Principal Engineer, PE

Position Description

*** SPECIAL NOTE: This is a project position expected to end December 31, 2027, unless extended ***

The City of Tacoma's Public Works Department is seeking qualified candidates for a full-time Principal Engineer PE position. This position will provide direction, guidance, and coordination of engineering and design standards and practices for the City of Tacoma.
The successful candidate will be joining the Design Engineering team of Public Works Engineering. For a glimpse into the Public Works Department and its staff please enjoy this video .

This position serves as the technical lead and mentor for the engineering section. The Principal Engineer helps support the engineering section by reviewing, signing, and stamping up to 20 capital improvement projects annually for non-licensed engineers within the Public Work s Design section, ensuring that our projects achiev e the City’s goals to improve safety and accessibility for all users in our roadways. The Principal Engineer will provide direction, guidance, and coordination of engineering and design standards and practices for the City of Tacoma.

The ideal candidate will bring substantial expertise in civil engineering, particularly in areas such as roadway design , stormwater and wastewater design , ADA compliance , right-of-way design, and environmental permitting regulations. The position demands an individual who can effectively communicate complex ideas through both oral and written formats, tailored to diverse audiences. Strong leadership, public service commitment, and the ability to foster an approachable yet professional environment are keys to success in this role.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate the following traits, skills, and abilities:
Essential Traits:

• Instill Trust - gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity.
• Manage Complexity - can make sense of complex, high quality, and sometimes, contradictory information to solve problems effectively.
• Action Oriented - take on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Optimize Work Processes - knows the most effective and efficient processes to get things accomplished, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Ensure Accountability - hold self and others accountable to meet commitments
• Drive Results - consistently achieve results, even under tough circumstances
• Collaborate - build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives

Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to read and understand engineering site plans, technical reports and manuals.
• Significant experience with roadway design, stormwater and wastewater design, and knowledge of civil engineering standards and practices.
• Experience with Environmental permitting requirements, stormwater site plans, and stormwater mitigation requirements.
• Experience with project management, cost estimation, and specification writing.
• Experience with applicable Federal, State and Local regulations, including ADA, SEPA and NEPA; and current literature, trends, and developments in the civil engineering field.
• Ability to research, prepare, and present technical recommendations to other departments, officials, and external groups.
• Ability to work in a sometimes hectic and high pressure atmosphere.
• Participate in and/or lead multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and assignments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent customer (whether internal or external) service skills, specifically:
  • Responding to requests in a timely manner.
  • Reviewing engineering documents quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.
  • Providing clear explanations of recommendations.

Division Overview:
The mission of the Engineering Division is to support the City of Tacoma’s goals through the fiscally and environmentally responsible planning and design of our public infrastructure . Public Works Engineering is responsible for designing c apital projects to improve the safety of our communities and meet current standards and requirements.

• Safety: We prioritize the safety of all users, and strive to build city infrastructure to promote safe and reliable access for all users and neighborhoods.
• Equitable: We work to decrease disparities in our infrastructure and transportation systems.
• Sustainable: We recognize that transportation is a leading contributor to local greenhouse gas emissions and stormwater pollution and work to improve the City's sustainability goals with our designs.

The Engineering Division collaborates with a broad cross-section of disciplines during design to ensure that the City’s goals are being met. The Engineering Division provides a unique opportunity for engineers to work with City Departments, local, county, and statewide partners, and community stakeholders .

The Division also offers a wide variety of experience to a multitude of civil engineering disciplines including roadway design, multimodal infrastructure, stormwater and wastewater design, transportation engineering, and many more. This opportunity helps to develop engineers in a variety of disciplines and provide a wide range of experience and growth .

Qualifications

Minimum Education*
Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or directly related field

Minimum Experience*
5 years including 1 year prior as a licensed professional engineer or project lead/intermittent supervisor
*Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements
Washington State Licensed Professional Engineer and maintenance thereafter**

AS ASSIGNED:
Washington State Driver's License
Depending on position, additional licenses and/or certifications may also be required

*Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education
**6-month grace period allowable to transfer PE license from another state to WA

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:
Position may require driving, sitting, standing, walking or climbing for long periods of time.
Work performed in office, field and other environments.

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

Apply
Interested City of Tacoma current employees should apply online and attach a detailed resume and cover letter that includes job experience, major responsibilities and accomplishments related to this position.

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their responses to the supplemental questions evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts. These questions will be scored on the basis of the information provided; therefore, it is the responsibility of the applicant to carefully list all pertinent experience and training. The evaluation committee will not have access to the candidate's application. Providing false information will result in disqualification. Candidates must pass this evaluation in order to be placed on the eligible list for interview and hiring consideration.

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Tacoma's diversity is its greatest asset. Tacoma embraces its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic character. Communities of color and immigrant communities are fundamental to Tacoma's entrepreneurial spirit, workforce, and long-term success. In Tacoma, equity and empowerment are top priorities, meaning that all Tacoma residents must have equitable opportunities to reach their full potential and share in the benefits of community progress. One of our goals is for the City of Tacoma workforce to reflect the community it serves. We actively work to eliminate racial and other disparities and welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skill sets and experiences. Our goal is for Tacoma to be an inclusive and equitable place to live, work, and play.

Communication from the City of Tacoma:
We primarily communicate via e-mail during the application process. E-mails from cityoftacoma.org and/or governmentjobs.com must be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.

If you have any additional questions regarding this position, please contact the Human Resources Department at 253.591.5400 prior to 4pm on the date of this posting closing.

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 6/18/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• City of Tacoma

• 253-591-5400

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