Utilities Engineer (WGW) - Promotional Opportunity
City of Palo Alto Palo Alto, California, United States
- Location: Palo Alto, California, United States
- Categories: Engineering, Utilities
- Job Type: Full Time
- Posted: Apr 18, 2026
Job Description:
Utilities Engineer (WGW) - Promotional Opportunity
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