SENIOR CIVIL ENGINEER
New Today
Location : 1 Civic Center Drive San Marcos, CA
Job Type: Full Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2025 - 54
Department: Development Services
Opening Date: 07/17/2025
Closing Date: Continuous
FLSA: Non-Exempt
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
Join the City of San Marcos Land Development Division as the Senior Civil Engineer and shape its emerging community.
Be a key player on City review and coordination of inspiring, fast-paced, and challenging development projects including high-rise residential structures, walkable streets alive with unique businesses and services, and active transportation improvements city-wide. Your contributions will shape a city that serves generations to come.
Hiring Incentive: San Marcos offers competitive benefits, including a $10,000 Hiring Incentive for the Senior Civil Engineer, payable upon successful completion of a satisfactory 6-month performance evaluation.
Learn more about the culture and the team at San Marcos by watching this video
THE POSITION
Project Involvement: Collaborate on major city projects including North City developments, San Marcos Boulevard revitalization, and a mixed-use artistic development in the Marcos Specific Plan area.
City-wide Collaboration: Work closely with Traffic, Building, Planning, and other City departments on a wide range of development projects from single-family homes to large-scale commercial and mixed-use developments.
Technical Review & Oversight: Conduct and oversee reviews of grading plans, public improvements, subdivision maps, and technical studies (e.g., stormwater, soils, drainage, traffic, CEQA).
Engineering Leadership: Support project engineers through the entitlement process, offering technical guidance and helping resolve complex design challenges from planning through construction.
Public Representation: Represent the Land Development Division at Planning Commission and City Council hearings, presenting engineering-related information and recommendations.
Standards & Policy Guidance: Provide expertise on engineering standards and advise on updates to City policies and regulations to align with industry and legal requirements.
Team Leadership & Mentorship: Supervise and mentor junior staff, promote a collaborative and solution-oriented culture, and support the Principal Civil Engineer in managing workload and resolving technical issues.
Click to read the full job description and learn more about the Senior Civil Engineer position.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
You are a highly-experienced project engineer with deep technical expertise in reviewing grading and public improvement plans, subdivision maps, and a wide range of technical studies including flood analyses, stormwater quality documents, soils reports, drainage studies, traffic impact analyses, and CEQA documents. With a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach, you assist in tackling complex engineering challenges through collaboration and partnership. Known for being responsive, accountable, and dependable, you build trust with both the community and customers. You value and foster a strong, positive working culture, setting the tone for professionalism and service excellence. As a committed mentor, you actively support the growth and development of junior staff, cultivating a team environment rooted in support and continuous learning. You uphold and enhance the San Marcos legacy of customer service with creativity, respect, and a focus on building productive, lasting relationships.
WHY CHOOSE US?
San Marcos welcomes you to this exciting next step in your career! While you are building upon your engineering legacy with us, we support you:
Enhanced Quality of Life.
We know work-life balance is key. Enjoy a rewarding career with flexible work arrangements, while making a lasting impact on the safety, mobility, and livability of our community. We offer flexible scheduling and hybrid work options to support your productivity and well-being. We are open to creating a schedule that works for you.
Time to Make a Difference, and Time for Yourself.
If you are looking to balance your professional development with personal commitments, we want to hear from you. San Marcos is open to supporting your contributions with flexible arrangements. Let us learn about you- we are open to meeting your needs.
Fulfilling and Meaningful Work, Built to Last.
You've achieved a level of professional success, and you're driven by work that moves you and that positively impacts the community. . Excitement is building in San Marcos- be a part of it.
The Right Perks
- Earn a competitive salary
- Our 9/80 work week means you'll have every other Friday off, and we're open to creating a schedule that works for you
- Eligible for the City's remote work policy
- Gain generous health benefits (all medical premiums employer paid at 90%)
- Enjoy ample time off (14 paid holidays, vacation and sick leave)
- Participate in the CalPERS retirement system (Classic members 2% @ 55, PEPRA members 2% @ 62) and Social Security
CONTACT US
Think you might be interested? Would you like to learn more about this position? Call, email, or grab a coffee with us at a time that works for you- San Marcos is a great place to be, and we'd love to tell you more about it. We're happy to discuss any questions or interest you may have, so please reach out and schedule a time to talk with our team: Kyrenne Chua, Principal Civil Engineer, kchua@san-marcos.net.
