Salary: $162,843.20 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Job Number:
Department: Planning & Development Services
Division: Building Services
Opening Date: 08/12/2026
Closing Date: 9/14/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Summary
SENIOR CIVIL ENGINEER
Interviews will be held on an ongoing basis.
Reflecting our commitment to attracting and retaining top talent, candidates selected for this classification are hired at the highest step, $162,843.20, within the salary range

Future Salary Increase:

** June 2027 - 3.60% increase to base pay (3% Across-the-Board + 0.60% Market Adjustment)
The following additional pay incentives and premiums are available:

** 5% Engineer Premium (applied to time worked)

***This hard to recruit position qualifies for the Employee Referral Reward Program. If a current County of San Diego employee referred you to apply for this position, please indicate the employee's name on your job application in the space provided. ***

The County of San Diego is currently accepting job applications for Senior Civil Engineer-Building, an excellent professional level job that offers career development and growth opportunities. This eligible list will be used to fill immediate and future vacancies in Planning & Development Services. Apply today for this interesting and rewarding position!

Planning & Development Services
Through operational excellence and attention to customer service, Planning & Development Services (PDS) strives to balance community, economic and environmental interests to ensure the highest quality of life for the public of San Diego County.PDS is responsible for long range land use planning, including the County's General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, which determine how our communities will grow. The department analyzes privately initiated land use projects to ensure compliance with land use regulations and advises the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission on the projects. Department programs, such as building plan review, building inspection and code compliance help maintain public health and safety.

The Position
PDS is responsible for the permitting process for new projects. Applicants work with the County to supply construction drawings and calculations for new projects and alterations to existing projects. These plans are reviewed for compliance with the California Building Code along with the local County amendments. Senior Civil Engineers working within the Building Division work with the public to ensure that those submittals are accurate.

As a Senior Civil Engineer within the building division, you will get the opportunity to work with the community of design professionals and homeowners in our customer service-oriented approach to plan review and approval. We are always looking for people that are experienced with construction drawings and quality control reviews to jump into the role of Senior Civil Engineer.

The Senior Civil Engineering position is a supervisory position that leads a small team of Civil Engineers, Assistant Engineers, and Electrical Mechanical & Plumbing Specialists (EPM) who are reviewing plans and working at our public counters. This position will mentor and guide those reviewers as they take on complex and challenging projects. Senior Civil Engineers also review some of the more complex projects and provide second opinions for our applicants when there is a code related question.
PDS is interested in interviewing qualified candidates for Senior Civil Engineer in the of PDS. Your structural experience and education is needed and valued, but PDS will also train you regarding the non-structural code and service duties of this position. The general responsibilities of this position, and the supervised positions, include reviewing construction plans and documents pursuing building permits for code compliance, and providing related customer services as follows:

-Reviewing structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing plans
-Title 24 energy compliance and testing
-Reviewing standard stormwater designs
-Replying to customer emails and phone calls
-Providing a second opinion for customers that have concerns about the applicability of the Building Code as it applies to their project

If selected for the position, you will be an integral part of the department's mission. The departments are located at the County Operations Center, a modern 44-acre regional complex in Kearney Mesa. The Operations Center includes 18 structures and houses 19 departments, including an employee gym/workout center. The County Operations Center provides free parking to support the campus.

The Ideal Candidate Profile

• Demonstrate a high degree of motivation and willingness to learn
• Demonstrate a strong willingness to continually learn and grow professionally
• Maintain a professional perspective and objective demeanor when varied situations occur
• Review complex projects involving several functional groups
• Communicate effectively in verbal and written form
• Good listener
• Learn and understand the perspectives of others, and embrace diversity and inclusiveness
• Demonstrate professional level experience in support of civil engineering
• Demonstrate good interpersonal and teamwork skills, including building relationships and collaborating with others in order to keep projects moving in a positive direction

If you believe that you possess these qualities, then the County of San Diego would be an ideal place for your talent and career growth. The County of San Diego has a great culture that values collaboration and teamwork.

This position itself is a lead/supervisory level class in the Civil Engineer series. Please read the job description for more information.

Hiring Process and Timeline:

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.

1. Job Offer and Background Process begins: Shortly after the interviews.
   Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
2. Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
3. Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Minimum Qualifications
Current registration by the State of California as a Professional Engineer, AND,
1. Two (2) years of post-registration experience performing professional civil or structural engineering work; OR,
2. Two (2) years of experience as a Civil Engineer with the County of San Diego.
Blind Applicant Screening

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.
Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.
Conditions of Employment
As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Evaluation Process
Qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment and supplemental applications.
Please ensure all information is complete and accurate, as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis.