The Lakewood Water District seeks a hands-on, collaborative professional for its new Project Engineer. The Project Engineer works independently under general supervision to provide coordination and oversight over consultant engineering services for the planning, budget development, design, permitting, and public involvement for capital improvement projects. This position works closely with other departments to provide technical support, help troubleshoot water system operations, and provide construction management services. The Project Engineer reports to the General Manager and does not supervise other positions.
Examples of Responsibilities:
Coordinates and reviews studies, plans, specifications, and cost estimates for District capital improvement projects
Coordinates and directs consultants working on the design and construction of District capital improvement projects, participates in and coordinates consultant selection and contract administration
Participates in studies, comprehensive plan updates, project status updates, and engineering department policy decisions, makes recommendations for needed improvements to the physical facilities of the District
Provides technical support to other departments, provides support to field staff in troubleshooting and improving water system operations
Assists with material submittal review, pay estimate preparation and review, provides construction management services including inspection coordination, progress payments, field interpretation, design modifications, and project closeout
Independently performs project site visits, attends offsite meetings, and inspects construction work as needed or required
Manages District grant efforts through their life cycle, including research, application, compliance, and reporting
Successfully prioritizes competing deadlines, schedules, and resources among a variety of stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of projects
Works closely with the Operations & Maintenance Department to ensure projects meet the long-term ownership and maintenance requirements of the District
Coordinates with consultants and other agencies on District improvements included in other agency projects
Provides technical and policy information to the public and developers, meets and consults with citizens, customers, consultants, contractors, developers, outside agencies, complainants, and other stakeholders or interested parties concerning the planning, design, construction, and management of public works projects and other engineering related assignments
Ensures construction records, drawings, and other documentation is maintained and updated throughout project lifecycles and upon completion
Prepares Board reports and provides project status updates as needed
Assists in planning and budgeting capital improvement projects as needed
Performs other duties as required or assigned
Lakewood Water District is offering a salary range for the Project Engineer position of $103,069.76 to $139,144.18, dependent upon experience and qualifications, along with a comprehensive benefits package, including 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees and their qualifying dependents and 13 paid holidays per year.
To apply, please visit https://www.lakewoodwater.org/jobs. The application deadline is July 13, 2025.
Qualification requirements include any combination of education and experience that provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college with a major in Civil Engineering; a current Washington State Professional Civil Engineering Registration (PE) is required
Four to five years of increasingly responsible professional civil engineering experience in the planning, designing, permitting, and construction of public works projects, preferably in the water industry
Formed in 1943, Lakewood Water District is a special-purpose district that is governed under Title 57 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). The District is governed by a three-member Board of Commissioners elected to six-year terms and supported by 35 full-time employees across eight departments. The District’s General Manager provides direct supervision to five senior managers in the areas of Customer Service, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Operations & Maintenance. Lakewood Water District has an annual budget of $26.5 million, with a five-year capital improvement program over $70 million.
The District is a regional water provider with a retail service area of approximately 26 square miles, serving nearly 64,000 residents in Lakewood, Washington, parts of Steilacoom, Tacoma, and unincorporated Pierce County. District boundaries are the area south of the city of Tacoma, east of the town of Steilacoom, and west of Joint Base Lewis McChord. We currently own and operate almost 17,000 service connections, 280 miles of water main, 13 tanks and reservoirs, 35 wells, and seven water treatment facilities. The District is also a wholesale water provider to over ...85,000 additional customers, supplying water to the Town of Steilacoom, Summit Water & Supply Company, Spanaway Water Company, Washington Water Service, and Firgrove Mutual Water Company.