Engineering Technician - Experienced or Senior DOQ at City of Sumner – Sumner, Washington

The City is recruiting an Engineering Technician or Senior Engineering Technician depending on qualifications.

Engineering Technician: Must have two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in assisting with the inspection of public works projects or with the drafting of engineering plans and specifications; or, substituting an Associate's degree in Civil Engineering Technology may be substituted for two years of experience.

Senior Engineering Technician: Must have eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in assisting with the inspection of public works projects or with the drafting of engineering plans and specifications; or an Associate's degree in Civil Engineering Technology may be substituted for two years’ experience.

Hiring range:
Engineering Technician $40.78 - $45.59 per hour with growth to $48.19.
Senior Engineering Technician $47.82 - $53.46 per hour with growth to $56.52.

This is a full-time, Fair Labor Standards Act overtime non-exempt position. This is designated as a Safety Sensitive position. The regular work schedule for the Engineering Technician is Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm. Attendance at evening meetings or other off-duty events is not anticipated. The incumbent is not a Civil Service employee. This position is eligible for representation through the International Union of Operating Engineers.

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN:
General Purpose:
The Engineering Technician assists Public Works staff in preparing preliminary designs through final plans and estimates; support traffic engineering studies; inspect construction projects for compliance with established standards; review development and right-of-way permit applications for compliance with established codes and standards.
This is the entry level class in the Engineering Technician series. This job class is distinguished from the Senior Engineering Technician by the performance of the more routine tasks and duties assigned to the position. Employees at this level receive a greater level of instruction and supervision.

Supervision Received:
Works under the supervision of an Associate/Assistant City Engineer or Associate/Assistant Engineering Manager.

Supervision Responsibilities:
This position will generally not have supervisory responsibilities.

SENIOR ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN:

General Purpose:
The Senior Engineering Technician assists Public Works staff in preparing preliminary designs through final plans and estimates; support traffic engineering studies; inspect construction projects for compliance with established standards; review development and right-of-way permit applications for compliance with established codes and standards.

Supervision Received:
Works independently under the general supervision of an Associate/Assistant City Engineer or Associate/Assistant Engineering Manager.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
Oversees the work of the Engineering Technician.

The Ideal Candidate:

The ideal Engineering Technician is someone who loves seeing a project come to life, from the first set of plans to the final inspection in the field. Whether you’re reviewing development permits at your desk, reviewing utility or street improvements, inspecting infrastructure, or standing on a construction site rain or shine, you’re energized by being where the action is and making sure the details are right. You’ll read and interpret engineering plans, understand specifications, and confidently communicate expectations in the field. At the same time, you’re approachable and customer-focused, comfortable answering questions from coworkers, residents, contractors, and business owners with professionalism and clarity.

In this role, no two days look the same. You might be assisting with drawings and estimates, supporting traffic studies, reviewing right-of-way permits, documenting project progress, conducting field surveys, or inspecting construction to ensure it meets City ordinances and standards. You’re organized and tech-savvy, able to understand CADD, GIS, and other software tools to support the team while keeping accurate records and meeting timelines. Most importantly, you take pride in contributing to a Public Works team, serving a community that values both its historic charm and forward-thinking growth.

If you enjoy a mix of office and outdoor work, thrive in a collaborative environment, and want to help build the infrastructure that keeps Sumner moving, this is a career where you can grow, make an impact, and have a little fun along the way. We’d love to meet you.

About Sumner:
The City of Sumner’s vision is to set the standard of excellence for a progressive small city. In working to achieve that vision, Sumner prioritizes and celebrates diverse perspectives, life experiences and differences. The City actively seeks and encourages people with diverse backgrounds and characteristics to apply and all come together with a goal of continuing to learn and improve to better serve the residents, businesses and visitors of our community. Sumner remains a traditional city of just over 11,000 residents with agricultural roots, known for decades as the Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World. At the same time, its compact, walkable layout aligns perfectly with progressive planning trends, as its classic Main Street becomes repurposed for boutiques, independent restaurants and daily services such as legal offices, financial advisors and doctors. While Sumner retains historic neighborhoods of Craftsman houses and an active high school right on Main Street, it also offers over 16,000 manufacturing and distribution jobs for companies such as REI, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Amazon.com, and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. With a downtown Sound Transit station with buses and trains, it is well connected to the Puget Sound region while striving to be a full-service city with the largest YMCA facility in the state of Washington as well as a link trail system that will connect the Foothills and Interurban trails. Like the community, the city government is large enough to be professional but small enough to be creative. The City has won a variety of awards from the Governor's Smart Planning Award to recognition at the International Association of Chiefs of Police for its groundbreaking police work on victims' assistance. With a strong mayor format, the City has just over 130 employees who operate a cemetery, wastewater treatment facility, accredited police department, animal shelter, parks, senior center, full service public works and administration.

