Engineering Specialist II - Public Works, Bureau of Utilities, Water & Sewer Planning Division

Howard County
Conveniently located in the heart of central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County offers the charm of a historic past mixed with the excitement of a cosmopolitan community.

Howard County Government
Howard County Government is a leader in innovation, sustainability, and consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work in the country. In 2023, Howard County Government received a record-breaking 51 Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) – the most in the state of Maryland. NACo is the leading organization representing county-level government operations. These awards recognize innovative and transformative programs that provide new services for county residents, improve existing programs, upgrade working conditions, and enhance citizen participation and public policymaking.

What are we looking for?
We are looking for outstanding individuals to join our team and contribute to excellence in Howard County operations.

What you'll like most about working at Howard County Government:

• We are committed to workplace excellence in every area of County government.
• We have a highly talented, diverse, and inclusive workplace. Your input will not only be heard, but it will be encouraged!
• We offer competitive compensation and great benefits including medical, retirement, and wellness programs.
• As a member of the Howard County Government team, you'll be helping drive our culture and directly impact what makes us an amazing place to work.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Professional engineering work for the Bureau of Utilities, Water and Sewer Planning Division.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

Performs professional level engineering and/or architectural work, which may include supervisory responsibility, under general supervision from an administrative or technical superior. Work includes designing engineering and/or architectural features to meet overall end-use objectives, reviewing engineering and construction plans, and assisting with preparation of planning and engineering documents.

Includes the following. Other related duties may be assigned.

• Assist with the preparation and maintenance of the Master Water and Sewer Plan, including both major amendments and interim amendments; assist with preparation of the semi-annual water and sewer allocation reports in conformance with state and local codes and regulatory requirements; and routine capacity analyses of the County Water Distribution and Sewerage Collection systems. Assist with coordinating and chairing meetings with internal boards, engineers, consultants, land developers and the public to receive stakeholder input and resolve issues and problems related to water and sewerage planning.
• Update and maintain the County water and sewer hydraulic models; analyses of new and existing communities for adequate water and sewer capacity in conjunction with Department of Planning and Zoning comprehensive planning; perform system capacity analyses for planning and preparation of the County's capital water and sewer program; perform model scenarios to optimize existing water distribution and wastewater collection system operation and analyze problems; and assist with process modeling for the County's Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant.
• Assist in developing work scopes for consultants; provide base data as needed and review the products produced
• Perform engineering studies and analyses to ensure that water and wastewater facilities and appurtenances are properly sized, correctly operated, and adequately maintained.
• Provide technical assistance to Bureau personnel and contractors with mapping functions including GIS and interface with the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Provide technical assistance to water and wastewater facility maintenance personnel. Provide on-call assistance when required.
• SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition): Coordinate with operations staff and regularly monitor the county's remote computer control system to ensure continuous remote automatic control of the county's water distribution and wastewater collection systems.
• Water and Sewer Developer Projects: Provide technical direction to outside engineering firms, hired by developers, for the purpose of designing new public water and sewer systems and facilities.
• Provide recommendations to the Department of Planning and Zoning on proposed alignment, construction, and maintainability of the proposed water and sewer systems. Reviews complex plan and reports and provides recommendations to supervisor. In occasions, represents Bureau at public hearings, meetings, and conferences as assigned. Maintains liaison with consultants and representatives of county, state, and federal agencies, and answers public inquiries.
• Emergency Preparedness & System Security: Maintain up-to-date knowledge and develop and implement infrastructure and data security requirements; prepare and maintain emergency preparedness and response plans; and reporting on issues related to the security and emergency posture of the Utility.
• Customer Service: Assist and advise county residents and builders with issues related to water and sewer locations, Water pressure related issues, easement locations, easement use, easement restrictions, etc.
• Assist with negotiations and prepare, review, and maintain inter-jurisdictional agreements for water purchase, outside wastewater treatment, and other system related agreements.
• This position is considered emergency essential and, as such, the incumbent will be required to report for regular work shift during inclement weather and when emergency situations arise.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and two (2) years of related experience.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Professional Engineer’s License or Engineer-In-Training (EIT) Certificate.
• Master’s degree (M.S, M.E) or equivalent; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience is water and sewer modeling, Master plans preparation, and GIS applications.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to touch, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret the most complex documents.

Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.

Ability to write speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style.

Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Ability to comprehend and apply principles of advanced calculus, modern algebra, and advanced statistical theory.

Ability to work with concepts such as limits, rings, quadratic and differential equations, and proofs of theorems.

Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations.

Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TO APPLY: You must complete an employment application online to be considered for this recruitment. Resumes cannot be substituted for completion of the job application work history. No paper applications will be accepted.

Selected candidates may be subject to drug screening, background screening, and reference checks.

At time of application, please submit a copy of any college degree, coursework, licenses, or certifications that you have referenced on your application. Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. may need to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).

Howard County Government is not sponsoring employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Howard County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to a workplace that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. The County prohibits discrimination on the basis race, color, religion, age, sex, ancestry, creed, national origin, disability status, genetics, marital status, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Applicants requiring accommodations during the hiring process should contact the Office of Human Resources directly at ebridges@howardcountymd.gov. Requests for accommodations should not be attached to the application.