Senior Engineer - Water & Wastewater

Water & Wastewater Engineer

The Town of Blacksburg’s Department of Engineering & GIS is seeking a Water & Wastewater Engineer. The primary responsibilities of this role are to oversee improvements to the town’s water and wastewater infrastructure, provide reliable service to its citizens, and plan future system expansions consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan. This individual will work collaboratively with Public Works staff to maintain safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of potable water and effective collection of wastewater in compliance with all applicable regulations and environmental standards.

Work will be performed under the general direction of the Director of Engineering & GIS.

Water distribution system: 177 miles of water mains, 4 pump stations, 7 water tanks with total capacity of 6.5 million gallons; two primary systems (high and low) serve 75% of the town and Virginia Tech campus;
Virginia Tech owns its own system.

Wastewater collection system: more than 165 miles of conventional gravity collection lines ranging in diameters from 8 to 24 inches, several miles of force mains, 23 conventional sewer pumping stations, and alternative collection systems such as STEG/STEP.

• Coordinate with the New River Valley Regional Water Authority and the Blacksburg VPI Sanitation Authority.
• Monitor system performance, identify deficiencies, and recommend improvements to ensure optimal service levels.
• Ensure all activities meet federal, state, and local environmental and public health regulations.
• Maintain accurate records of infrastructure assets and condition assessments and provide technical assistance to the Public Works department regarding utility infrastructure operation and maintenance.
• Conduct engineering studies and provide technical expertise to evaluate the feasibility of proposed or ongoing projects or methods, or to determine solutions to existing field problems.
• Prepare or provide guidance to other Town staff or consultants in the preparation of studies, preliminary design, and/or construction and bid documents.
• May sign construction plans prepared in-house as the Engineer of Record.
• Manage capital improvement projects from concept through completion, including budgeting, scheduling, and contractor oversight.
• Coordinate and obtain permits for projects from other agencies that demonstrate compliance with federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Coordinate right-of-way and easement agreements, as required for town projects.
• Review water and wastewater plans for private development projects.
• Complete updates to the Town’s Water and Sewer models, manage available system capacity, and plan for future development needs.
• Prepare and make presentations to Town Council, Planning Commission, other agencies, and community groups as appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position.

• Comprehensive knowledge of theory, principles, standard methods, and practices of civil and environmental engineering, and working knowledge of geographic information systems.
• Ability to plan, review, and direct the work of professional and technical subordinates.
• Ability to plan projects and prepare related designs, estimates, and specifications.
• Ability to perform and evaluate engineering analyses and to make comprehensive recommendations on engineering problems and planning.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and manage multiple projects.
• Ability to navigate an environment where public stakeholders, developers, elected and appointed officials have differing views on policy issues and projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to listen effectively and understand differing views.
• Demonstrated ability to actively participate in a dynamic team of professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town officials, other public officials or representatives, employees, contractors, and the general public.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully in a team environment, functioning for the good of the organization and the community over…