Job Appointment: Full-Time, Regular.
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8 am-5 pm. An alternate schedule may be available.
Work Location: 1900 Building, 1900 SW 4th Ave, Oregon
Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefit for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees
Union Representation: PROTEC17. To view this labor agreement, please click here.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need respond to the supplemental questions and attach a résumé.

Position Summary:

The Civil Engineer position will reside in the Public Works Development Division within Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D). Under the direction of a Supervising Engineer (a registered Professional Engineer), this position will provide engineering and technical expertise to the solution of municipal engineering problems in the planning, design, review, construction and maintenance of the City’s infrastructure: water, sewage, drainage, streets, trees, and traffic management systems. This work involves interagency coordination and review of private development projects, including evaluating developer-submitted civil engineering plans for conformance with City standards, assessing impacts to existing public infrastructure, and ensuring that new development adequately addresses transportation, drainage, and utility requirements before permits are issued.

This position plays a meaningful role in advancing the City of Portland's broader planning goals — including supporting housing production and affordability, enabling infill and mixed-use development, and helping the city grow in a way that is safe, equitable, and sustainable. By facilitating timely and thorough engineering reviews, this role helps remove barriers to development while protecting the integrity of Portland's public infrastructure and the communities it serves. This position will work in a team environment with a dynamic workload managing multiple reviews for land use cases and public work permits with critical deadlines.

The ideal candidate will have prior experience in civil and/or traffic engineering design, with the ability to flex across technical areas (transportation, water, utilities, and grading), experience with public works project delivery, ADA compliant ramp design, and be a strong communicator.

Job Duties:

• Review developer plans for conformance with City standards and service rules
• Act as team lead, providing technical guidance, assistance and training to professional and technical staff
• Apply continuous improvement principles in standard daily work and long-range planning
• Communicate with various stake holders, including engineers from the private sector and infrastructure bureaus staff
• Coordinate and collaborate with other bureaus, jurisdictions and various utilities to resolve project conflicts
• Respond to developer inquiries regarding City requirements for development
• Collaborate with other engineers and technicians inside the city and on the development team
• Provide technical and administrative input to development of design standards

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Experienced engineer: An experienced and well-rounded registered professional engineer willing to embrace the City of Portland's Core Values of anti-racism, communication, collaboration, equity, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. Have a firm understanding of federal, state and local regulations as they relate to development-triggered infrastructure improvements in the public right of way.
• Excellent Communicator: You are a strong communicator to both technical and non-technical individuals, and proficient verbally and in writing. The ability to communicate regulations and standards to developers, constituents and the project team.
• Innovative: You have an aptitude for continuous improvement and can excel in change management. You’ve demonstrated the ability to remain flexible, agile, and calm in a high paced environment that relies on quick and stable decision making
• Problem Solver: You can identify problems early and value collaboration. You utilize active listening and effective communication and facilitation skills in working with others to find resolutions
• Project Manager: You have knowledge of project management principles and can support, lead, and review various operational projects that support the division and bureau initiatives. Have a good understanding of project management as it impacts budgeting, schedule, and cost control
• Authentic: Effective in a professional, diverse, multi-cultural environment. You treat customers, co-workers and employees with respect and are accountable
• Results Driven: This position is high paced, dynamic and requires a candidate who can take charge, bring focus, and finish tasks in a timely, accurate and professional manner
• Dedicated: Have a passion for public service and hold a high level of pride in making sure that projects, tasks, and emergencies are effectively and efficiently completed
• Organized: Able to work on a variety of tasks and understand/respond to various situations in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment
• Relationship Builder: An outgoing professional who values building trust, partnerships, and relationships with contractors and coworkers to support an inclusive culture and accomplish objectives more effectively

About Portland Permitting and Development:

Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D) manages building permits, land use, inspections, code enforcement and public works permits to ensure our built environment is safe and accessible.

The Public Works Development Division within PP&D is responsible for reviewing designs and permitting infrastructure improvements in the public right of way to ensure they are built to current standards and manage development impacts. We review plans to make sure they meet the requirements of City of Portland public infrastructure bureaus including Transportation (PBOT), Water (PWB), and Environmental Services (BES). Our team was recently integrated from three separate groups previously reporting to PBOT, BES and PWB. As a newly formed interdisciplinary team, we are at the forefront of a more collaborative and unified City approach to infrastructure with the opportunity to shape how we work together in the future.

Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity

Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position duties and responsibilities, day to day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.

12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Watch Recording: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/6ppIIrz0iD3mDQEWwvPfYebsZWZVbYgW-7KCxnSsRnE1-zAxoPqrMa6-rlVvhPyl.HY1GLQR7nEliNaPc

Have a question?

Contact Information:

Tamela Ressler, Recruiter

Bureau of Human Resources

Tamela.Ressler@portlandoregon.gov

1. Experience applying civil engineering principles and practices to public works and/or transportation project design and construction
2. Knowledge of legal guidelines for public work engineering and experience reviewing, preparing, or directing the preparation of complex plans and specifications
3. Experience acting as an equitable leader within a diverse, team-oriented work environment by promoting a culture of inclusion and accountability including coaching, mentoring, and developing performance with staff
4. Experience with project management such as: work planning, managing timelines, and implementing standards and best practices
5. Experience with effective written and oral communications, understanding your audience, and able to communicate complex information to both technical and non-technical individuals.

Applicant must also possess:

• A Certificate of registration as a Professional Engineer by the time of hire.
• Oregon Professional Engineer certificate within 6 months of hire.
• A valid state's driver's license and acceptable driving record.

Preferred Qualifications:

Although not required, the ideal candidate will have the following:

• A four-year college or university with a degree in civil, mechanical, structural, or traffic engineering; AND
• Four years of engineering experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• At least 2 years of progressively responsible professional engineering experience performing related work described above including 1 year of experience leading/planning the work of staff.

STEP 1: Apply online between March 9, 2026 - April 6, 2026

Required Application Materials:

• Résumé
  • Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.

• Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

Optional Application Materials:

• Veteran’s Preference documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) must be submitted by the closing date.
• Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans’ Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members. If applicant,s are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their future recruitment applications.
• Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.
• To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.

• How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act. Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.

• Do not attach any additional documents. Do not attach a cover letter, it will not be reviewed.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process by the closing date and time.
• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
• You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage using AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of April 6th

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their résumé and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
• Your résumé and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of April 13th

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list. (Update if a Ranked list or other type of list is used)

Step 4: Selection (Interview): Late April

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview

Step 5: Offer of Employment: Early May

• Some positions will require those offered employment to complete and sign a criminal background statement before being considered for employment. (Include if requires an in-depth background investigation.)

Step 6: Start Date: TBD

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations