Associate Civil Engineer (Development Services)

Salary : $97,863.50 - $137,703.77 Annually
Location : Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Full-Time Career
Job Number: 011012-26-DOU-3
Department: Utilities
Division: Development Services
Opening Date: 11/10/2026
Closing Date: 12/1/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

THE POSITION
With supervisor approval, incumbents may be eligible for intermittent remote work; however, they must physically reside within the Sacramento region or have the ability to regularly report to a City of Sacramento physical worksite with little notice

The Associate Civil Engineer position is in the Development Review Section within the Engineering and Water Resources Division of the Department of Utilities (DOU). The position is primarily responsible for subdivision plan review related to water, wastewater, and drainage requirements, in addition to reviewing construction material submittals, as well as addressing Requests for Information (RFI) during construction. The position also includes answering DOU (water, wastewater & drainage) related questions and providing general customer service. In addition, this position will also assist in commercial building permit reviews and ensuring all assigned plan checks are completed accurately and meet the 90% on-time review requirement. They will also be responsible for coordinating with DOU field staff, reviewing proposed abandonments of DOU infrastructure, DOU Encroachment Permit Review, creating fee estimates, among other duties assigned.
IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT

The ideal candidate will have some development plan review and/or plan creation experience related to water, wastewater and drainage infrastructure; be highly motivated, self-starter, team player, who is capable of meeting deadlines and learning on the job.

DEFINITION

The purpose of this position is to perform independent professional civil engineering work in the planning, design, plan review, technical investigation, and construction of projects or implementation of environmental regulatory programs in the areas of traffic, transportation, water resources and structural engineering.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Associate Civil Engineer is an advanced journey-level classification filled with multiple incumbents. Incumbents are responsible for performing assignments, projects, and programs of significant scope and/or complexity which require advanced professional knowledge and skill of the assigned area or function. Incumbent applies or adapts established processes and procedures to complete the assigned responsibilities within broad functional or division guidelines. This classification is distinguished from the next higher-level classification of Senior Engineer in that the latter serves as project or team leader, performs the most complex and highly skilled engineering work, and is considered a subject matter expert in the civil engineering series.

Some positions in the Civil Engineering classification series are flexibly staffed at the Junior, Assistant and Associate levels. Appointment to the higher classification requires that the employee be performing substantially the full range of duties for the classification and meet the qualification standards for the classification.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Direct supervision is provided by a Senior Engineer or other higher-level personnel. May directly or indirectly supervise lower-level professional engineers, technical personnel and student trainees/interns.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This information is intended to be descriptive of the key responsibilities of the classification. The list of essential functions below does not identify all duties performed by any single incumbent in this classification.

• Supervise and participate in the implementation of the City's traffic, transportation, utilities (water, wastewater and drainage), or building engineering design and plan review programs.

• Research, analyze, collect, track and manage data, project records, and information. Research city codes, city standards, regulations, publications, and industry information sources.
• Prepare special engineering studies, reports, plans, and specifications. Develop grant applications and reporting and coordinate major projects. Participate in the preparation of plans and specifications for City engineering projects, and research project design and regulatory requirements, and perform complex calculations.

• Participate in meetings with applicants, stakeholders, and staff to review projects, provide feedback, and support coordination and decision-making. Represent the department at public meetings as needed and perform related administrative tasks, including reviewing project invoicing.
• Develop, implement, troubleshoot, and review control systems and operational plans; program and configure specialized equipment and control devices; evaluate system performance; and utilize advanced management software to support efficient operations.

• Coordinate with the project manager, inspectors, various staff, external agencies, and vendors. Provide direction and technical support to project manager, inspectors and contractors.
• Assign routine inspection, investigation, design, and drafting tasks to lower-level technical personnel, review completed work, and assist in the solution of difficult problems.
• Manage professional services agreements and invoicing. Develop and review scopes of work, oversee consultant deliverables, conduct technical analyses, and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders on studies, projects, and environmental documents.

• Review engineering studies, process agreements, and generate estimates.
• Perform related work of a similar nature and level as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of civil engineering as applied to public works, utilities, traffic, or building construction projects.
• Methods, materials, and techniques used in the construction of public works, building and utilities projects.
• Modern developments, current literature, and sources of information regarding civil engineering, regulations, and building codes and ordinances.