If you are ready to join a team that welcomes fresh ideas - and empowers you to put them to work in a city that is hitting its stride - we'd love to hear from you.
Recruitment Timeline:
APPLICATION PERIODApplications will be accepted beginning July 17, 2025OPEN UNTIL FILLEDThis recruitment will accept applications on a continuous basis and will be open until filled.FIRST APPLICATION REIVEWThe first review of applications will be held on the week of August 25, 2025. Selected candidates will be contacted when the first interview date has been established.FIRST INTERVIEWSTentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 9th SECOND INTERVIEWSTentatively scheduled for Tuesday, September 16th
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
Click to read the full job description and learn more about the Senior Civil Engineer position.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in civil engineering or an engineering-related field is preferred. However, equivalent experience, certification, licensure and/or education from an accredited college or university will be considered in lieu of a degree.
ExperienceFive years of responsible experience in civil engineering, with two years of experience leading staff and/or supervising projects. Municipal or public agency experience preferred.
License or Certificate
Possession of an appropriate, valid driver's license with satisfactory driving record.
Possession and maintenance of a valid certificate or registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of California.
Holidays - The City observes fourteen (14) paid holidays that include eleven (11) specifically designated days and three (3) floating holidays.
Vacation Leave - A new employee will accrue eighty (80) hours of vacation per calendar year for the first two years of service, one hundred, twenty (120) hours for years three through five, one hundred, sixty (160) hours for years six through ten and two hundred (200) hours after eleven years. Vacation accrual begins immediately; however, a new employee is not eligible to take vacation leave until the completion of six (6) months of service with the City.
Sick Leave - A new employee will earn ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave each year.
Bereavement Leave - Employees are eligible to use up to 40 hours of bereavement leave per fiscal year.
Group Health Insurance Program - A new employee will become a member of one of the City's group health plans (Aetna HMO, Aetna AVN HMO, Aetna PPO, or Kaiser HMO) effective the first day of the month following their date of hire. Per current MOU the City will pay 90% of the health care premium and employees will pick up 10% of the premiums of the plan they select.
Voluntary Dental/Vision Insurance Programs - The City offers two voluntary dental insurance programs, an HMO program and a PPO Program, as well as a voluntary vision insurance program.
Section 125 Flexible Spending Account - All employees are eligible to participate in the City's Section 125 Flexible Spending Account plan administered by Benefit Coordinators Corporation (BCC). This is an IRS-approved plan which enables you to have withheld from your paycheck an amount to cover eligible dependent care, and certain eligible medical expenses without being subject to federal income or social security tax on the income used to pay for these benefits.
Retirement - The City participates in both the Social Security (FICA) and the California Public Employees' Retirement Systems (CalPERS). The City currently contracts with CalPERS for the 2% at 55 benefit formula, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for CLASSIC members and 2% at 62, Post-Retirement Survivor Allowance, and 3 year average final pay for PEPRA (new) members. Employees will contribute 7% or 6.5% towards CalPERS, depending whether a classic or new member
Retiree Health Savings (RHS) - All employees participate in a Retiree Health Savings plan through the ICMA Retirement Corporation.
Additional Benefits - The City offers additional benefits such as short and long-term disability, group life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, employee benefit allocation program and workers' compensation insurance.
01
The following licensure requirement is applicable to this position: Possession of a valid California Certificate of registration as a Professional Civil Engineer is required. Do you meet this verifiable requirement at time of application?
- Yes
- No
02
The experience requirement for this positions includes: Five years of increasingly responsible, professional civil engineering experience, including two years of project management, administrative, and/or supervisory responsibility. Do you meet this verifiable requirement at time of application?
- Yes
- No
03
Describe your experience in processing private entitlement projects; preparing, presenting, and answering technical questions at public forums such as Planning Commission and City Council; and, reviewing construction drawings, subdivision maps, legal descriptions, plats, and technical studies and reports.
04
What specific area (such as geotechnical, hydrology and hydraulics, water quality and hydromodification, subdivisions of land, or surveying) would you describe as your primary strength within the civil engineering realm? Please describe in detail your experience in this realm.
05
Describe your supervisory, training, and/or mentoring experience. Include the dates, durations, and number of employees as well as your responsibilities for each.
06
Do you have experience working for a municipality, utility, or other public agency? Please describe it, or alternately, please explain how your career experience has prepared you for a public agency role.
Required Question
- Location:
- San Marcos
- Job Type:
- FullTime