Principal Civil Engineer

Definition

The City of Milpitas is home to family-centered communities that embrace cultural diversity, quality schooling, and conveniently located neighborhood parks and shopping centers. Milpitas has an ethnically diverse array of retail and restaurants, and major regional retail destinations that attract shoppers from beyond the city. With over 40,800 jobs and 39,600 employed residents, Milpitas is a jobs rich community and is often called the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley”. Once a small agricultural town and later a stopover point for travelers between Oakland and San Jose, Milpitas has blossomed into one of the world’s premier computer and semiconductor producers.

To learn more, visit This Is Milpitas .

The ideal candidate for the Principal Engineer position in the Transportation & Traffic Engineering Section will provide technical guidance and expertise on various transportation-related matters, including traffic management, transportation planning and capital improvement projects. We are seeking a team player with professionalism who is comfortable presenting to City Council, Commissions, and Committees as well as developing staff, with five years of increasingly responsible civil engineering experience, including significant supervisory responsibilities.

To fulfill the position responsibilities, general knowledge and experience in the following specific areas is desirable:

• Principles, practices, methods and techniques used in transportation engineering and operations.
• Pertinent local, state and federal laws, ordinances and rules including, the California Vehicle Code, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the MUTCD California Supplement and the Highway Capacity Manual.
• Traffic signal system design including communications, timing plans, controller functions and interconnect system design; signal operations, signal optimization software, analysis of traffic operations, development and maintenance of traffic control inventories.
• Techniques for analyzing and developing signal timing and coordination plans and use of traffic signal operational analysis and timing software.
• Techniques for improving traffic operations and mitigating impacts in neighborhoods and in other areas of the city, and for improving traffic operations and safety on the City's arterial system.
• Regional transportation planning, funding and oversight agencies including the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Air Quality Management District and others as appropriate.

For the complete Job Description, click HERE .

Examples of Duties

The current vacancy is with the Public Works Department in the Transportation & Traffic Engineering Section .

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Lead, supervise, plan, administer, coordinate, and participate in the activities of a major engineering section;
• Provide professional and technical engineering expertise relative to assigned area of responsibility;
• Serve as part of Departments Senior Management team by assisting in development and implementation of Department goals, policies, procedures and priorities;
• Interpret, apply, and prepare revisions as appropriate for relevant codes, ordinances, rules and regulations;
• Develop and administer assigned section budget, administer and/or oversee consultant and other contracts, provide technical review and approval of all payments and billing for contracted services, and track section costs;
• Review and sign engineering drawings, plans, specifications, studies, and reports;
• Coordinate engineering activities with other City departments and divisions as appropriate;
• Manages and implements programs and projects identified in the Trail, Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan and the Citywide Travel Safety Plan.
• Leads the preparation of grant applications from various Federal, State, Regional, and Countywide transportation fund sources, as well as manages the grant administration of various grant funded capital projects to meet grant utilization requirements and project implementation schedules
• Supervises the design, upgrade, construction, operation, and maintenance for the traffic signal systems, communication network, and Transportation Management Center.
• Manages implementation of new traffic signal technology and preparation and implementation of traffic signal timing/coordination plans to optimize multimodal safety and overall traffic efficiency
• Supervises the preparation of master plans, traffic studies, geometric design plans, complete street designs, traffic signal designs, contract drawings, and specifications for transportation system improvements
• Supervises the investigation of traffic related citizen service requests including the determination, communication and implementation of appropriate responses. Confers with property owners, school groups, public officials, and civic organizations regarding traffic issues
• Coordinates with other jurisdictions on regional transportation issues and develops partnerships to support the City’s goals and resolve problems.
• Assists in the planning, environmental clearance, design, and construction coordination of regional transportation projects. Represents the City on regional transportation committees.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Experience:
Five years of increasingly responsible civil engineering experience, including significant supervisory responsibilities. A significant portion of experience with public agencies is highly desirable.

Education:
Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in civil engineering or closely related field.

License or Certificates:

• Registration as a Professional Civil Engineer in the State of California.
• Possession of, or an ability to obtain and maintain, a valid driver’s license from the State of California.

Special Requirements:
Essential duties require the following physical abilities and work environment.
Work is performed primarily in an office environment and at construction sites; extensive use of the telephone, radios, and computers with repetitive keyboarding; ability to walk on uneven ground; and drive to various locations daily. Ability to work safely in a hard-hat construction zone is essential.

Supplemental Information

Oral Board Interviews for this position are tentatively scheduled for the week of August 25, 2025.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
Depending on assignment within the organization, receives direction from the Public Works Director, City Engineer, or Chief Building Official.

Exercises direct and indirect supervision over professional, technical and clerical staff within assigned section.

SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.
Please note: The examination process (including dates) may be changed as deemed necessary by the Human Resources Department. Meeting the minimum requirements listed in this job description does not guarantee advancement in subsequent phases of the selection process.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Incumbents in this position are required to file a Conflict of Interest Statement upon assuming office, annually, and upon leaving office, in accordance with Resolution No. 8833.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Milpitas will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the Human Resources Department.

The City of Milpitas is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

RETIREMENT
Membership in CalPERS (2% at 60 or 2% at 62 with three year average salary). City of Milpitas employees do not participate in Social Security,but do contribute to Medicare.

MEDICAL INSURANCE
Choice of CalPERS Medical Plans. City pays coverage up to the Kaiser rate (currently $2,228.36/mo. for family). Employees who waive health coverage are eligible to receive $125 per month in lieu of medical plan coverage with proof of other coverage.

RETIREE MEDICAL
Employees are eligible upon CalPERS retirement from the City to receive up to 100% retiree medical coverage (currently based on the Kaiser health rate), based on years of service.

DENTAL & VISION
City provides full family coverage for Delta Dental and MES Vision at no cost to the employee.

LIFE INSURANCE
City provides $50,000 term policy. Supplemental employee-paid life insurance is available up to $500,000, based on carrier acceptance.

DISABILITY INSURANCE
City provides a Short-Term Disability plan similar to State Disability Insurance (SDI) coverage. Employees do not participate in SDI. Long-Term Disability coverage of 60% of base salary up to $1,500 per month is available after a 60-day waiting period. Additional buy-up options for LTD are available up to $6,000 per month.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION
City contributes $75 per month on the employee's behalf.

VACATION
Hourly employees earn 11-31 days of vacation and Exempt employees earn 16-36 days of vacation based on years of service.

HOLIDAYS
Employees receive 12 paid holidays and one (1) floating holiday per year.

SICK LEAVE
Employees earn 12 days annually.

TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
Employees are eligible to receive up to $2,000 per fiscal year in tuition reimbursement.

FITNESS PROGRAM
Employeesare offered free access to City-sponsored sports and fitness programs.

The City also offers a flexible spending benefits plan, employee assistance program, and other voluntary insurance. Contact Human Resources (HR) at 408-586-3090 or https://www.milpitas.gov/245/Benefits for more information on employee benefits.

Closing Date/Time: 8/17/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of Milpitas

• 408-586-3090

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