El Toro Water District
Principal / Senior Engineer
The El Toro Water District (ETWD) is seeking an experienced and motivated engineering professional to join its Engineering Department. This recruitment may be filled at either the Senior Engineer or Principal Engineer level depending upon the qualifications, experience, and demonstrated capabilities of the selected candidate.
Only one position will be filled.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Reporting to the Director of Engineering, the selected candidate will play a key role in planning, developing, and implementing engineering projects and programs supporting the District’s potable water, recycled water, and wastewater systems.
The position offers an opportunity to work on a wide range of engineering activities including:
• Capital Improvement Program (CIP) planning and delivery
• Infrastructure planning and rehabilitation
• Hydraulic modeling and system analysis
• Development review and utility coordination
• Public works construction administration
• Consultant management
• Asset management and infrastructure reliability planning
• Regulatory compliance and utility system planning
• Recycled water system planning and implementation
CLASSIFICATION DETERMINATION
The position may be filled at either the Senior Engineer or Principal Engineer level depending on the qualifications, experience, and demonstrated capabilities of the selected candidate.
Senior Engineers are expected to independently manage and deliver capital improvement projects, development review activities, engineering analyses, consultant coordination, and construction administration assignments.
Principal Engineers are expected to provide District-wide technical leadership in capital improvement planning, infrastructure master planning, hydraulic modeling, asset management, engineering standards, development services, and long-range utility system management.
Only one position will be filled.
SENIOR ENGINEER
The Senior Engineer serves as the District’s project delivery lead and is responsible for managing capital improvement projects from planning through construction and closeout. The Senior Engineer independently performs engineering analyses, development review, consultant management, and construction administration activities.
Typical responsibilities include:
• Managing capital improvement projects through planning, design, permitting, construction, and closeout
• Reviewing infrastructure master planning and system capacity evaluations
• Involvement in asset management, infrastructure replacement, resiliency, and reliability planning
• Directly reviews, processes, and manages approval of land development projects and service requests. Prepares engineering conditions of approval, plan checking, development agreements; reviews and approves plans as submitted by developers; coordinates with city staff; and computes and collects fees.
• Reviewing hydraulic analyses, fire flow studies, and system evaluations
• Participating in improving engineering standards, specifications, standard drawings, engineering procedures, and engineering workflows
• Coordinating with consultants, contractors, developers, and regulatory agencies
• Working closely with Operations staff to identify infrastructure deficiencies, operational challenges, reliability concerns, and future capital improvement priorities
• Preparing engineering reports, plans, specifications, cost estimates, and recommendations
• Managing construction administration activities including RFIs, submittals, change orders, contractor coordination, and project closeout
• Supporting infrastructure planning and capital improvement efforts
• Presenting updates to management and the Board of Directors
• Vigilantly maintains Engineering Department records, hydraulic models, plans, District maps, atlases, files and related materials. Ensures accurate revisions and updates of the water, recycled water and wastewater system maps utilizing record drawings on new projects and other sources. Participates in office operations, record keeping on the Shared drive, and edits the District’s Geographic Information System.
• Supports the Director of Engineering in the acquisition of grants and assists with other external funding to supplement the District’s Capital Improvement Plan for water, recycled water, and wastewater systems, and implements and administers said grants/external funding, as directed.
• Self-perform design for capital improvement projects, as directed by the Director of Engineering.
• Perform special projects as assigned.
PRINCIPAL ENGINEER
The Principal Engineer serves as a senior technical authority and engineering program leader. In addition to project delivery responsibilities, the Principal Engineer provides technical leadership for infrastructure planning, capital improvement programming, hydraulic modeling, asset management, engineering standards, development services, recycled water planning, and long-range system reliability initiatives.
The Principal Engineer serves as a key advisor to the Director of Engineering and works closely with Operations staff, consultants, developers, regulatory agencies, and District management to identify infrastructure needs, establish engineering priorities, and develop long-term capital investment strategies.
Typical responsibilities include:
• Supports the Director of Engineering in development and prioritization of the District’s Capital Improvement Program
• Supports the Director of Engineering in infrastructure master planning and system capacity evaluations
• Supports the Director of Engineering in asset management, infrastructure replacement, resiliency, and reliability planning
• Directly reviews, processes, and manages approval of land development projects and service requests. Prepares engineering conditions of approval, plan checking, development agreements; reviews and approves plans as submitted by developers; coordinates with city staff; and computes and collects fees.