About the City of Sumner Public Works Department: The Sumner Public Works Department is responsible for capital improvement projects for City of Sumner facilities, streets, and water, sewer and stormwater utilities. The Department simultaneously manages hundreds of millions of dollars of capital projects improving 120 lane-miles of roadways and adjoining sidewalks, hundreds of miles of wet utilities, well and spring water sources, parks and facilities, over 50 stormwater outfalls, and operates the City’s 6.1 MGD(Maximum Month Design Flow) Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Check out all of the exciting projects that Public Works and other departments are working on by visiting: https://connects.sumnerwa.gov/

The job duties and responsibilities represented in this job description in no way imply that these are the only duties to be performed. Employees occupying the position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by a supervisor. While requirements may be representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and skills and abilities to perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty with advanced proficiency.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Prepares basic engineering drawings and specifications for various engineering and planning projects such as storm sewer, sanitary sewer, water mains and streets for review by an engineer or project manager;
• Reviews basic projects as they relate to the City's Public Works Department, assessing the potential impact that various construction activities will have upon City utilities;
• Prepares daily inspection reports documenting progress of work, equipment, and labor used on site, hours of operation, and other data.
• Photographs and logs project development;
• Estimates and computes force account sheets for review by an engineer or project manager;
• Coordinates with project managers, consultants, contractors, and other agencies on rudimentary design development, construction administration, and funding programs;
• Reviews simple contractors’ submittals for public projects;
• Conducts basic field surveys and data collection;
• Completes infrastructure condition field assessments and compiles and analyzes collected data;
• Schedules jobs, assigns tasks and coordinates each required operation ensuring safety, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and timely completion of projects or assignments with relative independence;
• Reviews basic street permit applications to determine size and scope of proposed job and how much time will be charged to each permit;
• Inspects contractor's work to ensure compliance with specifications and city standards;
• Investigates construction issues that arise in the field and recommends solutions;
• Conducts basic field tests to determine if proper materials are used;
• May assist with inspecting grease traps, grease interceptors and oil water separators throughout the city as needed;
• Maintains city records and databases of inspections and customer maintenance records;
• Performs and/or oversee sampling and sampling records of commercial and industrial users;
• Operates and maintains sampling equipment (samplers, flow meters, computers, etc)
• Reviews and responds to complaints from the public;
• Other duties as assigned.

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN:

Education and Experience
Any combination equivalent to graduation from high school. Two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in assisting with the inspection of public works projects or with the drafting of engineering plans and specifications; or, substituting an Associate's degree in Civil Engineering Technology (or similar) may be substituted for two years of experience.

Valid Washington State driver's license at time of appointment with maintenance thereafter.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of:

• Basic theory, principles, and practices of civil engineering;
• Computerized spreadsheet and word processing applications and basic level computer aided drafting equipment and software;
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local standards and procedures;
• Knowledge of standard construction practices and methods related to public works projects;
• Terminology, methods, practices and techniques of engineering drafting as required by the position;
• Modern methods and techniques used in the design, construction, and inspection of public works projects;
• ADA accessibility Standards;
• Basic surveying principals and concepts;
• Plan examination and review procedures;
• Business English, spelling, grammar and punctuation;
• Safety laws and regulations;
• Computer software including MS products, GIS, CADD experience preferred.
• Specialty municipal software: Enterprise Resource Planning for budgeting/time tracking such as Tyler Technologies, Permitting software such as EnerGov, Asset Management Software such as OpenGov, and other software solutions for traffic counter data analysis, etc

Ability to:

• Operate surveying instruments and methods;
• Read and interpret engineering plans and understand specifications;
• Uniformly and accurately inspect construction projects to determine compliance with city ordinances and policies;
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing;
• Adapt to technological advancements in programs or devices related to inspection services;
• Present technical material in a clear and concise manner to various groups;
• Use interpersonal skills with tact, patience and courtesy;
• Prioritize and schedule work;
• Operate with average proficiency software and computer programs used by the City;
• Meet schedules and timelines;
• Perform field inspections on projects under construction or alteration;
• Ensure compliance with City ordinances with consistency and impartiality;
• Prepare clear and concise correspondence and written materials;
• Provide excellent customer service by using a friendly, professional, and accurate and customer orientated approach to a wide variety of customers, including contractors, architects, business owners, government officials, general public and other staff. This would include in-person, written and oral communications;
• Interpret, apply, and explain laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures;
• Write and / or interpret legal descriptions and plats;
• Review residential plans for proper utility hook-ups charges, utility locations, and improvements that may be required (i.e. curb, gutters and sidewalks);
• Maintain reliable attendance;
• Operate a motor vehicle;
• Contribute to achieving the Department mission;

SENIOR ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN:

Education and Experience
Any combination equivalent to graduation from high school. Eight years of progressively responsible experience in assisting with the inspection of public works projects or with the drafting of engineering plans and specifications; or an Associate's degree in Civil Engineering Technology (or similar) may be substituted for two years’ experience.

