Town Engineer

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
TOWN ENGINEER

DEFINITION

Position is responsible for providing administration and supervision of division staff and operations as well as performing professional engineering functions.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Supervises all Engineering Operations; oversees project design, budgetary review, bid awards, and implementation of project; meets with consultants to review project design status and direction.
• Supervises staff; directs work activities, trains, disciplines, and evaluates employees. Performs administrative duties for division; develops and implements budget and reports.
• Prepares funding requests and proccument documents. Reviews and approves invoices, reimbursements.Works closely with the Assistant Town Engineer to ensure consistent application of department policies and procedures and in review of engineering projects, cost estimates, bid documents and quantities, grant applications, and in-house design.Prepares design plans, specifications, estimates and necessary documents for in-house design projects.
• Coordinate with Federal and State agencies and Engineering Consultants to plan design, and construct water, sewer, road, and drainage projects.
• Performs inspections of constructions projects; prepares technical reports and documents, and provides professional engineering advice to PWD managers, and other municipal departments, boards and officials.
• Reviews submissions by private developers for Town Departments and Boards including Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals. Coordinates approvals on new developments or re-development with Town Departments and Boards.
• Makes public presentations to various Town Boards, Town Meeting, and holds public project informational meetings. Attends night meetings as required.
• Communicates with and assists residents, responds to residents' concerns.
• Maintains and archives all town plans, deeds, and other engineering data and documents. Coordinates and assists with development and maintenance of the Town's GIS.
• Participates in emergency operations of a management or technical nature as directed.
• Performs other duties as necessary.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Under administrative direction of the Superintendent of Public Works, the incumbent works from policies, goals, and objectives; establishes short-range plans and objectives, departmental performance standards and assumes direct accountability for department results; consults with the supervisor only where clarification, interpretation, or exception to policy may be required or as requested by the supervisor. The incumbent exercises control in the development of departmental policies, goals, objectives and budgets and is expected to resolve all conflicts which arise and coordinate with others as necessary.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Incumbent manager is accountable for the direction and success of programs accomplished through others. Responsible for analyzing program objectives, determining the various departmental work operations needed to achieve them, estimating the financial and staff resources required, allocating the available funds and staff, reporting periodically on the achievement and status of the program objective; and recommending new goals. The incumbent typically formulates or recommends program goals and develops plans for achieving short and long-range objectives; determines organizational structure, operating guidelines and work operations; formulates, prepares and defends budget and manpower requests and accounts for effective use of funds and staff provided; coordinates program efforts within the unit and with other departments; delegates authority to subordinate supervisors and holds them responsible for the performance of their unit's work; reviews work in terms of accomplishment of program objectives and progress reports, approves standards establishing quality and quantity of work; and assists or oversees the personnel function, including or effectively recommending hiring, training, and disciplining of employees.
ACCOUNTABILITY

Duties include division-level responsibility for technical processes, service delivery, and contribution to plans and objectives and fiscal responsibility for the department, including buildings, equipment and staffing utilization. Consequences of errors, missed deadlines or poor judgment could severely jeopardize department operations or have extensive financial and legal repercussions.
JUDGMENT

Guidelines, which may be in the form of administrative or organizational policies, general principles, legislation or directives that pertain to a specific department or functional area, only provide limited guidance for performing the work. Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The incumbent is recognized as the department or functional area's authority in interpreting the guidelines, in determining how they should be applied, and in developing operating policies
COMPLEXITY

The work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques and practices relating to an administrative field. Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work; assessing services and recommending improvements.
NATURE AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS

Relationships are constantly with co-workers, the public and with groups and/or individuals who have conflicting opinions or objectives, diverse points of view or differences where skillful negotiating and achieving compromise are required to secure support, concurrence and acceptance or compliance. The employee may represent to the public a functional area of the organization on matters of procedures or policy where perceptiveness is required to analyze circumstances in order to act appropriately.
CONFIDENTIALITY

Incumbent has regular access at the departmental level to a variety of confidential information.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, with at least five years of experience in municipal engineering, or any equivalent combination of education and experience. Registration as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts is required.
KNOWLEDGE, ABILITY, AND SKILLS

Knowledge : Knowledge of civil engineering principles and practices, drafting and design. Knowledge of relevant federal, state and local laws and regulations. Knowledge of hydrological analysis.

Abilities : Able to supervise staff. Able to manage contracts and work performed by consultants and contractors. Able to analyze and project cost estimates and budgets. Able to manage multiple concurrent projects and meet deadlines. Able to make effective public presentations.

Skill : Skilled in use of computerized design software such as Autocad and GIS applications. Must possess management and written and oral communication skills. Must possess valid driver's license.
WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Incumbent may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to emergency situations or to attend evening meetings.
PHYSICAL, MOTOR, AND VISUAL SKILLS

Physical Skills

Minimal physical demands are required to perform most of the work. The work principally involves sitting, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May be required to lift objects such as files, boxes of papers, office supplies, and office equipment weighing up to 30 pounds.

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, using office equipment, including but not limited to telephones, personal computers, handheld technology, and other office equipment.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require routinely reading documents, blueprints and plans for general understanding and analytical purposes and operation of a motor vehicle.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, with at least five years of experience in municipal engineering, or any equivalent combination of education and experience. Registration as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts is required.
Special Requirements

Please send cover letter, resume and Town Application to:
Meredith Hartling, HR Generalist
801 Washington Street, 2nd Floor
Canton, MA 02021
Email: hr@town.canton.ma.us
Fax: 781-575-6602
AA/EEO