Principal Engineer

Principal Engineer:

Contra Costa Water District has an immediate opening for a Principal Engineer to supervise the Facilities Planning section and be an integral member of the team within the Planning Department. The selected candidate will lead and be responsible for completing planning studies including forecasting water demands and long-term water supply needs; supporting the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP); and other capital planning efforts to identify near and long-term water facility improvements related to the water treatment plants, untreated water system, and treated water distribution system to identify and plan for improvements; overseeing hydraulic modeling efforts to development and outage planning; and overseeing the grants program. The position serves as a liaison with the Operations and Maintenance Department and the Engineering Department to support prioritizing and programming of improvement projects necessary to maintain the operation of these systems and in consideration of growth as well as current and potential future regulations. Other areas this position supports include serving as a technical resource to identify and implement asset management practices in coordination with other departments; provide review on projects being implemented by other departments; engagement with municipal and industrial customers to coordinate supply needs, project implementation, and budget; completing monthly and annual regulatory reporting; and engaging with regional partners for potential projects.

The selected candidate will directly supervise up to three Engineers and oversight of the Grants Specialist as well as be responsible for administering consultant contracts including the preparation of requests for qualifications/proposals, performing project management activities, and coordination of consultant duties with staff.  

We are looking for a motivated team member who:

• Has several years of experience managing infrastructure and water supply planning studies, including the development of comprehensive plans and supply planning studies. 
• Has awareness and/or knowledge of Making Water Conservation a California Way of Life regulations and required reporting to the state on water use is beneficial. 
• Possess strong leadership skills that can provide guidance, motivate, and support others to succeed while keeping projects on track. 
• Possess strong communication skills and the ability to foster collaboration to support engagement with other departments at CCWD are valuable.

Additional Information:

Candidates will be initially screened to determine if they meet minimum qualifications. The application for those meeting minimum qualifications will be reviewed by subject matter experts and top candidates moved forward to the interview process. A virtual Oral Panel Interview is tentatively scheduled for the week of January 5, 2026. An in-person Department Panel Interview is tentatively scheduled for the week of January 12, 2026.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Training: Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in engineering or a related field.

Experience: Seven (7) years of increasingly responsible experience in professional engineering work related to water systems and facilities, including two (2) years of supervisory or management experience. 

Licenses and Certifications: 

• Possession of a valid California driver’s license to be maintained throughout employment.
• Possession of a valid license as a Professional Engineer issued by the State of California to be maintained throughout employment.