Rev. 4/98

City of San José

SENIOR ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN (3714)

CLASS PURPOSE
Under direction, performs sub-professional engineering, architectural, landscape architectural and electrical work of moderate difficulty in design, drafting, project management, office engineering, and traffic engineering and may supervise a unit of Engineering Technicians. Performs related work as required

 TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESULTS (Any one position may not include all the duties listed, nor do the examples cover all the duties which may be performed)

• Researches and writes engineering specifications and prepares plans; prepares contract documents; obtains bids; inspects construction work in progress; performs final inspections; approves partial and final payments; performs project management.
• Supervises a team of lower level technicians, and schedules jobs according to priority.
• Performs sanitary services system planning.
• Leads a team to prepare traffic engineering studies to install traffic control devices.
• Coordinates the street striping program.
• Process partial and final maps to allow division of land.
• Assigns and supervises work in the preparation of drawings, specifications, and estimates in connection with the construction of municipal buildings, subdivisions or other major project improvements; reviews plans and specifications for engineering and/or architectural soundness and conformance to established standards; consults with public and private engineers, architects, contractors and subdividers relative to proposed buildings, streets, curbs, gutters, and sanitary sewers; makes up cost estimates and computes engineering and inspection fees and storm and sanitary sewer acreage fees; prepares necessary resolutions, contracts, and bonds to accompany subdivision and building plans for final approval.
• Plans and supervises traffic studies, and reviews findings and recommendations; supervises and participates in the design and location of traffic control devices; maintains traffic engineering records, and prepares required Federal and State reports.
• May participate on a survey team; adjusts and maintains survey instruments; makes maps and prepares descriptions.
• Prepares consultant agreements.
• Participates in land acquisition, including research of deeds and maps; preparing maps; writing property descriptions; preparing records of survey; and calculating easement ties.
• Prepares and administers minor and miscellaneous public works contracts to include preparation of plans and specifications, solicitation of bids, award of contract, contract inspection and final inspection and approval of pay requests.
• Prepares plans for construction of water system improvement projects; prepares cost estimates for applicants for water service and collection of related fees; prepares cost estimates and layout of water facilities for new subdivisions; reviews plans for conformance to established water system standards; develops, prepares and maintains water meter reading route maps.
• Prepares and reviews parcel maps and final maps to ensure quality, completeness and conformance to regulations; checks boundary calculations; maintains tracking systems for maps in process; ensures that documents are signed and recorded.
• Gathers information and reviews development plans to ensure that development conforms to City standards; determines public improvements required of developers; conducts on-site field inspections of many of the submittals.
• Analyzes, calculates and collects monies for acreage fees; calculates cost of and issues sewer lateral permits; prepares, processes, and executes City contracts with contractors for installation of lateral permits.
• Initiates contracts to maintain, repair, renew or make additions to City facilities; negotiates contract wit contractor; administers and inspects progress of work; verifies quality of work and approves for payment.
• Writes and modifies programs; operates various electronic calculators and computer programs and systems.
• Performs computerized traffic forecast modeling, including computer service cost estimating, contract preparation, coordination of data compilation, planning of processing sequences; performs computer runs; evaluates output projections; documents processing; maintains unit cost for modeling operations and maintains large network data base.
• Prepares avigation easements; reviews actions of the Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commission; contacts owner/developer regarding preparation of easement; assigns individual project research and applies legal description and computation for the easement; ensures proper recording of the document.
• Develops sewer service and use charges in accordance with State and Federal regulations; computes billing based on effluent flow and content; advises technical staffs of two cities and five sanitary districts on the allocation of their share of plant costs.
• Designs complete electrical systems for traffic signals and associated electroliers, consisting of traffic signal standards, luminaries, vehicle signal heads, mounting hardware, conduits and conductors, pull boxes, controller cabinets and locations, and specific type of service for various loads.
• Executes architectural, structural, site, mechanical, and electrical drawings; prepares contract specifications; oversees, controls and guides major areas of a project.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
   This class differs from the next higher level class of Principal Engineering Technician in that incumbents of the latter class supervise a technical unit and are responsible for work of greater scope.
   This class differs from the next lower class of Associate Engineering Technician in that incumbents of the latter class are supervised by a Senior or Principal Engineering Technician, or a professional engineer.

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of mathematics, including algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
• Knowledge of principles, techniques, and terminology of drafting
• Knowledge of principles, techniques, and terminology of civil, traffic, mechanical, electrical engineering, and/or architecture.
• Knowledge of engineering and/or architectural practices.
• Knowledge of principles, techniques, and terminology relating to inspection.
• Knowledge of principles, problems, techniques, and basic instruments used in taking cross-sections, profile, location, topographic and construction layout surveys.
• Knowledge of methods, materials and equipment used in the testing of material.
• Knowledge of building construction methods, materials and equipment.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of supervision.
• Ability to maintain effective public relations with property owners, contractors, and other individuals and groups in the community.
• Ability to write and prepare clear and concise reports.
• Ability to determine quality, materials, and workmanship through inspection and to determine compliance with specifications.
• Ability to use and adjust basic surveying instruments.
• Ability to supervise and train subordinates.
• Ability to perform complex engineering and/or architectural drafting.
• Ability to make engineering computations.
• Ability to use and adjust computing instruments.
• Ability to analyze situations and take the proper action.
• Knowledge and ability to use computer applications and systems.

Competency Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of analytical geometry.
• Knowledge of City bidding procedures.
• Knowledge of City material and construction standards.
• Ability to formulate and write engineering and/or architectural specifications and plans; prepare contract documents; obtain bids; award contracts; inspect work in progress; perform final inspection; and prepare partial and final payment approvals.
• Ability to perform sanitary sewer system planning.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data and City documents, e.g., standards, procedures, policies, etc.
• Ability to conduct and supervise traffic studies.
• Ability to perform engineering calculations and data analysis using computer languages.
• Ability to analyze title reports to determine ownership

Education
   Successful completion of high school, General Educational Development (G.E.D.) Certificate, or California Proficiency Certificate.

Experience
  Six (6) years of increasingly responsible sub-professional engineering/technical support experience of which two (2) years must have been in a position comparable to the level of a City of San José Associate Engineering Technician, Associate Construction Inspector, Instrument Person (in Land Surveying), or close equivalent.

Acceptable Substitutions
   Successful completion of two (2) academic years or sixty (60) semester units of college level engineering technology courses or related field may be substituted for the remaining two (2) years of sub-professional engineering/technical support experience. There will be no substitute for the education requirement.

Licenses and Certificates
  Possession of a valid driver's license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in the State of California.

(5/2/80), (Rev. 4/98)
3714s001.doc