Senior Engineer - Water & Wastewater

The Town of Blacksburg’s Department of Engineering & GIS is seeking a Water & Wastewater Engineer.  The primary responsibilities of this role are to oversee improvements to the town’s water and wastewater infrastructure, to provide reliable service to its citizens, and to plan future system expansions to serve future development areas that are consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan. This individual will work collaboratively with Public Works staff to maintain safe, reliable, and efficient delivery of potable water and effective collection of wastewater in compliance with all applicable regulations and environmental standards. 

Work will be performed under the general direction of the Director of Engineering & GIS.

Blacksburg is a beautiful town located in the New River Valley of Virginia. Established in 1798, Blacksburg has grown from a town of a few dozen families to a population of over 42,000 people, making it the largest town in Virginia. The town is comprised of a healthy, highly educated, and diverse population, making it a very progressive community with a high quality of life. Blacksburg has activities that appeal to young professionals, families, and seniors. There are numerous parks to choose from, making the town an excellent venue for the outdoors lover.

Downtown Blacksburg contains a unique collection of specialty retail and dining establishments, art galleries, and performance halls. Wide brick sidewalks line streets flanked on each side by decorative street lamps, hanging flower baskets, and park benches.

At the core of Blacksburg’s vibrant and engaging downtown is Virginia’s largest land-grant university, Virginia Tech. The university continues to position itself as a major research institution. The presence of Virginia Tech and its approximately 30,000 students, 7,500 faculty and administrators, brings significant advantages to the economy of the town. 

The Town of Blacksburg is part of the Montgomery County School System. Blacksburg’s public school system is made up of four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The public school system enjoys a reputation for graduating well-prepared students and has a low teacher-to-student ratio, offering each child an opportunity to obtain the best education possible. 

In 2011, Blacksburg was named one of the “Best Places in the U.S. to Raise Kids” by Bloomberg Businessweek. The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metro area was ranked the 7th “Most Secure Small Place to Live in the U.S.” by Farmers Insurance Group in 2014. Blue Ridge Country named Blacksburg a “Best Mountain Town” in 2013. U. S. News & World Report named Blacksburg a Top Ten “Best Affordable Mountain Town for Retirement” in 2010. 

Engineering services are provided to support the public infrastructure of the Town of Blacksburg. These activities support the assurance of safe and reliable drinking water and fire protection, the provision of safe, reliable, and environmentally compliant sanitary sewer systems, the protection of stream water quality, and the provision of safe, efficient, and reliable transportation systems. In addition, engineering provides oversight of private development activities as they relate to extensions of or impacts on the public infrastructure.

The Town of Blacksburg owns, operates, and maintains the public wastewater collection system within the town limits. Wastewater service to the citizens of Blacksburg is a team effort between the Engineering/GIS and the Public Works Departments. The Engineering & GIS Department is responsible for: review and management of capital construction projects; hydraulic capacity evaluations; condition assessments; and construction plans and specifications. The Public Works Department is responsible for: operation, maintenance, and construction activities associated with the existing system. These two departments work together to achieve the common goal of maintaining a reliable, cost-effective, and responsive wastewater collection system.

The town is undertaking several approaches to evaluate more effective ways to operate the wastewater infrastructure as it ages and demands increase. A wastewater work group meets monthly to discuss issues associated with the wastewater infrastructure and seek alternative approaches to providing utility service in the most cost-effective and environmentally progressive way.

Water Distribution System

• The New River Valley Regional Water Authority treats and sells wholesale water to the Town of Blacksburg
• The Town’s water distribution system consists of 177 miles of water mains, 4 pump stations, and 7 water tanks with a total capacity of 6.5 million gallons
• There are 2 primary water distribution systems known as the ‘high’ and ‘low’ systems
• The low system provides water to approximately 75% of the Town of Blacksburg and the entire Virginia Tech campus
• Virginia Tech owns and maintains its own distribution system

Wastewater Collection System

• Wastewater is treated by the Blacksburg-VPI Sanitation Authority treatment plant, located seven miles southwest of the town limits
• The town’s wastewater collection system infrastructure includes more than 165 miles of conventional gravity collection lines ranging in diameters from 8 to 24 inches, several miles of force mains, and 23 conventional sewer pumping stations
• The public system also includes Septic Tank Effluent Gravity (STEG) / Septic Tank Effluent Pumped (STEP) alternative collection systems
  
