What are the responsibilities and job description for the Conservation Engineering Technician position at Douglas County (WI)?
The Engineering Technician is responsible for the administration of conservation programs in collaboration with the County Conservationist to address local land and water resource priorities as identified in the Douglas County Land and Water Resource Management Plan.
The Engineering Technician serves as the department’s technical lead for planning, investigating, providing engineering design, and construction oversight for conservation practices such as wetland restoration, streambank & shoreline restoration, and various agricultural BMPs.
The position develops landowner cost-share agreements, administers cost-share funds, and coordinates cost-share reimbursement from the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The position works in collaboration with the zoning department to administer the NR-135 non-metallic mining program, and to develop or review shoreland & impervious surface mitigation plans.
Technical assistance may also be provided to other County Departments and other units of government, such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Wage is based on the 2026 scale: $27.89 - $30.09 per hour. FLSA status: exempt. Full-time based on 40 hours per week.
Douglas County offers a competitive benefits package including, but not limited, to:
- Annual wage increase based on eligibility
- Paid, on-the-job training and advancement opportunities
- 85% county contribution to health and dental premiums
- Health Saving Account (HSA) available to all employees enrolled in the county's medical plan, with annual contributions provided by the employer and the health plan
- Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)- One of the leading retirement systems in the nation- Contributions are paid according to current year rates set by Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds (refer towww.etf.wi.govfor further detail)
- County paid life insurance policy with coverage equivalent to annual salary (affordable Supplemental, Additional, and Spousal/Dependent life insurance available at employee’s expense)
- Competitive paid time off including vacation, sick time, personal days and holidays
- Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifying employer
The employee agrees to represent the County in providing the following assistance to the general public, Douglas County Land and Water Conservation Department (LWCD) staff, other staff, and partnering agencies to solve soil and water conservation problems involving conservation planning, engineered and non-engineered practices:
- Assists with group meetings of landowners, land users, contractors, developers, private consultants, staff, agencies, officials, and others for the purpose of familiarizing them with scope of work, programs, regulations, and standards and specifications for engineering and non-engineering work.
- Follows priorities and schedules appropriate engineering assistance. Provides follow-up on planning and engineering requests and independently provides engineering assistance.
- Coordinates technical assistance, completes surveys, designs, construction layouts and construction inspection of complex engineering practices within appropriate job approval.
- Provides As-Built documentation for engineered conservation practices.
- Checks designs completed by other staff, independent contractors, private individuals and agencies for conformance to the standards contained in NRCS Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG), and state and federal policy. Approves engineering designs and construction, all within assigned job approval authority.
- Prepares templates, prepares bids, plans, and designs for projects following department standards.
- Assists with preparing and administering grant applications and other funding requests as directed.
- Administers annual cost-share funding, develops cost-share agreements, and seeks state reimbursement in collaboration with County Conservationist.
- Continually works towards earning higher job approval authority as delegated by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).
- Utilizes AutoCAD, ArcGIS Pro, Autodesk Civil 3D, Wisconsin Engineering and other computer engineering applications to accomplish tasks and assist other staff in planning, engineering and design.
- Attends and assists with training by/for other staff and other agencies in all aspects of surveying, design, construction and documentation.
- Assists with the Farmland Preservation Program and other LWCD mandated programs.
- Assists as liaison between the County Zoning Department and the LWCD.
- Ability to provide erosion control, shoreland restoration and stormwater runoff guidance to county landowners in a variety of settings.
- Ability to review Non-Metallic Mining Reclamation plans and related documents.
- Conduct site inspections and certify reclaimed areas have met requirements in Wisconsin Administrative Code NR135 and the Douglas County Nonmetallic Mining Reclamation Ordinance annually in coordination with Zoning Dept.
- There is significant interaction with a wide variety of agencies, organizations, media representatives, teachers, youth program volunteers, landowners, elected officials and the general public; therefore, effective verbal and written communication skills, including: group facilitation, motivational skills, collaboration with a diverse group, public speaking or one-on-one contacts with co-workers, youth educators, elected officials, landowners and the general public are required.
- Performs all duties in a manner that consistently demonstrates fairness, cooperation and respect towards co-workers, office visitors and all others in the performance of official business. Maintains productive relationships with co-workers, other agencies, consultants and contractors, citizen groups, and all other stakeholders
- Assists in information and education events.
- Works the regular Douglas County Full time schedule for the Douglas County Land Conservation Department. Full time is 40 hours per week (2080 annually).
- Other duties as assigned.
*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
- Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management, Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, or related field with emphasis in the technical aspects of conservation engineering, practice and design.
- Three (3) years field experience in soil and water conservation, resource management or related field.
- Experience with field equipment such as laser levels, transits, total station survey equipment, and other types of survey equipment.
- Demonstrated Proficiency in AutoCAD, ArcGIS and GPS programs and methods.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Experience processing financial tasks and managing budgets.
- Must possess a valid state driver's license and a clean driving record.
- Any combination of education and experience that provides equivalent knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Required Knowledge & Competencies
- Excellent oral and written communication skills are needed to effectively interact with clients, government agencies, tribal officials, partners, elected officials, and the public.
- Collaborates effectively with colleagues, contributes to group efforts, and fosters a cooperative and supportive work environment to achieve common goals.
- Basic environmental engineering skills as they apply to resource management.
- Demonstrated competency in the use of computer-aided design tools and software such as Auto CAD, ArcGIS, hand levels, total station, GPS units and various other types of survey equipment.
- Ability to read and understand LiDAR, topographic, soil survey, wetland inventory, floodplain and other land information tools.
- Ability to use technical models such as APLE-Lots, PLET, & Model my Watershed to analyze conservation practice effectiveness.
- Knowledge of NRCS conservation practice standards and specifications.
- Survey experience and demonstrated use in conservation practice design.
- Demonstrated ability to understand and apply technical standards and specifications.
- Ability to independently provide technical project-level oversight.
- Demonstrated ability to determine feasible solutions to soil and water resource concerns.
- Knowledge of basic accounting principles and mathematical processes.
- Ability to follow annual work plan, track project budgets, provide financial and activity reports relating to Douglas County projects and activities.
- Excellent time management skills are required to independently prioritize workload and complete all project documentation necessary to meet engineering and cost-share requirements.
- Ability to prepare contracts, bids, plans, and designs for projects following department standards.
- Facilitate group meetings with landowners, contractors, partner agencies, the public and others in various contexts including conservation program administration, educational events and individual project management.
- Incumbent must maintain productive working relationships with colleagues & community members.
- Takes responsibility for actions and decisions, follows through on commitments, and ensures tasks are completed accurately and on time.
- Demonstrates a strong desire to achieve goals, seeks continuous improvement, and strives for excellence in all endeavors
- Willingness to learn and understand Douglas County Conservation Department programs, guidelines and policies with respect to functions performed.
- Maintain mental alertness, neatness, and dependability.
- Ability to fulfill the physical, sensory, and cognitive demands of the job.
Working conditions
- This position operates in field and office environments in a variety of weather conditions.
Physical requirements
- While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, stand, walk, grasp, see, and use repetitive motions.
Testing Requirements
Testing may be administered to assess skills and abilities necessary to perform the essential duties of this position. Structured interview, references and/or background investigation.
Douglas County is an Affirmative Action /Equal Opportunity Employer.
Salary : $28 - $30