SPECIAL PROJECTS PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - LAND DEVELOPMENT

Company: City of San Marcos
Location: San Marcos
Posted on: May 1, 2025

Job Description:

Title: SPECIAL PROJECTS PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - LAND DEVELOPMENT

Salary: $124,205.41 - $186,368.86 Annually

Job Type: Full Time

Department: Development Services

Opening Date: Development Services Engineering

Closing Date: Continuous

Location: 1 Civic Center Drive San Marcos, CA

Job Number: 2025 - 26

FLSA: Continuous

Description: SUMMARY DESCRIPTION


Join the City of San Marcos Land Development Division as the Special Projects Principal Engineer and shape the development of an innovative new downtown area! Lead the City review and coordination of this intriguing program of North City projects, including high-rise residential structures, walkable streets alive with unique businesses and services, and active transportation improvements- just across the street from Cal State San Marcos and in the middle of it all. The development is inspiring, fast-paced, and challenging. Your contributions will shape a city that serves generations to come.
Hiring Incentive: San Marcos offers competitive benefits, including a $10,000 Hiring Incentive for the Principal Civil Engineer, payable upon successful completion of a satisfactory 6-month performance evaluation.
Learn more about the culture and team at San Marcos by watching this video.

THE POSITION
As the Special Projects Principal Engineer, you work with applicant/developer teams, City staff, residents, and external agencies to guide the priorities and direction of specially assigned North City East projects from inception, through the entitlement process, to the development of construction drawings, and into construction. Develop strong professional partnerships as you navigate this fascinating redevelopment of a new downtown area for San Marcos. Lend your perspective and experience to staff engineers who can benefit greatly from the wealth of experience that you bring to the San Marcos culture. The position reports to the Land Development Principal Civil Engineer lead. Click here to read the full job description and learn more about the Special Projects Principal Engineer position. The Special Projects Principal Civil Engineer is a full time, limited two-year term position.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• You are a highly-experienced project engineer with technical expertise in the review of grading and public improvement plans, subdivision mapping, and technical studies such as flood analyses, stormwater quality documents, soils reports, drainage studies, traffic impact analyses, and CEQA documents.
  • You implement a hands-on approach to constructive problem solving and resolve challenging technical issues through collaboration and partnership.
    • You are responsive, tactful, collaborative, and accountable to our community and customers.
      • You understand the importance of a strong working culture, and you set a positive tone for the City and our customers.
        • You prioritize mentorship, and you cultivate the development of junior staff and creates a culture of support and growth in the group.
          • You understand and strengthen the San Marcos customer service legacy with creativity, respect for internal and external customers, and an eye towards forging productive and successful relationships. WHY CHOOSE US?San Marcos welcomes you to this exciting next step in your career! While you are continuing to build upon your engineering legacy with us, we support you with:
            Enhanced Quality of Life.
            We know work-life balance is key. Enjoy a rewarding career with flexible work arrangements, while making a lasting impact on the safety, mobility, and livability of our community. We offer flexible scheduling and hybrid work options to support your productivity and well-being. Whether you thrive in the office, on-site, or with a blended approach, we are open to creating a schedule that works for you.
            
            Time to Make a Difference, and Time for Yourself.
            If you are looking to balance your professional development with personal commitments, we want to hear from you. San Marcos is open to supporting your contributions with arrangements that could include less-than-full-time work. Let us learn about you- we are open to meeting your needs.
            
            Fulfilling and Meaningful Work, Built to Last.
            You've achieved a level of professional success, and you're driven by work that moves you and that positively impacts the community. Find that with San Marcos and North City East- from 12-story student housing buildings, to affordable housing projects, to reimagining San Marcos streets with active transportation improvements. Excitement is building in North City East- be a part of it.
            
            The Right Perks
            • Earn a competitive salary
            • Our 9/80 work week means you'll have every other Friday off, and we're open to creating a schedule that works for you.
            • Gain generous health benefits (all medical premiums employer paid at 90%)
            • Enjoy ample time off (14 paid holidays, vacation and executive leave)
            • Participate in the CalPERS retirement system (Classic members 2% @ 55, PEPRA members 2% @ 62) and Social Security
              CONTACT USThink you might be interested? Would you like to learn more about this position? Call, email, or join us for coffee- San Marcos is a great place to be, and we'd love to tell you more about it.
              If you are ready to join a team that welcomes fresh ideas - and empowers you to put them to work in a city that is hitting its stride - we'd love to hear from you.
              
