Town Engineer

Hiring Range (annual):  $129,600 - $162,000

Salary Range (annual):  $129,600 - $194,400

Job Summary 

The Town Engineer is a senior management position who works directly under the Director of Public Works and provides leadership and engineering expertise in performing professional engineering and management tasks for the town related to transportation infrastructure planning, design, review and approval, construction. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Leads, manages, supervises, and reviews, the Town’s engineering and construction inspection team in engineering and construction related activities. 

• Leads and manages the design and construction of multiple large and small scale capital and Maintenace projects from concept to completion, which improve and maintain the Town’s infrastructure. This includes identification of project/improvement, providing concept solutions, preparing/reviewing RFP’s, managing third party consultants and/or venders, completing designs, technical specifications, cost estimates, and contract documents for said  projects.   

• Manages  construction of multiple large and small capital projects which improve and maintain the Town’s infrastructure including bid process, contract administration, quality control, interpreting construction plans and specifications, construction coordination and public information dissemination.   

• Management of capital and maintenance projects includes road, bridge, drainage, streetscape,  trail, and other municipal infrastructure projects  

• Manages third party consultants and contractors to achieve the highest level of collaborative design and construction for Town projects. 

• Provides engineering and construction expertise and leadership to achieve creative and innovative solutions to engineering issues by researching and developing alternatives, and vetting them internally and with the public to determine the best collaborative solution. 

• Prepares and manages long range and near term capital project and maintenance budgets. 

• Establishes and maintains standard engineering contract documents, specifications, design criteria, bid processes for Town capital and maintenance projects. 

• Leads and/or contributes to the creation and updating of masterplan and other planning documents relating to long-term town and department goals and objectives. 

• Maintains short and long term construction project schedules for both Town and Private development projects to understand and to minimize the impacts to Town operations, residents, and the guest experience. 

• Review of private residential and commercial development for conformance to Town Codes and Standards. 

• Review and coordination of utility and other government agency project plans. 

• Prepares CDOT, USACE and CDPHE permit applications. 

• Prepares and submits grant applications to acquire federal/state/agency funding. 

• Acts as the lead liaison between the engineering department and all Town Departments, Commissions, Boards, and Town Council.  Attends and presents to regular Departmental, Commission, Board, Council and public meetings as necessary to communicate engineering and construction issues effectively, and to move capital and maintenance infrastructure projects and plans forward. 

• Implements and prepares updates to the Town’s Transportation Master Plan, Transportation Impact Fees, and Public Way Permit Fees. 

• Manages the Town’s development review process from an engineering perspective, and reviews all civil engineering related issues within an acceptable time frame. 

• Responds/resolves citizen requests and complaints in person, by phone, or by e-mail 

• Acts as Director of Public Works and Transportation for the Town of Vail as called upon. 

• Is the designated Floodplain Administrator. 

• Keeps abreast of developments within the engineering field by subscribing to professional publications, attending conferences and seminars, associating with appropriate professional organizations, and continuing professional development. 

• Serve the citizens and guests of the Town of Vail by abiding by all Town of Vail core values. 

• Perform job in accordance with all Town of Vail safety practices. 

• Follow environmentally-friendly practices. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Accountability and Decision-Making 

• This position is accountable for, prepares, and manages short term and long term capital project and maintenance budgets. 

• This position is responsible for expenses and/or purchases within assigned functional areas and projects. Expenses exceeding $5,000 or exceeding approved budgets require approval.  

• This position is responsible for maintaining and monitoring multiple active capital and maintenance budgets ranging from $5,000 to $50,000,000. 

• This position supervises other personnel who also maintain and monitor the implementation of engineering capital and maintenance budgets. 

• This position provides sound engineering judgment throughout the planning, design, review and construction of projects. 

• This position is directly responsible for the workload and work product of the engineering and construction inspection personnel. 

• This position is responsible for supervising others, including hiring, promotional and wage disciplinary decisions. 

• This position provides yearly reviews for engineering and construction inspection personnel 

• This position acts as the lead liaison between the engineering department and all Town Departments, Commissions, Boards, and Town Council.  Attends and presents to regular Departmental, Commission, Board, Council and public meetings as necessary to communicate engineering and construction issues effectively, and to move capital and maintenance infrastructure projects and plans forward. 

• Decisions made have significant, broad implications for the operations of the Town, specifically with regard to the use of and the maintenance of public infrastructure and transportation systems. 

• Exercises independent judgment and/or with a team to perform the core responsibilities as outlined by established guidelines or policies and may seek resources or assistance in matters as needed. 

• The position receives little direct guidance and must perform multifaceted or complex functions, establish priorities, resolve issues, independently and collaboratively with necessary team members. 

• Ability to temporarily override Public Works related policy/practices for extreme or unusual circumstances within scope of day-to-day functions.  

• This position plans, develops and implements work plans and/or projects to accomplish department goals.  

• The position creates goals and procedures, and the decision-making impacts the entire department/organization.  

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

• Knowledge of accepted local, state, and federal engineering standards and procedures 

• Knowledge of principles and practices of civil engineering as applied to municipal public works 

• Knowledge of construction, maintenance methods, materials and equipment employed by public works agencies 

• Ability to design, bid, and mange the construction of an infrastructure project from conception to completion. 

• Ability to use ACAD and other engineering design software programs and suites. 

• Ability to use independent judgment and discretion to perform tasks in routine and non-routine situations.  

• Ability to provide information and direction, explain procedures, and follow oral and written instructions.  

• Ability to effectively present to the public, Town Council, Commissions, and Boards 

• Ability to multi-task, organize, schedule, prioritize tasks, and follow through on tasks 

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. 

• Ability to build and maintain relationships inter-departmentally, with consultants and contractors, with other governmental agencies, guests and residents. 

• Skilled in working independently and with others through idea-sharing and collaboration to accomplish a common goal.  

• Ability to work under pressure and with strict deadlines. 

• Ability to use information technology including email and web navigation, including Microsoft Suite programs.  

• Project management skills and experience, particularly with complex improvement projects.  

• Ability to prepare and monitor complex budgets.  

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions and to interpret an extensive variety of instructions.  

• Ability to apply complex thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems and to deal with difficult concepts or situations.  

Education, Experience and Certificates 

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering 

• Master’s degree is desirable 

• Professional Engineers license in Colorado within 2 months of acceptance of position 

• Minimum 5 years experience as Town Engineer or in senior engineer position. 

• Minimum 5 years experience managing public infrastructure projects and budgets 

• Requires valid Colorado driver’s license 

Are you interested in living and working in Vail, CO?  Vail, which is centrally located in the Rocky Mountains, offers easy access to Denver (100 miles to the east) and is surrounded by the White River National Forest, offering world class outdoor activities in summer and winter (skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, white water).

When asked, most of our employees say that working for the Town of Vail feels like family.  Our values-based culture is nurtured by the employees’ strong desire to foster teamwork, take ownership in Vail’s future and an overall pride for serving their community.  Let’s not forget that our efforts not only benefit the community but also allow us to enjoy the spectacular amenities and culture in the Vail Valley which we call home! To find out more about our community, please visit our website www.vail.gov and click on Vail Information.

The Town of Vail offers an excellent benefits and compensation package to our Full-time employees. This includes health and dental coverage, town-funded retirement, 457 pre-tax savings plan, life/survivor insurance, tennis pass, golf pass and other ski pass/wellness benefits. 

What’s more, the town offers many other benefits to help employees make Vail their “home” including employee housing options, home buyer/renter assistance programs, day care assistance, education reimbursements, professional development opportunities and much, much more.