Principal Engineer (Project Coordinator)

Salary : $97,582.37 - $162,638.32 Annually

Location : FAIRFAX (EJ32), VA

Job Type: FT Salary W BN

Job Number: 25-01845

Department: Facilities Management

Opening Date: 10/11/2025

Closing Date: 12/5/2025 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade: S32

Posting Type: Open to General Public

Job Announcement

This position manages a large scale of highly complex, and/or high-profile building design projects, projects primarily impact occupied critical structures and associated sub-systems, project identification and development, due diligence, shared infrastructure, financial oversight, design, construction, and handover to operations.

Develops and manages budgets and budget documents for projects as required. May prepare, sign and seal design work, technical studies, etc. as required. Provides management and supervisory oversight as well as lead and develop assigned branch consisting of multiple teams of high-performing licensed mechanical, electrical, structural, etc., engineers (P.E s). Ensures effective management and delivery of on-budget, on time completion of branch s assigned projects which meet using agency requirements and/or overall county goals and strategic plan.

Duties Include

• Directs, coordinates, and manages branch project logistics with multiple agencies, community stakeholders, and project-based matrix organizational teams and resources from a variety of internal and external sources including technical, legal, financial, and other specialty fields.
• Leads a diverse team of project stakeholders in the successful management of assigned projects using team-based approach and supports project efforts by working closely with other departments/agencies, and organizations to determine more effective processes and tools.
• Maintains positive relationships with regulatory and process development agencies.
• Coordinates project designs, schedules and outcomes with regulatory agencies, senior leadership, state and federal organizations, and all other stakeholders and special interest groups.
• Appraises and profiles the associated project risks and phasing to maintain continuity of business, mitigating operational impacts and preventing closure of services/building. Identifies, communicates, and manages all issues and risks, and develops implements solutions to correct applicable revisions.
• Communicates project status to internal and external project team members, stakeholders, and others timely and accurately.
• Responds to information requests from elected and appointed officials. Is FMD technical expert for coordination, response, resolution, and design of complex engineering solutions for existing, occupied, critical commercial structures.
• Prepares and makes presentations to boards and commissions, as required. This position description is not intended to be all inclusive.
• Employees may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing business needs of the organization.
  
  

Note: This position is designated as Emergency Service Personnel, the employee in this position must fulfill emergency services duties.

Employment Standards

Minimum Qualifications

(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in urban/regional planning, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, or a related field, and six years of progressively responsible experience in or affiliated with land planning and/or redevelopment, engineering or architecture, or management of large and complex construction or maintenance projects.

Certificates And Licenses Required

• Valid driver's license
• Professional Engineer License (PE) in the Commonwealth of Virginia or PE license in another state with ability to obtain reciprocity within 6 months in Commonwealth of Virginia.
  
  

Necessary Special Requirements

The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and driving record check to the satisfaction of the employer.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Mechanical, Electrical, or Structural Engineer License in Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited University in Engineering.
• At least 10 years' experience in the engineering and design industry, with at least 3 years in a leadership role as a senior engineer or principal in leading commercial building MEP design and strategy for public facilities.
• Experience delivering effective and persuasive presentations on commercial building critical subsystem replacement project documents and information to employees, clients, top management and/or public groups.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken.
• Proven track record of 3 years of experience in a leadership role as a senior professional engineer or principal leading and managing teams of mechanical, electrical, and structural professional engineers in the study, assessment, design, permit, and construction administration of commercial building critical subsystems replacements.
• 3 years of experience as the primary professional engineer leading, developing, reviewing, and approving commercial building critical subsystem replacement assessments, studies, design, permit, and construction projects (over $2M).
• 3 years of proven experience and track record in leading conversations and directing the execution and prioritization of projects with executive level staff.
• 3 years of experience directly supervising and accountable for a team of 4 professional engineers in the execution of design, permit and construction administration of commercial building subsystems and subsystems replacement.
  
  

Physical Requirements

Ability to hear normal building equipment and construction alarms and verbal warnings on active construction sites and occupied buildings. Ability to produce handwritten and electronic typed documents. Able to safely climb construction ladders up to 15 feet or more per floor with the potential of multiple floors and able to go up and down stairs for multi-story buildings of at least 12 stories. Dexterity to use hand tools. Must be able to physically negotiate rough terrain and typical construction sites to perform field inspections at project construction sites or potential sites for future initiatives. Ability to, access tight spaces, crawl, reach, lift up to 25lbs, push 25lbs, etc. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and depth perception. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Selection Procedure

Panel interview and may include exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including ) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. EEO/AA/TTY.

Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees' Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities
  
  

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program:

For additional details please visit the

Non-Merit Positions

• Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.
• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Flexible Spending Program
• Deferred Compensation
• Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.
• No benefits
  

01

What is the highest level of education that you have completed?

• Less than 12th grade
• High school diploma or GED
• Some college
• Associate's degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Doctorate degree
  
  

02

If you answered "Some college" for the highest level of education completed, please indicate the number of quarter or semester hours you have completed towards a degree.

• Less than 45 quarter hours
• 45 to less than 90 quarter hours
• 90 to less than 135 quarter hours
• 135 to less than 180 quarter hours
• 180 or more quarter hours
• Less than 30 semester hours
• 30 to less than 60 semester hours
• 60 to less than 90 semester hours
• 90 to less than 120 semester hours
• 120 or more semester hours
• Not applicable
  
  

03

Please indicate your area(s) of study or major(s)/minor(s) towards a degree. Check all that apply.

• Structural engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Urban planning
• Regional planning
• Architecture
• Landscape architecture
• Other (related field)
• Other (non-related field)
• Not applicable
  
  

04

If you answered "Other (related field)" or "Other (non-related field)" for the previous question, please list all of your majors and minors. If this question does not pertain to you, or you do not have a degree, enter "Not applicable".

05

Did you graduate from an accredited university in Engineering?

• Yes
• No
  
  

06

Do you currently possess a valid driver's license?

• Yes
• No
  
  

07

Do you have a valid Professional Engineer (PE) license in Commonwealth of Virginia or PE license in another state with the ability to obtain licensure in Virginia through reciprocity within 6 months?

• Yes
• No
  
  

08

If you possess a professional engineer license, provide your license number, the expiration date, and the state in which you are licensed. If this is not applicable to you or you do not possess a certification, enter "N/A".

09

Please indicate which of the following engineering discipline(s) your professional engineer license falls under.

• Mechanical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Structural engineering
• None of the above
  
  

10

How many years of full-time equivalent progressively responsible professional experience in or affiliated with land planning and/or redevelopment, engineering or architecture, or management of large and complex construction or maintenance projects do you possess?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine to less than ten years
• Ten years or more
  
  

11

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have in the engineering and design industry?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five to less than six years
• Six to less than seven years
• Seven to less than eight years
• Eight to less than nine years
• Nine to less than ten years
• Ten years or more
  
  

12

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have in a leadership role as a Senior Engineer or Principal in Leading commercial building MEP design and strategy for public facilities?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

13

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have delivering effective and persuasive presentations on commercial building critical subsystem replacement project documents and information to employees, clients, top management and/or public groups?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

14

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have in a leadership role as a senior Professional Engineer or Principal leading and managing teams of mechanical, electrical, and structural professional engineers in the study, assessment, design, permit, and construction administration of commercial building critical subsystems replacements?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

15

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have directly supervising and accountable for a team of Professional Engineers in the execution of design, permit and construction administration of commercial building subsystems and subsystems replacement?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

16

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have as the primary professional engineer leading, developing, reviewing, and approving commercial building critical subsystem replacement assessments, studies, design, permit, and construction projects (over $2M)?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

17

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have as the primary Professional Engineer Leading, developing, reviewing, and approving commercial building critical subsystem replacement assessments, studies, design, permit, and construction projects (over $2M)?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

18

How many direct Professional Engineers reports have you been directly responsible and accountable for supervising at any one time?

• None
• Less than two engineers
• Two to three engineers
• Four to five engineers
• Five or more engineers
• Five or more years
  
  

19

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have leading conversations and directing the execution and prioritization of projects with executive level staff?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four to less than five years
• Five or more years
  
  

20

This position is considered essential personnel for purposes of continuity of operations. Essential personnel will be required to report to work during times designated countywide as approved for unscheduled leave regardless of the emergency (i.e., weather, transportation, other disaster). Are you willing and able to report to work during these situations?

• Yes
• No
  
  

21

Are you willing and able to perform the physical requirements advertised for this position with or without reasonable accommodations?

• Yes
• No
  
  

Required Question