Capital Engineer IV

Are you an experienced engineer of capital projects in floodplains or similar environments? Are you ready to make a significant contribution as a Capital Engineer IV in the exciting world of floodplain management? Look no further than the River and Floodplain Capital Unit within King County, Washington's Water and Land Resources Division. We are seeking standout professionals to join our dynamic and multi-disciplinary team to provide technical engineering expertise and deliver crucial capital projects that support public safety and healthy floodplains.

About the Role:

The Capital Engineer IV (Engineer IV), located in the River and Floodplain Capital Unit within the Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD), will become and serve as a subject matter expert on the Green River and will provide high level engineering support to projects across the River and Floodplain Capital Unit. The successful candidate will design, manage, and implement large capital improvement projects on local rivers, perform and review complex hydraulic and hydrologic models to evaluate flood effects to levees, revetments and habitat improvement projects throughout the King County region. The ideal candidate will apply professional experience and find fulfillment leading multi-disciplinary project teams and serving as the lead engineer for projects aimed at reducing risks from river and floodplain hazards and improving environmental conditions. This is a great role for someone who enjoys the challenge of balancing a diverse and complex workload. Learn from and collaborate with other professionals in WLRD. Participate in a range of learning and professional development opportunities available to King County employees in areas such as project management, facilitation and community engagement. Levee improvement and floodplain reconnection projects are just some of the major projects you can expect to be involved in.

About the Team:

The Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) of King County is a well-funded nationwide leader in integrated floodplain management methods and developing innovative and science-based flood risk reduction strategies to improve river and environmental conditions across King County’s six major river systems (White, Green, Cedar, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, and Skykomish). The River and Floodplain Capital Unit implements a diverse work program to reduce flood risks to the constituents of King County in a manner that restores river and floodplain processes, considers equitable outcomes and future conditions related to climate change, and provides a collaborative and engaged professional environment where staff can grow and thrive. The River and Floodplain Capital Unit ensures successful execution of flood risk reduction and habitat restoration initiatives, while fostering collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and regulatory compliance.

Commitment To Equity and Social Justice:

King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a Capital Engineer IV, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at .

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Water and Land Resource Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP) or Wastewater Treatment Division. Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities. Enjoy training, comprehensive benefits , and growth opportunities.

Job Duties:

What You Will Be Doing:

• Act as the project engineer and subject matter expert on complex river design projects. Coordinate design of river facility projects with County team members and consulting engineers. Prepare plans, specifications and cost estimates, calculations, reports and review the preparation by others to ensure conformity to County standards and public bidding requirements.
• Provide staff support during construction by training and mentoring junior engineers to oversee construction processes. Review shop drawings and technical documentation on products submitted by contractors prior to construction, assist in the interpretation of specifications, advise on contractor compliance with contract documents, and review and approve change orders during river construction repair and enhancement projects.
• Communicate and collaborate within a multidisciplinary team consisting of project managers, engineers, ecologists, and geomorphologists. Manage multiple tasks within the County team and with our project partners to ensure project deadlines are met.
• Apply an understanding of permitting within the riverine environment to guide the planning and alternative selection process to apply critical success factors for permitting by local, state, and federal agencies. Guide the design to fit constraints for permitting and construction within a limited fish window schedule constraint.
• Prepare consultant and construction contracts for advertisement, including developing project scopes of work, cost estimates, evaluation criteria and records of negotiation.
• Participate in flood warning and emergency response programs and activities, including the Flood Warning Center, flood patrols, and post-flood inspections.

Qualifications You Bring:

• Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, environmental engineering, water resources, or closely related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience providing the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties described.
• Proficiency using hydraulic models (such as HEC-RAS, SWMM or RiverFlow 2D, SRH 2D).
• Technical expertise in the design, evaluation, and analysis of complex multi-discipline riverine projects.
• At least eight years of increasingly responsible engineering work at a professional level.
• Advanced knowledge and experience implementing hydrologic and open channel hydraulic principles and geomorphic processes to address channel migration, channel erosion, sediment movement and deposition and fluvial response to large wood.
• Experience in construction management and knowledge of relevant construction techniques and approaches.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and experience with giving presentations and meeting facilitation.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience working in situations requiring cross-cultural sensitivity and centering racial equity and social justice principles, and environmental justice.

Competencies You Bring:

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Builds Networks: Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization. Connects the right people to accomplish goals.
• Organizational Savvy: Maneuvers comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics. Has a clear understanding of other groups’ business priorities.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex and contradictory information to solve emerging problems and simultaneously produce high-quality deliverables and outcomes.

Required Licenses:

• Licensed Washington State professional civil engineer (P.E.) or licensed in another state with the ability to obtain a Washington State license through reciprocity.
• Valid Washington State driver's license or the ability to obtain one prior to starting work if selected for this position.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Master’s degree in civil engineering, water resources engineering, geomorphology or a closely related field.