-
Job Description
Description
*This is a promotional opportunity for City of Palo Alto Utilities Department Employees Only*
The Department
Palo Alto is the only city in California that offers a full array of utility services to its citizens and businesses. Because of this, the City has a unique opportunity to partner with the Palo Alto community to enjoy the benefits and achievements of reliable, home-grown, and environmentally-focused utilities. Palo Alto has a tradition of over 100 years of successful public utility operations. It is a tradition that continues to provide the Palo Alto community with safe and reliable utility service, local decision-making over policies, utility rate-making, environmental programs, and customized services.
Career Opportunity
This position is part of the water group in the Water-Gas-Wastewater (WGW) engineering division but familiarity with wastewater collection system evaluation, design, and construction would also be beneficial. The Engineer position will have a significant role in ensuring the successful oversight of water, and if needed wastewater, Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). The successful candidate will typically perform in-house design and construction management of CIP projects from start to finish; providing project justifications, budget analysis, calculations, plans, specifications, cost estimates, and schedules for assigned utility CIP improvement projects; conduct water, and if needed wastewater system analysis or assessment studies and recommend facility upgrade plans. This role will also have the responsibility of regulatory compliance and work closely with Utilities Operations to support their needs.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will have water distribution and/or wastewater collection system experience including four years of design and construction management experience along with strong project management skills. The successful candidate should possess sound engineering fundamentals including scientific, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Furthermore the successful candidate should have background in supporting development of a multi-year CIP Program and total project costs for the CIP. The candidate should be detail-oriented, organized, and be able to communicate effectively. Experience in development services is also a benefit, given that the WGW engineering division supports the WGW development services group. AutoCAD experience and GIS experience are required.
To be successful in this role, the ability to work collaboratively with others and strong written and oral communication skills will be essential. The ideal candidate will also have passed their Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and are beginning to prepare for taking exams associated with obtaining registration as a professional civil engineer in the State of California.
Benefits: The City offers a fantastic benefits package that includes affordable healthcare plans, generous retirement packages, paid parental leave, convenient commuter programs and more!
Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here.
Schedule: 9/80 work schedule (with every other Friday off).
This position is part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Essential Duties
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Positions allocated to this level in the Utilities/Water, Gas, Wastewater Engineering Section may perform the following duties:- Prepares plans, specifications and cost estimates for assigned projects requiring engineering capability in the water, gas, wastewater.
- Manages utility construction projects, taking responsibility for contract administration, schedule coordination, political liaison, public relations, inter-utility coordination, and quality control. Field decisions and supervision of any and all tests may be required to assure specified results.
- Works with and provides guidance for the utilities' customers in establishing utilities' service requirements and efficient usage.
- Develops utilities materials standards, equipment specifications, and operating procedures.
Essential Functions:- Assists in the preparation of the utilities' annual budget, capital improvement programs, and quarterly financial and performance reports.
- Provides guidance and work supervision for engineering aides as required by projects, as well as outside consultants on major projects.
- Assists in managing utility construction projects including contract administration, scheduling, interacting with consultants and the public and quality control.
To review full job description, 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 of increasingly responsible engineering experience.
(Note: PE Certificate or Master's Degree in Engineering may be considered in lieu of one year of experience.)
Special Requirement:- Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California required to attain top step (Step E) 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.
- 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.
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: 4/23/2026 11:59 PM Pacific -
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
-