Associate Engineer - Public Works

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration. The City's Department of Public Works (DPW) is seeking an individual whose values align with the values of the City's employees.

The Public Works Department is responsible for delivering capital improvement projects for a wide variety of City facilities and infrastructure, maintaining City facilities and fleet assets, facilitating and regulating development activities, and providing animal care and services. The Department is committed to high-quality service, partnering with the community, and providing an excellent environment in which to work.

Salary Information

Salary range for this classification is $135,975.84 - $172,099.20 annually. This range includes an approximate five percent +(5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

The Department of Public Works is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Associate Engineer vacancy in the Engineering Services (ES) Division, Materials Testing Laboratory (MTL) Section.

ES Division MTL section is responsible for providing essential quality assurance testing services, plans and specifications review, pavement design, and limited geotechnical engineering services that directly impact public safety, infrastructure durability, state and federal regulatory compliance, and project delivery timelines. The quality assurance testing services provided by the MTL are essential to ensuring that public works constructed in the City of San Jose meet all applicable standards and specifications.

Under the general direction of the Senior Engineer, the Associate Engineer assigned to the Materials Testing Lab (MTL) will be responsible for supervising the work of a group of engineers, inspectors, technicians, engineering trainees, and student interns who are responsible for providing day to day field, laboratory, and geotechnical testing operations in support of the Capital Improvement Program, Development Fee Program, and other Citywide needs.

• Provides leadership and management of the Materials Testing Laboratory.
• Assists Senior Engineer in the preparation and monitoring of operating and capital budgets.
• Coordinates and maintains ongoing laboratory accreditation activities to ensure compliance with AASHTO Accreditation Program (AAP) and Caltrans requirements.
• Reviews materials submittal, construction plans and specifications for compliance with City pavement and construction material standards.
• Prepares cost estimates for construction projects and other engineering related projects.
• Prepares and manages professional consultant agreements for testing and inspection services to augment MTL’s testing capacity and expertise.
• Evaluates and implements innovative construction material technologies to support Department of Transportation and Public Works construction activities.
• Develops material specifications for Department of Transportation and Public Works.
• Researches and implements new test methods to expand Lab capabilities.
• Acts as a subject matter expert for construction materials and methods.
• Prepares Performance Appraisals for the non-management employees.
• Serves as the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO), managing the MTL's nuclear gauge testing equipment and licensing requirements to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.
• Serves as the Senior Engineer during the Senior Engineer’s absence.

• Certificate of Registration in a relevant professional engineering discipline may be required for some positions.
• Possession of a valid State of California driver's license is required.
• Other licenses or certifications may be required for particular positions
• Physical requirement

• Move between/within work areas, including but not limited to sitting, walking, and standing on various surfaces, turning, bending, grasping, and making repetitive hand movements;
• Maintain professional demeanor during interactions with staff, customers, and the public.

• Operate, access, enter, and retrieve data using standard office equipment, including but not limited to a computer or tablet;
• Read printed materials and a computer screen;
• Communicate in person and over the telephone;
• Be exposed to moderate noise levels and controlled temperature conditions.

• Work in and inspect changing site conditions and work in progress;
• Perform light to medium physical work, including climbing/descending ladders;
• Operate a motor vehicle and visit various City sites;
• Be exposed to unpredictable working conditions including but not limited to loud noise levels, inclement weather conditions, road hazards, vibration, confined workspaces, toxic or caustic chemicals, hazardous physical substances, fumes, odors, gases, dust, and air contaminants;

This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office.

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.
• 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.
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
• Creativity – Addresses objectives and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions in order to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business; exhibits creativity and innovation when contributing to organizational and individual objectives; seeks out opportunities to improve, streamline, reinvent work processes.
• Decision Making – Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.
• 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.
• Problem Solving – Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.
• Supervision -Sets effective long and short-term goals based on 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.

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. 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 Charmaine Guerrero at charmaine.guerrero@sanjoseca.gov