Town Engineer

Town Engineer

The Town Engineer provides professional engineering expertise and essential technical support across all divisions of the Department of Public Works (DPW), as well as supplemental support to other Town departments, boards, and committees. Work includes planning, design, review, inspection, administration, and coordination of municipal infrastructure projects.

Works under the general direction of the Director of Public Works with considerable independence in carrying out assigned duties.

May provide functional direction and technical guidance to DPW staff, contractors, consultants, and interns. May serve as Acting DPW Director as needed.

Has regular access at the departmental level to a wide variety of confidential information, including personnel records, client records, criminal records/investigations, and collective bargaining negotiations in accordance with the State Public Records Law.

Responsible for the accuracy, quality, timeliness, and compliance of engineering work products, inspections, reviews, and recommendations. Errors may result in financial loss, regulatory non-compliance, safety risks, or public dissatisfaction.

Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The employee is recognized as the department or functional area's authority in interpreting the guidelines, determining how they should be applied, and in developing operating policies.

Work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques, and practices relating to an administrative field. Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work; assessing services and recommending improvements; planning long-range projects; devising new techniques for application to the work; and recommending policies, standards, or criteria.

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings.

Regular contact with residents, Town staff, elected officials, boards, committees, consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies to provide technical information, respond to inquiries, explain engineering concepts, and represent the Town's interests.

Duties generally do not present occupational risk with only occasional exposure to risk or stress. A minor injury could occur, however, through employee failure to properly follow safety precautions or procedures. Examples of injury include minor bruises from falls, minor cuts or burns, or minor muscular strains from lifting or carrying heavy equipment or materials.

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Responsible for providing engineering support to all DPW divisions, including the Water Department.

Prepare and review RFPs, technical specifications, bid documents, and project scopes.

Provide general engineering consultation for infrastructure improvement projects to improve project accuracy, reduce change orders, and minimize construction inefficiencies.

Design small-scale drainage improvement projects and oversee in-house construction where feasible.

Review plans to mitigate flooding and improve stormwater management.

Serve as Acting DPW Director when necessary to ensure continuity of operations. Provide leadership support for capital planning, budgeting, and interdepartmental coordination. Support succession planning and organizational development within the DPW.

Perform construction inspection and project administration for DPW infrastructure projects, including drainage improvements, water main replacements, sidewalks, and paving.

Ensure contractor compliance with Town standards, plans, and specifications.

Enhance quality control while reducing inspection costs associated with outside consultants.

Review engineering plans and issue DPW comments for internal projects and external applications before boards such as the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.

Coordinate closely with Planning, Conservation, and other Town departments. Supplement (but not replace) peer review analyses conducted by Planning Department engineering consultants.

Identify and pursue applicable state and federal infrastructure grants, assist with grant writing by preparing technical analyses, cost estimates, and conceptual designs, and coordinate grant-funded projects and ensure compliance with grant requirements.

Provide engineering expertise and technical presentations to Town boards and…