Skill in:

• Technical and analytical report writing.

• Perform complex engineering computations.
• Use and care for engineering and drafting instruments and equipment.
• Use of modern office equipment, including computers, computer applications, and computer software, to accomplish a variety of tasks.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

Hiring Path 1: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an engineering discipline.

Hiring Path 2: None

Experience:

Hiring Path 1: Two (2) years of experience in professional civil engineering work.

Hiring Path 2: Current employment as an Assistant Civil Engineer and two (2) years of experience in the classification of Assistant Civil Engineer with the City of Sacramento.

Substitution:

Additional experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.
An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credential's evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver License:

The employee is not required to hold a driver's license but must be able to arrange reliable and timely transportation through private or public transportation for attendance at off-site meetings, events, and trainings.

Certification:

Possession of a Professional Engineer License in the State of California at time of appointment.

PROOF OF CERTIFICATION

Proof of the required certificate and/or license should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

Employees must complete twelve (12) months of probation at a satisfactory performance level prior to gaining permanent status.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE
Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.

1. Application: (Pass/Fail) - All applicants must complete and submit online a City of Sacramento employment application by the final filing deadline;

• Employment applications must be submitted online; paper applications will not be accepted.
• Employment applications will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified:
  • If applicants do not list current and/or past job-related experience in the duties area of the "Work Experience" section. Note: Qualifying experience is based on full-time experience (40 hours per week). Qualifying experience is calculated to the full-time equivalent (pro-rated if less than 40 hours/week).
  • If "see resume" is noted in the "Work Experience" section; a resume will not substitute for the information required in the "Work Experience" section.
• Proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted online with your application. Proof of education will be required at time of appointment.
• Proof of certification and/or license should be submitted online with your application. Proof of certification and/or license will be required at time of appointment.
• Position/job titles will not be considered in determining eligibility for meeting the minimum qualifications for this position.
• If you're requesting Veteran's credit, a copy of your DD214 must be submitted online with your application or emailed to the Employment Office by the final filing deadline. Information regarding the use of Veteran's credit can be found in the Civil Service Board rules under rule
• Applicants are responsible for attaching a copy of their DD214 to each position for which they apply.

2. Training and Experience Exam: (Weighted 100%) - The questions located at the end of the application are the Training and Experience (T&E) Exam. Responses to the T&E questions will be rated and scored. This exam will evaluate the relevance, level, and progression of a candidate's education, training and experience. The exam score will determine your ranking on the eligible list for this job. When completing the T&E questions, please note:

• Responses to the T&E questions must be submitted online; paper questionnaires will not be accepted.
• A resume will not substitute for the information required in the T&E questions.

3. Eligibility: Candidates who pass the Training and Experience Test will be placed on the eligible list. The hiring department may contact candidates for interview at any time during the life of the one-year list. Candidate's eligibility expires one year from the date of notification of a passing score for the Associate Civil Engineer examination.

4. Screening Committee: (Pass/Fail)- All candidates that pass the examination and are in one of the top three ranks will have their application forwarded to the hiring department for review. The hiring department will select the most competitive applications for further consideration. Human Resources will only evaluate employment applications for the minimum qualifications, as stated on the job announcement, for applications selected by the hiring department.

5. Conditional Hire: Upon receipt of a conditional offer, the selected candidate must complete and pass Live Scan/fingerprinting. If applicable, candidates may also need to pass a pre-employment medical exam, controlled substance and/or alcohol test, and possess any required licensure or certification prior to receiving a start date from the Department. Failure to meet these prerequisites will be grounds for withdrawal of your conditional offer of employment.

QUESTIONS:
For questions concerning this job announcement and the application process:

• Please visit for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the application process.
• For technical support between 6 AM - 5 PM PT, contact Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627.
• Visit the City of Sacramento Human Resources Department website at ;
• Send an email to ; or
• Call the Human Resources Department at (916) 808-5726

Bilingual Pay
Did you know that the City offers bilingual pay? That's right, most labor agreements offer the option of providing employees with bilingual pay if the department deems it to be operationally necessary.

Pension Reform Act
The City of Sacramento is covered by the California Public Employees' Retirement System, and as such, must adhere to the California Public Employee's Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013. Please note that the provisions within this act may affect or impact an applicant's eligibility and/or selection for open vacancies at the City of Sacramento.