What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant City Engineer position at City of Hutchinson?
Serve the city as the Assistant City Engineer: plan, design, and deliver municipal infrastructure projects while supervising a small engineering team. You'll work across departments, manage consultants and contractors, and present technical recommendations to city leaders. This role balances office design work, field inspections, and public-facing collaboration.
What you'll do (top responsibilities)
- Lead and coordinate engineering projects for roads, bridges, water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
- Prepare, review, and approve engineering plans, specifications, cost estimates, and construction documents.
- Supervise and mentor engineering staff; assign work, monitor performance, and ensure timelines and budgets are met.
- Oversee consultants and construction contractors; perform site inspections to verify compliance with plans and standards.
- Review regulatory and environmental requirements and ensure projects meet state and federal rules.
- Prepare technical reports and present project status and recommendations to the City Engineer, City Council, and stakeholders.
- Respond to public inquiries and collaborate with other city departments to resolve infrastructure issues.
Minimum qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or closely related field.
- 4-6 years civil engineering experience (municipal experience preferred).
- Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Kansas - or ability to obtain PE licensure within 1 year of hire.
- Proficiency with engineering software (e.g., AutoCAD) and familiarity with GIS and project-management tools. (Requirements above drawn from the provided job description.)
Preferred / desirable qualifications
- Current PE in Kansas at time of hire.
- Experience managing municipal public-works projects from design through construction.
- Working knowledge of stormwater modeling, hydraulics, and pavement design.
- Experience preparing grant applications and managing project budgets.
- Master's degree in Civil Engineering or public infrastructure planning (optional).
- Strong record of effective public communication and interdepartmental coordination.
Core competencies (how we'll measure success)
Technical
- Project delivery: meets schedule, cost and quality targets.
- Design proficiency: produces clear, constructible plans and accurate estimates.
- Regulatory compliance: applies codes and environmental rules correctly.
Leadership & interpersonal
- Team supervision: develops staff, delegates effectively, enforces accountability.
- Communication: explains technical issues to elected officials, staff, contractors and the public clearly and respectfully.
- Stakeholder management: negotiates and resolves conflicts with minimal escalation.
Working conditions & physical demands (summary)
- Primarily office-based with regular field inspections in variable outdoor conditions.
- Occasional evening or weekend meetings and site visits.
- Ability to walk uneven terrain, climb ladders, and wear PPE as required. (Full physical demands are detailed in the job description.)
The City of Hutchinson employs over 400 employees that serve our community every day. City employees make Hutchinson a great place to live, work, and play. We take pride in our work, and it shows. Come be a part of a workforce that makes a difference! We're always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team.
The City of Hutchinson is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status
All employees will be asked to consent to background and drug screening prior to starting employment.
Salary : $68,557 - $94,245
