City and County of Denver

Waterways Program Delivery Engineering Specialist

City and County of Denver$115K — $156K *
Transportation
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Architecture required
  • Three years of experience as a Senior Engineer or Senior Architect
  • Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) or Architect in Colorado required
  • Valid Driver's License at time of application
  • Must maintain licenses and certifications as a condition of employment

Responsibilities

  • Lead planning and design of complex urban waterway projects
  • Serve as the technical lead for hydrologic and hydraulic analysis
  • Guide multidisciplinary consultant teams in project execution
  • Advance projects within the WATR Program
  • Translate citywide waterways strategy into actionable projects
  • Evaluate channel design alternatives considering flood mitigation and community outcomes
  • Coordinate with multiple agencies and stakeholders

Benefits

  • Guaranteed life-long monthly pension after 5 years of service
  • 457B Retirement Plan
  • 140 hours of PTO plus 12 paid holidays annually
  • Competitive medical, dental, and vision plans starting within 1 month
  • Flexible work schedule with hybrid options
  • City-sponsored RTD EcoPass for free public transportation
  • Flexible spending account option for pre-tax parking expenses
Full Job Description
NOTE: We are hiring for two limited positions, with an expected end date of December 31, 2032, with the potential to be extended.

What We Offer

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The target salary range for this position is $115,683.00 - $156,172.00/year, based on experience and education. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

  • A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service


  • 457B Retirement Plan


  • 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year


  • Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date


Location

These positions have the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule with the in office location at the Denver Wastewater Building (2000 W 3rd Ave) and /or Wellington E. Webb Building (201 W Colfax Ave.). You can expect to work in office 3 days per week. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days.

Please note: Downtown parking expenses are the responsibility of the employee. We offer a flexible spending account option specifically for parking; if you elect this option, you can use pre-tax dollars for parking. We also offer a City-sponsored RTD EcoPass to all City employees- allowing the use of public transportation for free as a City Employee.

Who We Are & What You'll Do

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), through its employees, enhances the quality of life in Denver by efficiently delivering effective, high quality, safe and equitable public infrastructure, and services. For more information, please visit the DOTI website.

DOTI's Commitment to Equity:

  • DOTI is committed to providing attention and resources to the areas, assets and people of the city with the greatest need. Through equitable contracting, equitable investments, and equitable workforce development.


  • DOTI's culture revolves around four key principles: (1) Invest in Our People, (2) Operate with Discipline, (3) Use Data to Drive Decisions, and (4) Deliver Results.


DOTI is seeking a Waterways Program Delivery Engineering Specialist to serve as DOTI's lead engineer for waterways initiatives such as the WATR Program and similar multi-agency efforts. You will be reporting to the DOTI Environmental Implementation Division (EID) Wastewater Design Supervisor. Our second position will be housed with the Special Projects and Initiatives Division.

The WATR Program is a long-term effort to restore the ecosystem on 6.5 miles of the South Platte River and reduce flood risk on the Weir Gulch and East Harvard Gulch tributaries. The WATR Program is being delivered through an innovative pilot partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers.

As the Waterways Program Delivery Engineering Specialist, specifically in this role, you will:

  • Lead technical planning, design, and delivery of complex urban waterway projects, including creek, gulch, and river corridor improvements.


  • Serve as the technical lead for hydrologic and hydraulic analysis supporting flood mitigation, floodplain management, and channel stability.


  • Guide multidisciplinary consultant teams responsible for planning, design, permitting, and construction services.


  • Advance projects within the WATR Program, ensuring project scopes and design solutions support broader waterways resilience objectives.


  • Translate citywide waterways strategy into deliverable projects, coordinating closely with the Waterways Program Manager.


  • Balance hydraulic performance, geomorphic stability, ecological function, and community outcomes when evaluating channel design alternatives.


  • Coordinate across multiple agencies and stakeholders, including Mile High Flood District, regulatory agencies, utilities, and community groups.


  • Manage project development from concept through construction and closeout, including scope definition, budget development, schedule creation, stakeholder engagement, communications management, resource assignment, and risk management.


  • Provide technical expertise in urban channel design, including grade control, bank stabilization, sediment transport considerations, and vegetation strategies.


  • Mentor engineering staff and contribute to internal technical standards, helping strengthen the organization's expertise in waterway engineering.


What You'll Bring

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

  • Strong Technical Judgment - Understand the tradeoffs inherent in urban waterway design and can balance flood protection, stability, ecology, and community needs.


  • Systems Thinker - Able to see how individual projects fit within broader watershed, flood risk, and capital planning strategies.


  • Collaborative Project Leader - Effective at coordinating consultant teams, internal staff, and external partners across complex infrastructure projects.


  • Clear Communicator - Able to explain technical engineering concepts to leadership, elected officials, and community stakeholders.


  • Practical Problem Solver - Comfortable navigating constraints such as right-of-way limitations, regulatory requirements, and funding realities.


  • Delivery Focused - Keep projects moving forward through design, permitting, and construction while managing scope, schedule, and budget.


  • Urban Waterways Experience - Experienced designing or managing projects involving creeks, gulches, rivers, and open channel systems in developed environments.


  • Balanced Engineering Perspective -Recognizes that successful waterway projects integrate flood mitigation, environmental function, and community benefit.


Required Minimum Qualifications

  • Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Architecture.


  • Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of experience at the type and level of a Senior Engineer or Senior Architect.


  • Education/Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for experience requirements.


  • License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Requires registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) by the Colorado State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers at the time of application. Or requires registration as an Architect by the Colorado State Board of Registration at the time of application. Registration in another state will be accepted in lieu of this requirement, provided that the applicant has Colorado registration at completion of probation. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.


To be considered for this position, you must include the following on your job application (upload the attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab):

  • Resume


  • Detailed cover letter about your interest in public service and experience working on dynamic long-term engineering projects. Tell us more about how you professionally prepared for this role.


Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until July 26, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than July 26, 2026, at 11:59 PM.

About Everything Else

Job Profile
CE2340 Engineer-Architect Specialist
To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type
Limited (Fixed Term)

Position Salary Range
$115,683.00 - $196,661.00

Target Pay
$115,683.00 - $156,172.00/year, based on experience and education

Agency
Dept of Transportation & Infrastructure

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

About City and County of Denver

The City and County of Denver is the capital and most populous city in the state of Colorado. It is located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains, just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The city is known for its beautiful scenery, outdoor recreation opportunities, and vibrant cultural scene. The City and County of Denver provides a wide range of services to its residents, including public safety, transportation, parks and recreation, and community development. The city is governed by a mayor and a 13-member city council.
Learn more about City and County of Denver
Size
11,000 employees
Industry
Revenue
$4 billion

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