Development Engineer

About the role

The City of Yakima’s Engineering Division seeks a skilled engineering professional to join our team. We offer a dynamic environment with many exciting projects and opportunities for professional development.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates with other divisions in establishing development standards within the engineering division.
• Develops and maintains current Yakima Municipal Codes (YMC) development standards and policies.
• Reviews and processes public information and other development services related to engineering functions.
• Assists in the development review of private project design and construction of public facilities.
• Provides information to and coordinates with other divisions and departments.
• Acts as the point of contact for all development-related public improvements and questions regarding those improvements.
• Reviews preliminary projects/concepts and assesses probable YMC requirements from Title 8, 12, and 15.
• Ensures division comments are addressed and applicable fees are paid by the developer, then stamps, signs, and approves the plans.
• Acts as the point of contact for the intake of engineering (ENG), excavation (EXC) and right-of-way (ROW) use permits.
• Leads and/or assists in the review, processing, and issuance of permits.
• Coordinates the review, comments, and revisions to public improvement civil plans with other City divisions and the engineer of record.
• Provides final approval for all development-related public improvement civil plans, including associated permit fees.
• Works with City of Yakima inspectors throughout construction and obtains all required documents for project completion.
• Attends meetings and site visits as necessary.
• Keeps project files up to date and organized in SmartGov or other online application/software working with Codes, building inspectors, and Planning.
• Attends weekly planning meetings with other City divisions.
• Reviews agenda items, prepares comments prior to each meeting and submits them in SmartGov or other online application/software as applicable.
• Works with the Planning Division and developers to obtain final plat approval including project bond development and approval.
• Completes Traffic Concurrency (TCO) on required developments when determined by Planning.
• Reviews private development right-of-way and easement documents for recording.
• Administers the processing of Local Improvement Districts (LID's) from initial contact through preliminary assessment.
• May assist the engineering project management staff in the development of City project plans, specifications, and estimates, coordinating maintenance of right-of-way and easement maps of public facilities.
• May require travel to a variety of worksite locations and/or to attend off-site meetings.
• Keeps any applicable licenses and/or certifications up-to-date and completes mandatory and otherwise assigned trainings as required.
• Contributes to the effective administration of City government by fostering an attitude among staff that encourages cooperation and coordination of efforts and efficient use of resources.
• Provides continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality customer service.
• Requires regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Engineering, Construction Management or a related field and one (1) year of civil engineering related experience.
• OR Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Construction Management or a related field and two (2) years of civil engineering related experience.
• OR High School Diploma or GED and six (6) years of civil engineering related experience.

Qualifications

Knowledge of federal, state and city laws and ordinances, and City of Yakima policies and procedures; civil engineering principles and practices; law and procedure for developing private projects and local improvement districts; construction methods and materials; contract and property instruments and office management principles.

Strong working knowledge of computer spreadsheets; databases; industry applications; Microsoft Office Suite including Excel; report writing tools; professional office procedures and practices.

Ability to operate standard office equipment including but not limited to: computer, fax machine, copy machine, telephone etc.

Ability to perform a variety of mathematical computations with ability to read, interpret and analyze complex and technical documents and to translate analysis into recommendations or reports.

Ability to read, research, interpret, apply and explain complex laws, codes, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

Must possess ability to identify and define complex problems, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.

Excellent analytical and organizational skills are essential.

Must possess ability to quickly adapt to changing priorities and demands.

Ability to establish, facilitate, and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, the public, community organizations and government agencies; to consistently and continually demonstrate tact, diplomacy, and respect to individuals, groups and organizations representing a wide diversity of ethnicities, cultures, opinions, and beliefs.

Ability to positively receive feedback and take direction is essential.

Ability to work cooperatively as a member of a team and adhere to the department’s values including, but not limited to: customer focused, teamwork, positive communication, and accountability in a punctual, regular and reliable manner.

Ability to maintain annual training requirements of the position, including but not limited to City mandatory training requirements.

Physical Demands: Work is mainly performed in an office environment, while sitting or standing at a desk or computer terminal for long periods of time. May be required to walk or bend for extended periods of time. Work may require occasional travel to a variety of locations and may be exposed to heavy equipment, noise, varying weather conditions including varying temperatures, various types of precipitation, wind, blowing dust, varying/uneven terrain, and/or traffic.