewater treatment.
• Knowledge of wastewater treatment process modeling.
• Knowledge of various standard laboratory test methods for wastewater treatment processes.

Communication Skills: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts, prepares technical reports and council memorandums.

Building Trust: Communicates an understanding of the other person’s interests, needs and concerns; identifies and communicates shared interests and goals; identifies and communicates differences as appropriate; demonstrates honesty, keeps commitments, and behaves in an appropriate manner.

Initiative: Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promote job performance.

Leadership: Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational support and direction.

Problem Solving: Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of the problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Planning: Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.

Project Management: Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives.

Supervision: Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Additional Competencies and/or Desirable Qualifications

• A master’s degree is highly desirable.
• A degree in Civil, Chemical, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering with experience in the wastewater and/or water field is highly desirable.
• Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) certification is desirable

Selection Process:

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Ernesto Zamaguey at [email protected].

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email [email protected] and we will research the status of your application.

AI and the Hiring Process

We recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming part of daily life and can be a valuable tool for learning, research, and professional growth. We encourage candidates to use AI responsibly as a support in preparing application materials, live assessments, and interviews. However, we value authenticity, accuracy and truthfulness. Application responses and interview answers must reflect your own knowledge, skills, and experiences. While AI can supplement preparation, it cannot replace the originality and judgment we look for in our employees. This ensures fairness, transparency, and equity for all applicants in the hiring process.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 8/3/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$166,377.12 - $210,581.28 Annually