-
Job Description
Description
The City of Palo Alto Utilities is the only city in California that offers a full range of utility services to its citizens and businesses. This gives the City a unique opportunity to collaborate with the Palo Alto community, providing homegrown, reliable, and environmentally focused utilities. With over 130 years of successful public utility operations, Palo Alto continues its tradition of delivering safe services, local decision-making on policies, utility rate-setting, environmental programs, and tailored solutions for the community.
Join the City as Project Engineer, where you'll shape safety standards, lead innovative projects, and ensure the efficiency of vital water systems for our community!
Career Opportunity
The Project Engineer reports to the Principal Engineer of the Water Engineering Group within the Water-Gas-Wastewater (WGW) Engineering and Operations Division. In this role, you will manage public contracts, oversee Capital Improvement Projects for drinking water production and distribution facilities, and assist with regulatory compliance with local, state, and federal regulators. You'll also contribute to the development of WGW Utility Standards, support Engineering and Operations staff, and create engineering designs for potable water distribution system improvements. Additional responsibilities include researching historical records, recording data, collecting SCADA trends for existing facilities, and performing technical data analysis.
The ideal candidate will possess the following attributes:- Strong technical background in drinking water distribution or transmission engineering and management principles.
- At least 5-10 years of experience in drinking water production, distribution, or transmission.
- Registration as a professional Civil Engineer in the State of California.
- B.S. in Civil or Environmental Engineering from an accredited institution.
- Experience with drinking water system management, planning, or implementation of water system master planning projects or programs.
- Experience with interpreting and applying the California Waterworks Standards of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
- In-depth knowledge of drinking water distribution operations.
- Proficiency In AutoCAD and other industry standard tools and techniques.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Embark on this rewarding career. Apply today!
Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here.
Benefits: The City offers a fantastic benefits package including:- Schedule: Option of a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off
- Hybrid work: Ability to work remotely and onsite (current policy allows for 2 days/week remote and 3 days/week on-site)
- Professional development: Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities
- Education benefits: Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change)
- Childcare support: $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change)
- Commute benefits: Incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work. The City of Palo Alto participates in the Clipper Bay Pass program (Employee Cost: $5 per month).
- Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits
To learn more about benefits, clickhere.
Depending on the applicant's qualifications, the position will be filled at the appropriate level/salary of either: Project Engineer ($165,027.20 - $202,040.05 Annually) or Engineer ($153,524.80 - $187,930.62 Annually).
This is a continuous recruitment and may remain open until filled.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early!
Initial review of applications scheduled for May 8, 2026 , and May 22, 2026
This position is represented by Service Employee International Union position (SEIU).
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:- Conducts comprehensive utility engineering planning, design, and operational studies of the water utilities system.
- Performs design work including researching data, conducting feasibility and economic studies, and determining design criteria in accordance with required standards and codes for assigned projects in the drinking water utility.
- Prepares project documents including project justifications, budget analyses, calculations, plans, specifications, cost estimates, and schedules for assigned utility projects in the drinking water utility.
- Reviews and checks engineering drawings, plans, computations, estimates and reports for completeness, accuracy, and soundness of applied utility engineering principles and City utility standards and policies.
- Provides guidance and work supervision for other utility engineering and technical personnel as required by the projects.
- Responsible for contract administration including reviewing bid packages, preparing contracts, and preparing city manager’s reports and/or making presentations to council staff as required on each utility work assignment. Ensures that all procurement and contracts comply with City Purchasing Department regulations.
- Acts as the project manager on drinking water utility construction projects; directs the work of subordinate professional, field inspector, and/or operations staff to ensure quality control; takes responsibility for schedule coordination, political liaison, inter-utility coordination, public relations; evaluates, recommends, and prepares contract change orders as necessary; reviews progress payments and recommends payment authorization.
To see full job description of Project Engineer, click here.
To see full job description of Engineer, click here.
Minimum Qualifications
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:- Bachelor of Science degree in civil, mechanical, or other approved engineering curriculum depending upon assigned area.
AND- Equivalent to four years increasingly responsible engineering experience.
(Note: PE Certificate or Master's Degree in Engineering may be considered in lieu of one year of experience.)
Special Requirements for Project Engineer:- Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California, or ability to obtain registration within one year of appointment to the classification or registration as a professional architect in the State of California.
- Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Special Requirements for Engineer:- Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California required to attain top step in Engineer classification.
- Possession of a valid California Driver's License.
Supplemental Information
The Selection Process:- Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
- Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
- Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
- The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
- This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy.
Technical Support:
For technical issues applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.
The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.
Closing Date/Time: Continuous -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
-
-
City of Palo Alto
Show moreThe Community
The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-NewsCity Government
Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.
Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.
Join an Award Winning Team
Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.
Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."
Contact Us
Phone: 650-329-2376
Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov
Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map
-