SPECIAL PROJECTS ENGINEER - Land Development in San Marcos, California at City of San Marcos
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Job Description
Salary: $130,415.68 - $195,687.30 Annually
Job Type: Full Time
Department: Development Services
Opening Date: Development Services Engineering
Closing Date: 06/03/26
Location: San Marcos, CA
Job Number: 2026 - 34
FLSA: 6/3/2026 4:00 PM Pacific
Description: SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Our Land Development Engineering team is growing, which means we have an exciting opportunity for a Special Projects Engineer.
As the Special Projects Engineer, you work with applicant/developer teams, City staff, residents, and external agencies to guide the priorities and direction of specially assigned projects from inception, through the entitlement process, to the development of construction drawings, and into construction. The development is inspiring, fast-paced, and challenging. Develop strong professional partnerships as you navigate these impactful projects. Lend your perspective and experience to staff engineers who can benefit greatly from the wealth of experience that you bring to the San Marcos culture. The position reports to the Land Development Principal Civil Engineer lead. Your contributions will shape a city that serves generations to come. Click here to read the full job description and learn more about the Special Projects Engineer position.
You are a highly-experienced project engineer with technical expertise in entitlements as well as the review of grading and public improvement plans, subdivision mapping, and technical studies such as flood analyses, stormwater quality documents, soils reports, drainage studies, traffic impact analyses, and CEQA documents.
You implement a hands-on approach to constructive problem solving and resolve challenging technical issues through collaboration and partnership. You are responsive, tactful, collaborative, and accountable to our community and customers.
You understand the importance of a strong working culture, and you set a positive tone for the City and our customers.
You prioritize mentorship, and you cultivate the development of junior staff and create a culture of support and growth in the group.
You understand and strengthen the San Marcos customer service legacy with creativity, respect for internal and external customers, and an eye towards forging productive and successful relationships.
This is a highly experienced technical position. San Marcos will accept applications from licensed and unlicensed engineers. Licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of California is desirable but not required.
Experience specifically in civil engineering is sought; experience in other fields may not lend the required knowledge and abilities to function in this role.
Both private- and public-sector experience may be qualifying. Expertise in the review of construction plans and reports is highly desired. Experience in entitlement processing is highly desirable.
A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in civil engineering or a related field, with six years of increasingly responsible civil engineering experience.
Alternative qualifying experience without a PE license and/or a related degree might be ten or more years of increasingly responsible experience in the private or public sector processing of construction drawings and entitlements, including the ability to quickly learn the private sector role in the process.
CONTACT US
Getting to know us is simple, with no strings attached.Reach out and meet our team on your schedule. We’re always accessible by phone or email! Contact one of our team members by email or by phone at 760.744.1050.
Kyrenne Chua, Principal Civil Engineer: KChua@SanMarcosCA.gov
Stephanie Kellar, Deputy City Engineer: SKellar@SanMarcosCA.gov
Isaac Etchamendy, City Engineer and Development Services Director: IEtchamendy@SanMarcosCA.govTHE SAN MARCOS WAY.
In a region where public agency engineering jobs can feel overstretched and under-supported, City of San Marcos is building something better. We invest in our people and help them grow. In fact, in the past three years alone, nearly half of the staff in our department have earned promotions.
FLEXIBILITY IS BAKED INTO OUR CULTURE. San Marcos offers hybrid work built to your schedule and real flexibility to manage your commitments in a way that works for you.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE THAT ACTUALLYMAKES A DIFFERENCE. We deliver on real work-life balance. Our team members get the flexibility to coach kids' sports, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy enriching personal lives.
ROOM TO RUN. Here in San Marcos, you are a trusted professional, supported by leadership that respects boundaries between staff work and our elected policymakers.
A POSITIVE ENGINEERING CULTURE WITH ROOM TO BREATHE. Supportive colleagues, collaborative problem-solving, and genuine respect for your expertise- San Marcos offers a friendlier working environment than you’ll find in most jurisdictions. We’ve intentionally built it that way.
RECRUITMENT TIMELINE:
| APPLICATION PERIOD | Applications accepted beginning May 20, 2026 |
| OPEN UNTIL FILLED | Applications must be received by 4:00pm, June 3, 2026 |
| FIRST INTERVIEWS | June 18, 2026 |
| SECOND INTERVIEWS | June 25, 2026 |
Benefits:
Vacation Leave – A new employee will accrue eighty (80) hours of vacation per calendar year for the first two years of service, one hundred, twenty (120) hours for years three through five, one hundred, sixty (160) hours for years six through ten and two hundred (200) hours after eleven years. Vacation accrual begins immediately; however, a new employee is not eligible to take vacation leave until the completion of six (6) months of service with the City.
Sick Leave – A new employee will earn ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave each year.
Bereavement Leave - Employees are eligible to use up to 40 hours of bereavement leave per fiscal year.
Executive Leave - As a "Mid Management Exempt" At Will employee, you will receive sixty (60) hours of Executive Leave per fiscal year. This leave cannot roll over, has no cash value, and any leave not used by June 30th of each year will be lost.
Group Health Insurance Program – A new employee will become a member of one of the City's group health plans (Aetna HMO, Aetna AWH HMO, Aetna PPO, or Kaiser HMO) effective the first day of the month following their date of hire. The City will pay 90% of the health care premium and employees will pick up 10% of the premiums of the plan they select.
Voluntary Dental/Vision Insurance Programs – The City offers two voluntary dental insurance programs, an HMO program and a PPO Program, as well as a voluntary vision insurance program.
Section 125 Flexible Spending Account – All employees are eligible to participate in the City's Section 125 Flexible Spending Account plan administered by Benefit Coordinators Corporation (BCC). This is an IRS-approved plan which enables you to have withheld from your paycheck an amount to cover eligible dependent care, and certain eligible medical expenses without being subject to federal income or social security tax on the income used to pay for these benefits.
Retiree Health Savings (RHS) – All employees participate in a Retiree Health Savings plan through the ICMA/MissionSquare Retirement Corporation.
Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program - The City offers a Deferred Compensation Employer Match Program, matching employee contributions up to 2%
Additional Benefits – The City offers additional benefits such as short and long-term disability, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, employee benefit allocation program and workers' compensation insurance.
Questions:
- Less than 5 years
- 5-10 years
- More than 10 years
Required Question