• Directing hydraulic modeling, fire flow evaluations, and system performance analyses
• Establishing and continuously improving engineering standards, specifications, standard drawings, engineering procedures, and engineering workflows
• Serving as engineering liaison with regulatory agencies, regional partners, local jurisdictions, and outside stakeholders
• Providing technical leadership for recycled water planning, system expansion, and compliance initiatives
• Working closely with Operations staff to identify infrastructure deficiencies, operational challenges, reliability concerns, and future capital improvement priorities
• Preparing engineering reports, plans, specifications, cost estimates, and recommendations
• Managing construction administration activities including RFIs, submittals, change orders, contractor coordination, and project closeout
• Evaluating system performance and identifying operational improvements and future capital projects
• Providing technical leadership to engineering staff and consultants
• Presenting engineering recommendations, infrastructure planning initiatives, and CIP priorities to management and the Board of Directors
• Vigilantly maintains Engineering Department records, hydraulic models, plans, District maps, atlases, files and related materials. Ensures accurate revisions and updates of the water, recycled water and wastewater system maps utilizing record drawings on new projects and other sources. Participates in office operations, record keeping on the Shared drive, and edits the District’s Geographic Information System.
• Supports the Director of Engineering in the acquisition of grants and assists with other external funding to supplement the District’s Capital Improvement Plan for water, recycled water, and wastewater systems, and implements and administers said grants/external funding, as directed.
• Self-perform design for capital improvement projects, as directed by the Director of Engineering.
• Perform special projects as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Senior Engineer
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
• California Professional Engineer license
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible engineering experience
• Possess a valid Class C California Driver’s License
Principal Engineer
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or related field
• Master’s degree in a related field is desirable.
• California Professional Engineer license
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible engineering experience
• Possess a valid Class C California Driver’s License
ABOUT EL TORO WATER DISTRICT
ETWD provides potable water, recycled water, and wastewater services to approximately 50,000 customers in South Orange County. The District is committed to delivering reliable utility services through sound infrastructure planning, capital investment, operational excellence, and long-term stewardship of its utility infrastructure.
WHY JOIN ETWD
This position offers the opportunity to work directly with District leadership on important infrastructure initiatives that impact the community. The successful candidate will have significant involvement in capital planning, infrastructure Demonstrated experience in capital improvement planning, utility master planning, hydraulic modeling, asset management, development review, and public works project delivery
SELECTION PROCEDURE
Those applicants whose qualifications most closely match the needs of the position based on experience and training will be invited to participate in the selection process, which may consist of a written test, performance test, oral interview or any combination thereof. The successful candidate will be selected from the list of those determined by the selection process to be among the best qualified. Following a conditional job offer, successful candidate will be required to take and pass a background investigation, including criminal history check, verification of a satisfactory DMV driving record, as well as detailed reference checks and employment verification.
TO APPLY
An El Toro Water District application form must be fully completed. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of District application but may be attached. Applications may be obtained from the ETWD website at www.etwd.com or by applying in person at the District’s Main Office at 24251 Los Alisos Blvd., Lake Forest, California, 92630, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Completed applications may be faxed to: (888) 498-9550 or email to: jcimorell@etwd.com. El Toro Water District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
The District is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability and any other protected category or characteristic protected by law.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Retirement: ETWD participates in a 401(k) retirement. ETWD also offers a 457 Deferred Compensation plan. The District contributes a minimum of 9% of gross salary per pay period and, with employee participation, will contribute an additional 7.5%.
Health Insurance: The District provides the choice of an HMO or PPO plan as well as dental insurance, vision insurance and an Employee Assistance Program for full-time employees and their dependents. ETWD also provides medical benefits to qualified employees at retirement.
Life Insurance: Two times annual salary up to a maximum of $300,000.
Disability Insurance: ETWD provides short and long-term disability coverage.
Vacation: Starts at 80 hours per year; accrual increases after 5 years and beyond
Sick Leave: 96 hours per year
Holidays: 11 days per year (2 are floating)
Service Awards: Gifts for each five-year interval of service
Certification Bonus: Financial recognition for earning specific certifications.
Education Reimbursement
Wellness Program