Job Details

Senior Civil Engineer for Bridges

Multnomah County's Transportation Division is seeking an energetic, motivated and collaborative Civil Engineer with bridge design experience to join our Bridge Engineering team. This is a unique chance to manage complex capital improvement projects on Portland's iconic Willamette River bridges and contribute to a safe and efficient transportation system that supports economic and community vitality.

At Multnomah County, you're not just taking a job; you're joining a strong organization dedicated to providing outstanding services to the community and fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for its employees.

What We Can Offer You

Multnomah County offers an exceptional benefits package designed to enhance your well-being, financial security, and professional growth. You can find more details on our website, but when you join us, you'll gain access to:

• Generous Employer-Funded Retirement Savings: We invest in your future, helping you build a secure retirement.
• Affordable Health & Dental Insurance: Enjoy very low costs for comprehensive health and dental coverage for you and your dependents, ensuring peace of mind for your family's health needs.
• Paid Parental Leave: We support new parents with valuable paid time off, allowing you to cherish those important moments with your family.
• Robust Wellness Programs: Your health matters to us! Take advantage of programs designed to promote your physical and mental well-being.
• Commitment to Work-Life Balance: We believe in fostering an environment where you can excel professionally while still having time for what matters most outside of work. Flexible schedules and hybrid telework options are often available to help you achieve this balance.
• A Culture of Equity and Inclusion: We are deeply committed to maintaining an effective, respectful, and inclusive workplace. You'll be part of a diverse department that values collaborative problem-solving and strives for continuous improvement. Visit our Workforce Equity Strategies Plan to see where Multnomah County is headed with these values.
• Opportunities for Growth and Mentorship: You'll be challenged, encouraged to excel, and given the opportunity to build a rewarding career. This role specifically includes mentoring junior staff members, allowing you to share your expertise and help shape the next generation of engineers.

What You'll Do: Make a Tangible Impact

As a senior Bridge Engineer, you will primarily manage the design, permitting, and construction of our most complex capital improvement projects on our six, large County-owned bridges over the Willamette River in Portland, OR. We are looking for a candidate that has exceptional leadership, communication, analytical and organizational skills.

Your core responsibilities will be to:

• Manage a variety of bridge and other public works projects from conception through construction and ensure that project elements satisfy the needs of our diverse stakeholders.
• Prepare and administer project agreements, develop cost estimates and budgets, and review design criteria and standards.
• Maintain ongoing communication with community stakeholders and develop materials for and participate in public outreach events.

You will also:

• Perform bridge design work which may include design of concrete repairs, small bridges, culverts and/or retaining walls, steel design, scour analysis, evaluation of acceptable load capacity, damage evaluation and development of repair solutions, and bridge condition inspection and evaluation of inspection findings.
• Work with Transportation management to make recommendations for future capital projects and help to develop grant applications to fund those projects.
• Work closely with our funding partners and other local agencies to ensure our projects meet all federal, state, and local rules, laws, standards, and regulations.
• Coordinate with and represent the County in various meetings with other agencies, consultants and stakeholders.
• Mentor and coach junior staff members.

Additional duties include:

• Coordinate work and resolve conflicts between plans and field conditions
• Negotiate change orders, pay contractors, and manage construction inspectors
• Check and approve plans, specifications, and estimates
• Review and analyze contractor's schedule, specialized work plans, procedures and estimates
• Meet regularly with the Oregon Department of Transportation to discuss project issues
• Manage weekly project team meetings with staff, contractor and other parties to exchange information on project progress, schedule, and issues
• Work with County Public Information Officer to provide periodic updates of project status to the public

Who We Are

The Multnomah County Transportation Division is part of the Department of Community Services (DCS). We manage and preserve the County transportation infrastructure and provide a safe and efficient transportation system that supports economic and community vitality. With 297 miles of roads, 6 Willamette River bridges (4 movable), over 20 smaller bridges, and over 1,750 culverts to manage, our staff is committed to maintaining the community's livability. Our department's mission is to preserve harmony between natural and built environments, keep people and pets safe, and ensure every voice is heard through a diverse group of programs including transportation, land use planning, animal services, elections, and budget and operations support. This department is an incredibly diverse department and your role will be too.

To Qualify

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant. For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page.

Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills*:

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil and/or structural engineering
• Professional Engineer certification in Oregon. If registered in another state, must be able to obtain an Oregon PE through reciprocity within six months of accepting position
• Six (6) years of increasingly responsible professional engineering experience in bridge design, including management of bridge capital projects
• Valid driver's license

Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills*:

• Demonstrated experience managing capital projects and knowledge of principles of project management including monitoring schedule, scope, and budget
• Demonstrated experience managing project staff time and work output to achieve project goals
• Demonstrated experience preparing plans, estimates, and specifications for bridge related projects
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with maintenance staff to support maintenance activities and to complete smaller projects
• Demonstrated experience mentoring more junior staff members
• Clear and concise verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Ability to problem solve collaboratively as part of a team or individually
• Exhibit and support a culture of exceptional customer service, equity, and inclusiveness
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment by building rapport and promoting cooperation among team members
• Ability to interpret and apply federal, state and local rules, laws, standards, regulations and policies to assigned work

Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experience that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.

Screening and Evaluation

The Application Packet:

Please be sure to provide all the required materials below in your application submission:

• Online application: Explain all related experience (paid or unpaid) and training in the education and work experience sections of the application.
• Resume: Please indicate how you meet the required minimum qualifications. Attach the PDF document to the on-line application. Be sure to explain in detail, including dates, all related work experience, paid or unpaid.
• Cover letter: This should expand on your resume, address why you are interested in this position and demonstrate how your experience and skill set align with the minimum and preferred qualifications listed.

Note: The application, resume, and cover letter should clearly demonstrate your work experience/skills and how they relate to the descriptions provided in the 'Overview' and 'To Qualify' sections of this job posting. Please be thorough, as these materials will be used to determine your eligibility for an interview.

Internal candidates: After you have applied, you will receive the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire in your Workday inbox. Your application as an internal candidate is not complete until you fill out and submit the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire.

The Selection Process: For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate