Manager-Utility Engineering

Salary and Benefits

Sound Transit offers a competitive salary range of $107K to $213K with a midpoint of $160K. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, but may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity, and market.

Compensation Practices

We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development, and recognition from colleagues.

General Information

Sound Transit is seeking a Technical Lead in Utility Engineering. This position reports to the Director of Project Engineering within the Center of Excellence in the Capital Delivery department.

Essential Functions

• Leads the development and implementation of utility processes and strategies aimed at streamlining conflict resolution, reducing the frequency of utility conflicts and relocations, expediting permitting timelines, and ensuring adherence to project cost, schedule, and budget baselines.

• Plans, directs, manages, and oversees the work of assigned staff and consultants providing utility engineering support for capital projects and operational needs.

• Supervises, coaches, trains, and motivates staff; provides staff development opportunities and manages employee relations.

• Develops and maintains agency utility engineering standards, policies, and procedures, including exploration methods, agreements, easements, letters of concurrence, utility base mapping, as-built maintenance, and third-party reviews.

• Oversees and owns Sound Transit’s utility-related technical requirements and criteria, including design criteria, standard specifications, and drawings.

• Ensures processes, policies, and practices are consistently and effectively applied.

• Provides utility engineering expertise throughout planning, design, and construction phases of capital projects to ensure compliance with agency, utility, and AHJ requirements.

• Serves as a subject matter expert and responds to inquiries from the public, contractors, consultants, and staff on utility engineering issues.

• Collaborates with Construction, Engineering, Operations, and other teams to continuously validate and improve requirements based on industry’s best practices.

• Affords assistance in negotiations and establishment of agreements with property owners, third parties, contractors, and consultants.

• Administers utility engineering contracts and monitors consultant and contractor performance to ensure compliance.

• Stays current on emerging trends and developments in utility engineering, incorporating innovations and best practices into agency standards.

• Attends and participates in professional groups, committees, boards, and commissions; prepares and delivers reports, presentations, and correspondence as needed.

• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.

• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or related field. Five years of experience in the area of utility coordination, preferably on large-scale rail or transit related projects; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Three years of leadership, budgetary, planning and workforce management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Western Washington utility agencies and companies.

• Familiarity with local agency permitting processes.

• Advanced understanding of project management techniques and principles.

• Experience with progressive design-build or other alternative delivery methods.

• Ability to apply advanced project management and program development techniques and principles.