              RECRUITMENT TIMELINE:
              APPLICATION PERIOD Applications accepted beginning March 13, 2025OPEN UNTIL FILLED
              This recruitment will accept applications on a continuous basis and will be open until filled. FIRST APPLICATION REVIEW
              The first review of applications will be held on April 7, 2025. Select candidates will be contacted when the first interview date has been established.FIRST INTERVIEWSApril 10, 2025SECOND INTERVIEWSTBD
              
              EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCEAny combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
              Education/TrainingA bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil engineering or a related field.ExperienceSix years of increasingly responsible, professional civil engineering experience, including two years of project management, administrative, and/or supervisory responsibility.License and CertificationPossession of a valid California Certificate of Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer is required. Possession of an appropriate, valid driver's license with satisfactory driving record.
              
              Benefits: Click here to learn more about the benefits at the City of San Marcos.
              
              Holidays - The City observes fourteen (14) paid holidays that include eleven (11) specifically designated days and three (3) floating holidays.
              Vacation Leave - A new employee will accrue eighty (80) hours of vacation per calendar year for the first five years of service (one hundred, twenty (120) hours for years five through ten, one hundred, sixty (160) hours for years eleven through fifteen and two hundred (200) hours after fifteen years). Vacation accrual begins immediately; however, a new employee is not eligible to take vacation leave until the completion of six (6) months of service with the City.
              
              Sick Leave - A new employee will earn ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave each year.
              
              Bereavement Leave - Employees are eligible to use up to 40 hours of bereavement leave per fiscal year.
              
              Executive Leave - As a "Management Exempt" At Will employee, you will receive forty (40) hours of Executive Leave per fiscal year. This leave cannot roll over, has no cash value, and any leave not used by June 30th of each year will be lost.
              
              Group Health Insurance Program - A new employee will become a member of one of the City's group health plans (Aetna HMO, Aetna AVN HMO, Aetna PPO, or Kaiser HMO) effective the first day of the month following their date of hire. The City will pay 90% of the health care premium and employees will pick up 10% of the premiums of the plan they select.
              
              Voluntary Dental/Vision Insurance Programs - The City offers two voluntary dental insurance programs, an HMO program and a PPO Program, as well as a voluntary vision insurance program.
              
              Section 125 Flexible Spending Account - All employees are eligible to participate in the City's Section 125 Flexible Spending Account plan administered by Benefit Coordinators Corporation (BCC). This is an IRS-approved plan which enables you to have withheld from your paycheck an amount to cover eligible dependent care, and certain eligible medical expenses without being subject to federal income or social security tax on the income used to pay for these benefits. Retirement - The City participates in both the Social Security (FICA) and the California Public Employees' Retirement Systems (CalPERS). The City currently contracts with CalPERS for the 2% at 55 benefit formula, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for CLASSIC members and 2% at 62, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for PEPRA (new) members. Employees will contribute 7% or 6.5% towards CalPERS, depending whether a classic or new member.
              Retiree Health Savings (RHS) - All employees participate in a Retiree Health Savings plan through the ICMA Retirement Corporation.
              Additional Benefits - The City offers additional benefits such as short and long-term disability, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, employee benefit allocation program and workers' compensation insurance.
              
              Questions: 01A Professional Engineer licensure current in the State of California and in good standing is required. Please provide any relevant license numbers.
              02Please indicate your years of verifiable professional experience in engineering field:

              • No Experience
              • Less than 5 years
              • 5-10 years
              • More than 10 years03Please describe your experience in processing private entitlement projects. What do you find most challenging?
                04Please describe your experience in reviewing construction drawings, subdivision maps, easement plats and legals, and technical studies and reports. Be detailed about the depth of your experience and the level of your professional responsibility for specific types of drawings, maps, and studies.

                05What specific area (such as geotechnical, hydrology and hydraulics, water quality, subdivisions of land, flood analysis, surveying) would you describe as your primary strength within the civil engineering realm? Please describe in detail your experience in this realm.

                06Please describe your experience in coordinating with developer and engineering teams and with the public. How do you handle challenges and resolve disputes?

                07Please describe your experience in preparing and presenting items and answering technical questions at public forums such as Planning Commission and City Council meetings.

                08Please describe your supervisory, training, and/or mentoring experience. Include the dates, durations, and number of employees as well as your responsibilities for each.

                09Please elaborate on any other experience or background, engineering related or otherwise, that makes you uniquely qualified for this position. Please describe how your personal qualities will help you succeed in this position and the value you would bring to your team and to the City as a whole.

                Required Question
                
                
                Compensation details: 124205.41-186368.86 Yearly Salary
                
                
                
                PI322414a1b912-37248-37154812

Keywords: City of San Marcos, San Marcos , SPECIAL PROJECTS PRINCIPAL ENGINEER - LAND DEVELOPMENT, Engineering , San Marcos, California