Job Title: Town Engineer
Department: Department of Public Works
Contract/Grade: Personnel Policies (non-union), Grade 13
Compensation: Pay range $99,279 - $134,026. Actual salary dependent on qualifications.
FLSA Status: Full Time – Exempt
Start Date: Position available July 1, 2026
1. Nature of Work: The Town Engineer provides professional engineering expertise and essential technical support across all divisions of the Department of Public Works (DPW), as well as supplemental support to other Town departments, boards, and committees. Work includes planning, design, review, inspection, administration, and coordination of municipal infrastructure projects.
2. Supervision Required: Works under the general direction of the Director of Public Works with considerable independence in carrying out assigned duties.
3. Supervision Responsibility: May provide functional direction and technical guidance to DPW staff, contractors, consultants, and interns. May serve as Acting DPW Director as needed.
4. Confidentiality: Has regular access at the departmental level to a wide variety of confidential information, including personnel records, client records, criminal records/investigations, and collective bargaining negotiations in accordance with the State Public Records Law.
5. Accountability: Responsible for the accuracy, quality, timeliness, and compliance of engineering work products, inspections, reviews, and recommendations. Errors may result in financial loss, regulatory non-compliance, safety risks, or public dissatisfaction.
6. Judgment: Guidelines only provide limited guidance for performing the work. They may be in the form of administrative or organizational policies, general principles, legislation, or directives that pertain to a specific department or functional area. Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The employee is recognized as the department or functional area's authority in interpreting the guidelines, determining how they should be applied, and in developing operating policies.
7. Complexity: Work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques, and practices relating to an administrative field. Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work; assessing services and recommending improvements; planning long-range projects; devising new techniques for application to the work; and recommending policies, standards, or criteria.
8. Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings.
9. Nature and Purpose of Public Contact:
Regular contact with residents, Town staff, elected officials, boards, committees, consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies to provide technical information, respond to inquiries, explain engineering concepts, and represent the Town’s interests.
10. Occupational Risk: Duties generally do not present occupational risk with only occasional exposure to risk or stress. A minor injury could occur, however, through employee failure to properly follow safety precautions or procedures. Examples of injury include minor bruises from falls, minor cuts or burns, or minor muscular strains from lifting or carrying heavy equipment or materials.
11. Essential Functions: The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.
1. Responsible for providing engineering support to all DPW divisions, including the Water Department.
2. Prepare and review RFPs, technical specifications, bid documents, and project scopes.
3. Provide general engineering consultation for infrastructure improvement projects to improve project accuracy, reduce change orders, and minimize construction inefficiencies.
4. Design small-scale drainage improvement projects and oversee in-house construction where feasible.
5. Review plans to mitigate flooding and improve stormwater management.
6. Serve as Acting DPW Director when necessary to ensure continuity of operations. Provide leadership support for capital planning, budgeting, and interdepartmental coordination. Support succession planning and organizational development within the DPW.
7. Perform construction inspection and project administration for DPW infrastructure projects, including drainage improvements, water main replacements, sidewalks, and paving.
8. Ensure contractor compliance with Town standards, plans, and specifications.
9. Enhance quality control while reducing inspection costs associated with outside consultants.
10. Review engineering plans and issue DPW comments for internal projects and external applications before boards such as the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals.
11. Coordinate closely with Planning, Conservation, and other Town departments. Supplement (but not replace) peer review analyses conducted by Planning Department engineering consultants.
12. Identify and pursue applicable state and federal infrastructure grants, assist with grant writing by preparing technical analyses, cost estimates, and conceptual designs, and coordinate grant-funded projects and ensure compliance with grant requirements.
13. Provide engineering expertise and technical presentations to Town boards and committees as needed, including but not limited to the Selectboard, Planning Board, Highway Safety Advisory Committee, and Coastal Resiliency Task Force.
14. Assist with short- and long-term DPW organizational initiatives, including: Revising the Street Opening Permit process, developing engineering standards and typical construction details, standardizing procedures, documentation, and policies across DPW divisions, implementing a DPW work order system, improving record-keeping, asset management, and GIS integration and evaluating plow routes and developing GIS-based snow and ice management maps
12. Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related engineering field required. Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible civil engineering experience, preferably in municipal public works, infrastructure, or related public-sector engineering. Experience with the planning, design, review, and construction oversight of public infrastructure projects such as roadways, drainage systems, water utilities, sidewalks, and stormwater facilities. A combination of education, experience, and training can be considered if it is demonstrated that the required knowledge, skills, and abilities have been achieved. Experience working with contractors, consultants, regulatory agencies, and municipal boards preferred.
Preferred special Requirements: Registration as a Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is required, or the ability to obtain Massachusetts licensure within a specified timeframe.
13. Knowledge, Abilities and Skill
Knowledge:
- Thorough knowledge of civil engineering principles and practices as applied to municipal public works infrastructure.
- Knowledge of drainage design, stormwater management, MS4 regulations, and environmental permitting.
- Knowledge of construction methods, materials, inspection practices, and project administration.
- Familiarity with Massachusetts procurement laws, public bidding requirements, and contract administration.
- Working knowledge of capital planning, asset management, and grant-funded infrastructure projects.
Abilities:
- Ability to analyze complex engineering problems and develop practical, cost-effective solutions.
- Ability to interpret and review engineering plans, specifications, and technical reports.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize work effectively.
- Ability to communicate technical information clearly to non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a municipal environment.
- Ability to exercise sound professional judgment in regulatory, operational, and public-facing matters.
Skills:
- Skill in engineering analysis, technical writing, and preparation of reports, plans, and specifications.
- Skill in construction inspection and quality control.
- Skill in using engineering and office software, including CAD, GIS, and Microsoft Office applications.
- Skill in interpersonal communication, customer service, and conflict resolution.
14. Work Environment: Work is performed in a combination of office, field, and meeting environments. Fieldwork may involve exposure to construction sites, roadways, weather conditions, and uneven terrain.
15. Occupational Risk: Moderate risk associated with field inspections and construction sites, including exposure to traffic, construction equipment, noise, dust, and adverse weather. Appropriate safety practices and protective equipment are required.
16. Physical and Mental Requirements:
Position requires sustained concentration, problem-solving, and analytical reasoning. Ability to work under deadlines, respond to emergencies, and handle multiple priorities is required.
16. Physical Skills: Ability to stand, walk, climb, bend, and traverse uneven terrain during field inspections. Ability to lift and carry materials or equipment weighing up to approximately 25 pounds.
17. Motor Skills: Requires fine motor skills for computer use, drafting, writing, and operation of office and field equipment. Requires gross motor coordination for field activities.
18. Visual Demands: Requires close visual acuity for reviewing plans, reading reports, and working at a computer, as well as distance and peripheral vision for field inspections and site observations.
