Engineering Associate, Senior - Civil

Full Job Description

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, OregonBenefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefit for this positionLanguage 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 Senior Engineering Associate position will reside in the Public Works Development Division within Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D).

Under the direct supervision of a registered Professional Engineer, this position will apply advanced technical engineering knowledge to the solution of engineering problems in the planning, design, review, construction and maintenance of the City’s infrastructure: water, sewage, stormwater, 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 goals — including supporting housing production and affordability, enabling infill 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 engineering design, with an interest in flexing across technical areas (transportation, water, utilities, and grading), experience with public works project delivery, ADA compliant ramp design, and be a strong communicator.

What you’ll get to do:

• Review developer plans for conformance with City standards and service rules
• Respond to developer inquiries regarding City requirements for development
• Collaborate with other engineers and technicians inside the city and on the development team to resolve project conflicts
• Solve problems by identifying issues early and collaborating with other bureaus, jurisdictions and the development team
• Apply continuous improvement principles in standard daily work and long-range planning
• Build relationships with coworkers, applicants and infrastructure bureau staff to support an inclusive culture and provide excellent customer service

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.

Have a question?

Contact Information:

Tamela Ressler, Senior Recruiter

Bureau of Human Resources

Tamela.Ressler@portlandoregon.gov

Requirements

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

1. Knowledge of engineering theory, principles, and practices related to the planning, design, and construction of public works and/or transportation projects.
2. Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to public works engineering.
3. Experience in project management, construction management, and/or engineering analysis.
4. Ability to interact effectively, to problem-solve and to partner with citizens, community groups and/or contractors and to negotiate agreements with contractors and the public.

Applicant must also possess:

• An Engineer-In-Training Certification, i.e., passed the State Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination at the time of hire.
• A valid state driver's license and acceptable driving record at the time of hire may be required for some positions.

Qualifications

STEP 1: Apply online between March 16-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 applicants 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 6, 2026

• 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 13, 2026

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): Late April 2026

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview

Step 5: Offer of Employment: Early/Mid May 2026

• Some positions will require those offered employment to complete and sign a criminal background statement before being considered for employment.

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.

Additional Information

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