Valid Washington State driver's license at time of appointment with maintenance thereafter.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of:

• Theory, principles, and practices of civil engineering.
• Computerized spreadsheet and word processing applications and computer aided drafting equipment and software;
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local standards and procedures;
• Knowledge of standard to advanced construction practices and methods related to public works projects;
• Terminology, methods, practices and techniques of engineering drafting as required by the position;
• Modern methods and techniques used in the design, construction, and inspection of public works projects;
• ADA accessibility Standards;
• Basic to advanced surveying principals and concepts;
• Advanced plan examination and review procedures;
• Business English, spelling, grammar and punctuation; Safety laws and regulations;
• Computer software including MS products, GIS, CADD experience preferred.
• Specialty municipal software: Enterprise Resource Planning for budgeting/time tracking such as Tyler Technologies, Permitting software such as EnerGov, Asset Management Software such as OpenGov, and other software solutions for traffic counter data analysis, etc

Ability to:

• Operate surveying instruments and methods as required by the position;
• Read and interpret advanced engineering plans and understand specifications as required by the position;
• Uniformly and accurately inspect complex construction projects to determine compliance with city ordinances and policies;
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing;
• Adapt to technological advancements in programs or devices related to inspection services;
• Present technical material in a clear and concise manner to various groups;
• Use interpersonal skills with tact, patience and courtesy;
• Prioritize and schedule work;
• Operate with average proficiency word processing software used by the City;
• Meet schedules and timelines;
• Perform field inspections on projects under construction or alteration;
• Ensure compliance with City ordinances with consistency and impartiality;
• Prepare clear and concise correspondence and written materials;
• Provide excellent customer service by using a friendly, professional, and accurate and customer orientated approach to a wide variety of customers, including contractors, architects, business owners, government officials, general public and other staff. This would include in-person, written and oral communications;
• Interpret, apply, and explain laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures;
• Write and / or interpret legal descriptions / plats;
• Review residential plans for proper utility hook-ups charges, utility locations, and improvements that may be requires (i.e. curb, gutters and sidewalks);
• Maintain reliable attendance.
• Operate a motor vehicle.
• Contribute to achieving the Department mission;

Selection Guidelines:
Selection is based on a formal application, evaluation of education and experience, oral interviews, and reference checks. Job-related testing and assessments may also be required.

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and does not constitute an employment contract between the employer and employee. The employer reserves the right to modify or amend the job description at any time, as organizational needs and position requirements evolve.

Background checks may include:

• Prior Employment Verification: confirms applicant's employment with the listed companies, including dates of employment, position held and additional information available pertaining to performance rating, reason for departure and eligibility for rehire. This verification will be run on the past three employers or the previous five years, whichever comes first.
• Personal and Professional References: calls will be placed to individuals listed as references by the applicant.
• Employment Eligibility Verification: Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States.
• Educational Verification: confirms the applicant's claimed educational institution, including the years attended and the degree/diploma received.
• Criminal History: includes review of criminal convictions and probation. The following factors will be considered for applicants with a criminal history:
  • The nature of the crime and its relationship to the position.
  • The time since the conviction.
  • The number (if more than one) of convictions.
  • Whether hiring, transferring or promoting the applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees or its customers and vendors.

The following additional background searches will be required if applicable to the position:

• Motor Vehicle Records: provides a report on an individual's driving history in the state requested. This search will be run when driving is an essential requirement of the position.
• Credit History: confirms candidate's credit history. This search will be run for positions that involve management of City of Sumner funds and/or handling of cash or credit cards.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The City is an equal employment opportunity employer. The City employs, retains, promotes, terminates and otherwise treats all employees and job applicants on the basis of job-related qualifications and competence. These policies shall be applied without regard to any individual's sex, race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, sensory, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation including gender expression and identity, genetic information, domestic violence victim or other basis prohibited by law.

Persons needing assistance in the application process may call the Human Resources Office, at 253-299-5595 or email hr@sumnerwa.gov. If you are invited to participate in the selection process and need ADA accommodations, please notify HR before you are scheduled for an interview or testing.

Drug Free Workplace
The City of Sumner is a drug free workplace. The City is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment, free from employees whose job performance may be impaired by the use of prescription, nonprescription, over-the-counter drugs, illegal controlled substances, marijuana and alcohol.

General Hiring Process Information

• Candidates must submit required documents as outlined in the job announcement in order to be considered.
• Submitting a cover letter and resume is not required but is recommended.
• Applicants must provide professional references with accurate phone numbers and email addresses. References will only be contacted for applicants who progress past the interview process.
• If multiple applications are received for the same candidate, only the most recently submitted, complete application will be considered.
• Applications received by the review date will be screened for minimum qualifications and then submitted to a Subject Matter Expert to select which candidates will be invited to interview. Personally identifiable information is removed from the applications during the screening process.
• Applicants who are invited to interview will receive notification by email and are typically provided at least one weeks' notice prior to the scheduled interview date.
• Applicants who are not invited to interview will be notified by email.
• Remote interviews may be available for candidates unable to participate in person, remote interviews are held through an online meeting platform such as Microsoft Teams.
• Applicants who pass the interview process may be invited back for a second interview with the department leads or for a walking interview through the department.
• Applicants who did not pass the interview process will be notified by email.