  

The Town of Blacksburg is an EEO Employer M/F/D/V 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions

• Coordinates with the New River Valley Regional Water Authority and the Blacksburg VPI Sanitation Authority
• Monitors system performance, identifies deficiencies, and recommends improvements to ensure optimal service levels
• Ensures all activities meet federal, state, and local environmental and public health regulations
• Maintains accurate records of infrastructure assets and condition assessments and provides technical assistance to the Public Works department regarding utility infrastructure operation and maintenance
• Conducts engineering studies and provides technical expertise to evaluate the feasibility of proposed or ongoing projects or methods, or to determine solutions to existing field problems
• Prepares or provides guidance to other Town staff or consultants in the preparation of studies, preliminary design, and/or construction and bid documents
• May sign construction plans prepared in-house as the Engineer of Record
• Manages capital improvement projects from concept through completion, including budgeting, scheduling, and contractor oversight
• Coordinates and obtains permits for projects from other agencies that demonstrate compliance with federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations
• Coordinates right-of-way and easement agreements, as required for town projects
• Reviews water and wastewater plans for private development projects
• Completes updates to the Town’s Water and Sewer models, management of available system capacity, and planning for future development needs
• Prepares and makes presentations to Town Council, Planning Commission, other agencies, and community groups as appropriate
• Performs other duties as assigned that support the overall objective of the position

• Comprehensive knowledge of theory, principles, standard methods, and practices of civil and environmental engineering, and working knowledge of geographic information systems in accordance with Town values
• Ability to plan, review, and direct the work of professional and technical subordinates
• Ability to plan projects and prepare related designs, estimates, and specifications
• Ability to perform and evaluate engineering analyses and to make comprehensive recommendations on engineering problems and planning
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and manage multiple projects
• Ability to successfully navigate an environment where public stakeholders, developers, elected and appointed officials have differing views on policy issues and projects
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to listen effectively and understand differing views
• Demonstrated ability to actively participate in a dynamic team of professionals
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town officials, other public officials or representatives, employees, contractors, and the general public

• Demonstrated ability to work successfully in a team environment, functioning for the good of the organization and the community over the individual

• Bachelor of Science in Civil or Environmental Engineering, or related field
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience with water and wastewater distribution systems
• Candidates with 3–5 years of experience who do not hold a Professional Engineer (PE) License will be considered for the Engineer II position, with an annual salary range of $78,731 - $90,437

• Licensure as a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the Commonwealth of Virginia is required. Candidates considered for the Engineer II position must obtain the PE certification within 12 months of hire
• Strong knowledge of hydraulic modeling (WaterGEMS and SewerGEMS), distribution system design, and applicable codes
• Working knowledge of maintaining the water quality of a water distribution system.  Understanding chloramination as a disinfectant is preferred
• Experience with plan preparation using Civil 3D is preferred yet not required
• Knowledge of compliance with water and wastewater distribution programs regulated by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
• Working knowledge of SCADA
• Experience with federal and state grants and funding agencies, including, but not limited to, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VCWRLF, WQIF), Virginia Department of Health (VDH), USDA Rural Utilities Service, and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, is preferred
• Valid driver's license with a satisfactory driving record

• This work requires frequent exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force
• Work regularly requires speaking or hearing, frequently requires standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, and repetitive motions, and occasionally requires using hands to finger, handle, or feel, climbing or balancing, pushing or pulling, and lifting
• Work requires close vision, distance vision, the ability to adjust focus, depth perception, and color perception
• Vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word
• Hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels
• Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, using measuring devices, operating motor vehicles or equipment, and observing general surroundings and activities
• Work occasionally requires wet, humid conditions (non-weather), working near moving mechanical parts, working in high, precarious places, exposure to fumes or airborne particles, exposure to outdoor weather conditions, exposure to extreme cold (non-weather), and exposure to extreme heat (non-weather)
• Work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g., business office, light traffic)

Salary : $86,604 - $99,480