Project Engineer

JOB LOCATION

Aurora, Colorado 80016-2946

City of Aurora, Colorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora, we're growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles, or core values, that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization, guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora, we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of: Integrity, Respect, Professionalism, and Customer Service, and we welcome all who share these values to apply.

Why Work for Aurora?

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

This is classified as VHBE (Variable Hour Benefit Eligible), where the selected candidate can work up to 40 hours per week.  The selected candidate will be eligible to elect Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, accrue paid time off, and receive 11 paid holidays.

The deadline to submit applications is October 4th, 2026. Please note, The City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first come, first-serve basis; as soon as we determine to have a qualified pool of applicants, this position may close quickly and without notice.

Overview of Position:

The Project Engineer position with a specialty in capital project delivery will be responsible for a variety of engineering and technical tasks primarily focusing on supporting the utility's source-of-supply system and associated Operations teams. The source-of-supply system includes multiple reservoirs, tunnels, large-diameter pipelines including the Homestake Water Supply System, Spinney Mountain Reservoir, and Jefferson Lake. The position will also support the proposed Wild Horse Reservoir Project.

Due to the responsibilities of the position, the candidate must reside within a one-hour radius of Hartsel, Colorado (Such as Woodland Park, Breckenridge, Buena Vista, Fairplay, Florissant, Bailey...)

A successful candidate for this position could be brought on at the Project Engineer I, Project Engineer II, or Senior Engineer level depending on the selected candidate's qualifications, skills, and experience. The core responsibilities are consistent across all three levels, with increasing independence, project responsibility, decision-making authority, and technical leadership at each level.

Salary to be commensurate with experience.

Project Engineer I: $41.95 - $52.44 per hour

Project Engineer II: $44.89 - $56.11 per hour

Senior Engineer: $49.70 - $62.13 per hour

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage capital projects supporting Aurora Water's source-of-supply system, including projects related to infrastructure, modeling, master planning, and asset management.

• Review and interpret construction drawings, specifications, engineering reports, and other technical documents for alignment with City standards, codes, and project requirements.

• Manage and coordinate consultants and contractors, including procurement, scope development, scheduling, technical review, and project delivery.

• Collaborate with Operations teams, other City departments, consultants, contractors, and external partners to address engineering and project needs.

• Identify and resolve technical, budget, schedule, coordination, and project delivery issues.

• Communicate technical and project information to internal and external stakeholders.

• Represent Aurora Water in project meetings and other internal and external settings.

• Champion Aurora Water's organizational priorities, initiatives, values, and mission.

Project Engineer I

Independently performs engineering and project management responsibilities within established standards and practices. Coordinates project activities and technical reviews, works directly with consultants, contractors, and internal partners, identifies and evaluates project issues, and develops recommendations or elevates matters requiring broader technical or organizational input.

Project Engineer II

Takes greater ownership of engineering and project delivery activities, independently managing multidisciplinary work and resolving complex technical and coordination issues. Leads procurement and consultant/contractor management, negotiates project scope, fee, and schedule, actively manages project risks, and provides technical guidance to project teams and stakeholders.

Senior Engineer

Provides technical and project leadership for highly consequential engineering initiatives. Sets technical direction, leads significant negotiations and escalated project matters, provides guidance to engineering staff, engages executive and other high-level stakeholders, and helps establish engineering practices, standards, and strategies that strengthen Aurora Water's overall capital delivery program.

The listed primary duties and responsibilities are not a comprehensive list of expectations for the job. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that demonstrates required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Education:

• Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, or directly related field from ABET accredited program

Minimum Experience:

• Project Engineer I: Four (4) to six (6) years of relevant experience performing engineering calculations and performing project management.
• Project Engineer II: Six (6) to eight (8) years of relevant experience performing engineering calculations and performing project management.
• Senior Engineer: More than eight (8) years of relevant experience performing engineering calculations and performing project management.

Preferred Experience:

• Prior municipality/utility experience.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado or ability to obtain via reciprocity within 6 months.
• Colorado driver's license with a good driving history
• Professional Project Manager (PMP) considered a plus

Knowledge:

• General proficiency in MS Office products
• Knowledge of geographical information systems (GIS), ProjectMates, scheduling software (i.e. MS Project or similar) considered a plus

Abilities:

• Ability to take on tasks and manage successful completion of those tasks
• Ability to manage and prioritize workload
• Ability to learn, document and apply technical criteria
• Ability to read, review, and write technical documentation
• Ability to procure and manage contractors/consultants
• Ability to effectively communicate with supervisor, teammates, contractors, and/or consultants
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with City employees, officials, and the general public
• Ability to accept feedback graciously and learn from prior experiences

Skills:

• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Exemplary technical writing and reading skills
• Motivation, ability, and perseverance for daily duties
• Ability to effectively manage a high-volume workload with multiple competing deadlines
• Teamwork
• Professionalism
• Positive attitude

Competency Requirements:

• High energy, positive "can do" attitude with a high level of accountability for driving results
• Strong focus on customer needs and approachability
• Undisputed integrity and trust
• Excellent problem solving and communication skills
• Ability to effectively deal with change and ambiguity
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively build relationships and manage conflict
• High learning agility, driven to continuously develop existing and new skills
• Ability to work effectively within and to contribute to a team approach

WORKING CONDITIONS

Essential Personnel:

When a local announcement of emergency or disaster is declared by the City, all City of Aurora employees may be required to work as essential personnel.

Physical Demands:

• Sedentary physical work requiring the ability to lift a maximum of 10 pounds
• Occasional lifting, carrying, walking, and standing
• Vision sufficient to read computer screens, printouts, and related documents
• Dexterity to operate a computer system and other related equipment
• Speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and residents
• Endurance sufficient to sit and work at a computer for long periods of time
• Occasional hand/eye and hand/foot coordination for inspection of equipment and facilities
• Rarely performs activities requiring a full range of body movement including bending, stooping, kneeling, pushing, pulling, and climbing
• Hearing/listening to identify issues

Work Environment:

• Primarily works in a clean, comfortable environment
• The work environment will include field visits to Aurora Water facilities (reservoirs, pipelines, pump stations, tunnels, facilities, etc.)
• This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule, requiring a minimum of two days per week in the office. Office location could be in Aurora, Colorado or near Buena Vista, CO.
• This position is stationed out of, or near, Park County, Colorado. Candidate must reside within one-hour of Hartsel, Colorado.

Equipment Used:

• This position may require the incumbent to occasionally use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle, cell phone, tools, etc.) during their employment.

The city of Aurora will implement furlough days (unpaid days off) for most employees in 2026. The scheduled furlough dates are January 16, April 10, July 2, and December 24.

For Veterans preference: Please show all of your employment history, including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.

The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer. We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants. It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, creed, national origin, disability or military status, gender identity, unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Despite the changes in Colorado law, the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace. A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.

Drug Testing, Thorough Criminal Background Check, and Employment References:

As a condition of employment, all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check.

Applicants selected for safety-sensitive positions are required to complete and pass a drug screening as a condition of employment. Safety sensitive positions include Civil Service positions within Police and Fire Departments and positions where their job responsibilities have direct and substantial responsibility that would impact the health and safety of others.

Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.