About the Department
This City’s Building Division provides oversight and assistance towards the City's growth and development in relation to construction activity on private property within the City. The goal is to ensure the safety of buildings and to support the health and wellbeing of all persons living and working in San Jose through the implementation of the State of California’s current building codes and laws.
The Division is committed to developing, maintaining, and continually improving the quality of services and the customer experience with the goals mentioned above and the successful applicant will recognize and value these goals and qualities while striving to achieve the objectives and tasks of the classification as listed below.
The Division is seeking applicants for the Associate Engineer classification within the Building Plan Review Services section. This is a full-time position and is responsible for supervising and performs the work of staff responsible for providing professional and technical engineering support to the City’s infrastructure projects and the civil, structural and life safety review of plans submitted to the City; supervises and participates in the preparation and review of designs, improvement plans, estimates, specifications, and contract documents for engineering related projects and programs.
Position & Duties – External
Per the City’s COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all new hires to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent an approved medical or religious exemption. “Fully vaccinated” means the employee has received two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Novavax or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson.
Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San José’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.
The salary range for the Associate Engineer classification is $117,979.68 - $149,363.76. All ranges include an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience.
The Department is currently recruiting to fill multiple Associate Engineer (Building) positions in the Plan Review Services Division with duties including, but not limited to:
- Advising professional engineers, architects and others concerning code requirements, engineering and planning problems arising in the preliminary design of buildings and structures.
- Examining plans, calculations and specifications for residential, multi-family, commercial and industrial buildings, including complex major structures for structural adequacy and general compliance with governing laws, codes, ordinances and regulations.
- Making independent engineering analyses on proposed buildings when required to justify the structural safety of design, and applicable electrical and mechanical systems.
- Working closely with and giving information to professional engineers, architects, contractors and the general public regarding building, zoning and general requirements concerning buildings and structures.
- Coordinating effectively with Development Service partners e.g. Planning, Fire Prevention, Public Works, Environmental Services for plan review consistency and streamlining permit process.
- Advising building inspectors on structural, fire and life-safety challenges arising in the field during the construction of a building project.
- Instructing inspectors and technicians in the review of simple building plans.
- Performing observational review of critical structural elements of the projects under construction.
This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.
Competencies
The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.
Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations. (Registration as a Civil Engineer or Architect with the State of California is preferred. Possession of ICC Plans Examiner certification is preferred).
Analytical Thinking - Approaches a problem or situation by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach.
Computer Skills - MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.
Creativity – Addresses objectives and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business; exhibits creativity and innovation when contributing to organizational and individual objectives; seeks out opportunities to improve, streamline, reinvent work processes.
Decision Making – Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.
Planning - Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.
Problem Solving – Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.
Project Management - Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives.
Supervision- Sets effective long and short-term goals based on good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.
Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.
Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.
Qualifications
Education: A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Architectural, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a closely related field (e.g. Construction Management). An EIT certificate is not acceptable as replacement for the required Bachelor’s degree.
Experience: Associate Engineers working in the Building Division as plan reviewers must have four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in professional Civil Engineering work such as, Structural Engineering or Architectural Engineering with at least two (2) years of experience in design and construction of buildings.
Licenses: Possession of a valid State of California driver's license may be required. Other licenses or certifications may be required for positions. (Registration as a Civil Engineer or Architect with the State of California is preferred. Possession of ICC Plans Examiner certification is preferred).
Acceptable Substitution: A Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional engineering or architectural discipline may be substituted for one (1) year of professional engineering or architectural experience.
Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.
Selection Process:
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application, resume and answers to the job specific questions. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to interview.
E-mail will be the default method of correspondence with applicants. To ensure that you receive timely notifications regarding your application status for this recruitment, please enter a primary e-mail address when submitting your application.
You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions in the online application process:
- Please describe your years of progressively responsible experience in professional Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or Architectural Engineering including your years of experience in design and construction of buildings. Specify the years of experience and your employer.
- Please describe your experience for each relevant topic selected above.
- Please describe your experience in non-structural design or plan review (e.g. architectural/life safety, Title 24 energy efficiency, Title 24 disabled accessibility, electrical or mechanical systems etc.).
- Please describe your experience and level of proficiency with MS Office (365) applications: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.
If you have questions about the selection process, please contact Jennifer Oliveros-Ortiz at Jennifer.Oliveros-Ortiz@sanjoseca.gov.
Additional Information
-Link to Benefits
-Link to Department
-Link to California Equal Pay Act
Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.
This position will be open until filled. Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application. Please contact Human Resources at (408) 535-1285, or Human.Resources@sanjoseca.gov if you have any questions.
