Project Engineer III/IV- Water Resources Planning

The Water Resource Planning Section of Colorado Springs Utilities’ Water Services Division is seeking to fill a position for a Project Engineer III or IV, depending on experience. This position will be dedicated to planning for the water resources necessary to support the City of Colorado Springs.

Responsibilities include:

• Conduct water resource planning to secure a robust, resilient, and reliable water supply for future generations of Colorado Springs, including the development of a balanced water portfolio that contains a diversity of water supply, storage, conveyance, demand management, and reuse options to support the Integrated Water Resource Plan
• Working knowledge of and ability to carry out basin-wide hydrological planning models using ModSim, StateMod, or RiverWare tools
• Develop, implement, review, and evaluate engineering studies related to water resource planning, such as reservoir storage, system simulation and modeling, water rights administration, and resource economics
• Analyze reports, data, historical records, environmental conditions, risks, and regulatory procedures to determine their impact on Colorado Springs Utilities’ water system operations, planning efforts, and development activities
• Analyze regulations, laws, policies, and procedures and determine potential impacts on Colorado Springs Utilities’ existing and future water resources and system infrastructure, water rights portfolio, and operations
• Develop, recommend, and implement policies and best practices, as they relate to water resource planning, water rights administration, water agreements and contracts, watershed management, asset management, or other related subject areas
• Conduct various aspects of program and project management including project scoping, soliciting and reviewing proposals, overseeing contractors and consultants, conducting briefings, budget planning, scheduling, and facilitating procurement and contracting
• Represent Colorado Springs Utilities while building and maintaining collaborative interagency relationships and projects by interacting with project partners, state and federal agencies, legislative bodies, and leadership from across the state
• Collaborating within Colorado Springs Utilities work groups, teams, and committees to champion Water Resource Planning values and mission including members from the Water Rights Administration & Conveyance, Water Conservation and Demand Management, and Watershed Planning

Why should you apply?
If you have demonstrated experience developing and implementing solutions to address the water supply “gap” in Colorado, understand the complexities of protecting and developing water supplies, are familiar with the principles of project management, external stakeholder engagement, and Colorado water law, and enjoy problem-solving in a dynamic environment, we want to hear from you! This position will provide you the opportunity to work with a wide variety of stakeholders across organizational boundaries to manage, prioritize, and execute projects and assignments.

What will it take to be successful? The typical candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree in an engineering, resource management, or planning-related discipline from an accredited institution. While candidates with advanced degrees and professional licensure are preferred, other factors such as previous work experience and strong interpersonal skills are equally important. The ideal level IV candidate will also have ten years of direct experience with long-range water resource planning, analysis, modeling, hydrology, Colorado water rights and/or western water law, water rights administration, development and negotiation of agreements and stipulations, and proven experience in project management. Graduate-level education will be considered for employment experience. Experience working for utilities developing long-range resource management plans and/or specific water resource consulting in Colorado or the Rocky Mountain West will also be viewed favorably. 

Additional requirements: The City of Colorado Springs owns and operates an extensive water collection and transmission system that extends across the Arkansas River, Colorado River, and South Platte basins spanning eleven counties in Colorado. As a result, some travel is required to attend meetings, conduct fieldwork in remote watersheds, or participate in regional committees and work groups. Although most of the work is sedentary, the employee may occasionally be required to perform light to moderate physical activity (e.g., walking, hiking, lifting, bending over, etc.) to support project activities.

What a career at Colorado Springs Utilities can offer you...
Nestled at the base of Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs is the perfect blend of mountain and city living. Colorado Springs boasts breathtaking scenery, abundant recreation activities, and diverse populations. With the race to meet Colorado’s water supply gap, this is an opportunity to participate in solution-based, innovative actions with one of the largest municipal water providers in the state. Our employees enjoy the satisfaction of fulfilling work that impacts our citizen owners and community.

• As a community-owned enterprise for over 100 years, we offer the stability of providing a required service and commodity for our community
• We are a diverse team of professionals who take pride in delivering exceptional service to our community through new and innovative technologies
• We understand employees have competing priorities. That is why we have created an environment that embraces teamwork and values the work/life balance of our employees
• Flexibility for a 2-day per week work-from-home schedule.

Our Commitment to Our Employees…
Our people are the heart and soul of Colorado Springs Utilities. They keep the lights on, gas flowing, water coming in, and wastewater leaving. We do not just say people are important – we prove it! That’s why we are honored to invest in protecting the health and financial security of our employees and their families through our rich benefits program.

• Time Off – Because everybody needs time off to recharge
  
  • Vacation – New employees accrue 13 days of paid time off to start, while our more tenured employees accrue 24 days per year
  • Personal Leave –3 days per year of personal leave
  • Paid Holidays –12 paid holidays per year
  • Sick Leave – Accrue 12 days of sick leave annually for those days when you or a family member is feeling under the weather
  • Vacation Buy – Purchase up to 40 hours of additional vacation time
• Pension Plan – Looking forward to a comfortable lifestyle once you’re done working? The Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) provides you with retirement benefits and peace of mind when you retire 
• Medical – Select from three comprehensive medical plans, starting at $10.30 a month. Employees also enjoy access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Wellness Program – Voluntary wellness program that allows you and your spouse to each earn up to $500 to use towards healthcare expenses, $100 in Visa gift cards, and up to $400 in gym membership reimbursements
• Dental – Select from two dental plans, with in-network preventive care covered at 100%
• Vision – Voluntary plan that covers full vision care services and discounts on LASIK eye surgery
• Retirement Saving Programs – Supplement your pension plan with voluntary retirement programs such as the PERAPlus 401(k) and MissionSquare’s Roth IRA and 457 plans.
• Disability Coverage –Short-Term (STD) and Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance available for purchase
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Makes the going a little easier by aiding with mental health, stress management, work-life balance, financial and legal matters, and much more
• Long-Term Care Insurance – Whether it's due to an accident or a serious illness, LTC insurance is available for purchase to help you and your loved ones
• Life Insurance –Company-paid life insurance and supplemental coverage are available

Join a diverse team of high performers who take pride in delivering exceptional service to our community!