Water Principal Engineer

Position Description

Tacoma Water is seeking a Principal Engineer who wants to lead a team of engineers delivering a variety of capital projects, providing engineering support for maintenance and operations, and coordinating with other municipalities. People at Tacoma Water love working here because we care so much for each other and our community, we get to apply ourselves to interesting and important work, and we get to contribute to and benefit from the incredible talent and knowledge base at Tacoma Water. We are looking for someone to utilize their experience and knowledge in engineering and project management to provide engineering judgement, analysis, and leadership skills to support the delivery of clean, reliable, and cost effective water to our customers. This position supervises a team of engineers, who lead water infrastructure projects located throughout Tacoma Water's service area and may manage larger multi-project programs such as the Pipeline 1 Pressurization Program.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead water infrastructure projects and programs in all areas including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing using knowledge in areas of project integration, scope, schedule, cost, human resources, quality, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management
• Leads and reviews the preparation of technical specifications, engineering calculations and plans; approves, stamps and seals plans
• Performs engineering quality control reviews of consultant work product, technical reports, letters, plans, specifications and engineering cost estimates; manages completion of as-built drawings
• Prepares and oversees the preparation of engineering studies, feasibility reports, analyses and cost estimates; creates engineering and operational documentation which may include water system standards and guidance
• Creates forecasts and evaluates scenarios and alternatives pertinent to providing a more efficient and resilient water system
• Provide coaching to staff, determine appropriate workloads and schedules to support short and long-term goals, and advocate for employee training
• Develop performance metrics, policies, and procedures and evaluate to determine effectiveness
• Attend drinking water industry conferences, technical workshops, hazardous materials training, professional development and project management classes, and other continuing education opportunities as available

Who you will be working with:
You will be joining our Planning & Engineering (P&E) Section, responsible for performing planning and engineering services related to the following:

• Regional transmission of water supply through 150 miles of large-diameter water mains, pumping stations, standpipes, and reservoirs
• Local water distribution to our customers through over 1,350 miles of small-diameter water mains
• Equipment related to electrical components, communications, instrumentation and control, and cathodic protection
• Asset and System Planners who provide asset management framework, water system modeling, and studies of the water system

Qualifications

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

Minimum Experience*
5 years including 1 year prior as a licensed professional engineer or project lead/intermittent supervisor

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements
Washington State Licensed Professional Engineer and maintenance thereafter**
Washington State Driver's License

AS ASSIGNED:
Depending on position, additional licenses and/or certifications may also be required

* Relevant education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis
**6-month grace period allowable to transfer PE license from another state to WA

Desired Qualifications:

• 2 years of experience directly supervising one or more employees, including annual reviews, assigning work, and disciplinary action if necessary
• 5 years as a licensed professional engineer specializing in water capital project delivery (or related field)

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We're committed to eliminating racial and other disparities, and we actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.

The City of Tacoma believes that diversity of thought, background, and experience contributes to our success and innovation. If you’re passionate about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.
Apply

Interested individuals should apply online by completing the application and attaching a resume and cover letter by the closing date and time listed on the job announcement. Applications received without attaching the required materials may not progress in the selection process.
Compensation & Benefits
Pay Details:
Hourly Rate: $63.10 - $88.85
Annual Salary: $131,248.00 - $184,808.00

Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma

Get Assistance

For assistance with the application process or questions regarding this job announcement please contact the Human Resources office at (253) 591-5400 by 4:00 p.m. of the closing date of the job announcement.

For technical difficulties using the NEOGOV system, call the applicant support line at 1-855-524-5627 between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.

Communication with the City of Tacoma

We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from Tacoma.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should 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 email folders.

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: 3/23/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

• 

• City of Tacoma

• 253-591-5400

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