North Central WA Cluster Engineer

Full Project Description available here: https://www.kccd.net/announcements

INTRODUCTION
The Kittitas County Conservation District (KCCD) is part of a cluster of five conservation districts in North Central Washington who work cooperatively to maintain a shared professional engineer position. The engineer provides services to all districts as needed with KCCD as the home base in Ellensburg. We are currently seeking a talented, motivated, and technically driven team-player to fill this existing position.

This position is best filled by a self-starter with strong experience working with private landowners, consulting engineers, local jurisdictions, tribes, and other parties to identify, prioritize and implement natural resource projects and programs, and an understanding of the broad spectrum of issues facing the conservation districts, as well as the people they serve.
The Engineer is a salaried, at-will, overtime exempt classification that reports directly to the KCCD District Manager.

WHY WORK WITH US?
We are a culture deeply committed to restoration and protection of the natural resources associated with working landscapes through voluntary incentive-based actions. Our small team is passionate about providing top-tier assistance for landowners and land managers to protect and conserve the soil, water, and habitats on their properties. We take pride in making a difference for the people, agricultural, and natural resources in our communities.

The North Central Cluster Engineer is a highly valued team member who provides the necessary technical design and engineering services to each district’s staff to ensure that projects are well designed, impactful to the resources, functional for the landowner, and an efficient investment of public funds. Collaboration with partners including local, state, and federal agencies, tribes, and NGO’s working in North Central Washington is an essential component of the position. Strong partnerships at all levels are at the heart of district work.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Work with each conservation district to assess engineering and design needs and to determine and plan the workload efficiently and effectively.
• Conduct field investigations and surveys and assemble data needed in the design of conservation practices for structural and non-structural solutions to problems with irrigation efficiencies, water quality, erosion, and fish and wildlife habitat.
• Provide support to district staff to design and implement conservation practices identified in farm plans with private landowners.
• Actively and effectively participate in project development teams that include district staff (conservation planners, project managers, etc.), design engineers, biologists, permit staff from regulatory agencies and other technical staff.
• Prepare preliminary designs, final designs, construction drawings, construction standards and specifications, and construction records for conservation practices of varying complexity.
• Analyze and review technical engineering, project and program work from contracted engineering and design firms utilized for design and construction of conservation practices on behalf of the conservation districts.
• Assist with layout work for construction, inspect work under construction, and provide necessary interpretations of the drawings and specifications needed to determine conformance with the design, standards, specifications, and permits.
• Review payment requests and assist in managing construction contracts including reviewing certified payroll, change orders and other necessary documents.

QUALIFICATIONS
The main qualifications for this position are:

• Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Professional Engineer registration in the state of Washington or ability to obtain it within 6 months or Engineer-In-Training registration in the State of Washington.
• A minimum of three years of progressive civil engineering design and/or construction management experience with agricultural engineering conservation practices, civil engineering vegetative practices, or civil engineering structural practices that address: irrigation efficiencies, stream/river habitat protection and restoration, and/or water quality protection
• Self-driven, energetic, and motivated team player with the capability to effectively work on multiple projects/tasks.

ADDITIONAL PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS•

• Understanding of and experience with agricultural conservation practices in irrigated cropland, dryland, and rangeland
• Knowledge of the agricultural industry and/or natural resources of north central Washington (Kittitas, Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan Counties)