Sr. Project Engineer - Public Works

  • City of Wilmington
  • Wilmington, North Carolina
  • Full Time
The City of Wilmington is hiring a Sr. Project Engineer to support stormwater and street improvement projects within the Stormwater and Streets Management Division. This role involves engineering design, technical review, staff supervision, contract management, and oversight of drainage, street, and sidewalk projects from planning through construction.
The Sr. Project Engineer position requires an individual who is highly motivated, has excellent communication skills, is team-oriented, and has construction administration and management experience. Experience with stormwater management engineering is helpful, but is not a required qualification for this position. The Stormwater and Streets Management Division of the Public Works Department is responsible for the Citys public drainage, street, and sidewalk infrastructure improvements, including in-house maintenance projects, capital projects, and the NPDES Stormwater Permit. Please visit the webpages to learn more!
Compensation & Benefits
The hiring range for this position is $88,132.72 - $104,171.88 annually and is dependent on the selected candidates' qualifications and experience. A comprehensive benefits package includes participation in the Local Government Employees Retirement System and an automatic 4.5% contribution to a deferred compensation plan.

About the Wilmington Community
Wilmington is the eighth largest city in North Carolina and located in New Hanover County. Wilmington is a coastal town and port city situated in southeastern North Carolina and is considered approximately the midpoint of the eastern seaboard of the United States. The city is bordered by the Cape Fear River to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. While having a diverse population of over 126,000, the city is an active business, service and industrial center for the surrounding five-county area with a population of more than 520,606 people area-wide.

Forbes magazine's 17th annual ranking of Best Places for Business and Careers ranked Wilmington 35th out of the 200 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Wilmington earned the title of "Best American Riverfront" in USA TODAY's "10 Best" contest for the Nation's Best Riverwalk in 2014. Serving as economic drivers, prestigious companies such as GE, Corning, Thermo Fisher Scientific, PMG, nCino, Live Oak and Alcami, among others, are drawn to Wilmington due to its educated workforce and favorable tax and regulatory policies. Higher education institutions in the City are represented by the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College. The film industry has also played a large role in the local economy with productions such as Iron Man 3, Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill.

With a beautiful riverfront, nearby beaches and a two-hour drive to the State Capital of Raleigh, Wilmington's location offers plenty of professional, educational and recreational opportunities!

This position manages the administration, budget, design and construction of stormwater and streets capital and in-house projects and provide technical support to the Public Works Department through the following typical duties:
  • Provide engineering, technical, and administrative guidance for various types of drainage capital and in-house improvement projects.
  • Design in-house stormwater, street and sidewalk maintenance projects.
  • Negotiate and administer contracts for design and construction services.
  • Provide fiscal management of capital improvement projects to include preparation of opinions of probable cost, development of alternatives for value engineering; monitoring budgets, negotiation of contract amendments and change orders, and invoicing.
  • Oversee and manage consultants and contractors regarding performance, contract duties, project status, and scheduling.
  • Incorporate design or construction changes into the work product to address unforeseen conditions.
  • Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders throughout the planning, design, and construction of drainage capital improvement projects for administrative and technical input and feedback.
  • Manage the public bid process.
  • Manage public relations and resolve citizen concerns.
  • Chair public information meetings, design coordination meetings, pre-bid meetings, pre- construction meetings, and progress meetings.
  • Represent the City of Wilmington in meetings with regulatory agencies.
  • Author technical specifications and develop or improve construction details.
  • Assist in updates to the Technical Standards and Specifications Manual.
  • Participate on various internal and external committees.
  • Pursue continuous professional development.
  • Supervision to multiple inspection and technical staff, including but not limited to the CCTV camera crew.
Education and Experience
  • Bachelors degree in civil engineering or closely related program from an accredited university and five years of increasingly responsible direct work experience in project management, including all aspects of process development and execution; or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training which provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Required Qualifications
  • Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of North Carolina.
    • Note: Candidates with out-of-state licensure must be able to obtain NC licensure within 6 months of hire date.

  • Class C Drivers License
  • Knowledge of the principles and practices of civil engineering, including public construction, project management, hydrology, and hydraulic design.
  • Knowledge of advanced drafting methods and techniques; proficient use of project management software, Microsoft Office, Civil 3D, ArcGIS.
  • Ability to analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of goals.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Exerting up to 20 lbs. occasionally, 10 lbs. frequently, or negligible amounts constantly OR requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

WORKING CONDITIONS:
This position generally requires work indoors/office setting. Some outdoor work may be necessary for particular events.
Job ID: 485921254
Originally Posted on: 7/18/2025

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