Employment Opportunity – Construction Engineer

Back to Announcements Published on 01/05/2026

The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District is a special purpose government entity providing municipal water and sewer service to neighborhoods throughout a majority of the Lake Whatcom Watershed in Whatcom County, Washington. The District is seeking a Construction Engineer for construction inspection; project management support; and analysis and troubleshooting of water and sewer system operations.

JOB SUMMARY

Assists with construction project administration and field inspection for both private development and District public works projects. Provides other engineering support through development and maintenance of various programs, reports, studies, technical research, and data analyses, such as the District’s Capital Improvement Plan, Water and Sewer Comprehensive Plans, hydraulic modeling, infrastructure mapping using GPS and ArcGIS, cataloging and indexing record drawings, water and sewer system operational data analyses, maintenance program, and customer service.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assists with design and construction project administration;

Performs/coordinates field inspection and quality control testing for both private development and District public works projects to ensure work and materials comply with plans and specifications;
Assists in the development and maintenance of various programs, reports, studies, technical research, and data analyses;
Reviews developer and District consultant-prepared water and sewer plans for compliance with District standards;
Responds to inquiries for information and technical assistance regarding the availability, connection fees, and feasibility of proposed water and sewer installations; researches and provides information regarding existing water and sewer facilities; and issues water/sewer permits;
Assists with other engineering functions such as field data collection, cost estimating, mapping, preparation of public works project bid documents, and serving as contractor or consulting engineer liaison;
Assists in preparing preliminary and final plans for water and sewer developer extension projects and District capital improvement projects;
Assists with development and implementation of the District’s asset management program, including maintaining and continually improving data accuracy, and providing technical support and training to staff;
Collects, maintains, and assists in the development of hardcopy and electronic recording and filing systems for plans, maps, drawings, asset records, and other data;
Computes water and sewer connection charges and associated development fees in accordance with the District’s Master Fees and Charges Schedule for properties requesting sewer and water service;
Assists in operating the District’s SCADA system;
Assists with development and implementation of ongoing preventative and corrective maintenance programs; and
Performs other related duties as required or assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Public works construction contract administration principles, including field inspection, bidding requirements, bonding, insurance, pay requests, dispute resolution, negotiations, change orders, and project closeout;
Technical knowledge and experience with civil infrastructure construction methods, material properties and testing, field inspection documentation, measurement of quantities and schedule tracking using critical path analyses;
Principles of design associated with water and sewer systems;
Operating a personal computer using Microsoft Office suite, AutoCAD drafting software, and ArcGIS geographic information system software;
Reading, understanding, using, and enforcing contracts, schedules, construction drawings and technical specifications;
Creating and maintaining permanent construction project records;
Performing autonomously (self-organized, -motivated, -driven, -directed, and -learner);
Excellent customer service skills, including a demonstrated ability to establish and maintain long-term professional working relationships with contractors, consultant engineers, developers, other agencies, and the general public;
Excellent interpersonal skills, including demonstrated ability to establish and maintain professional and effective working relations with co-workers and supervisors;
Excellent time management skills, including a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines through organizing and prioritizing work in a multi-task and busy work environment with demands from multiple sources and projects;
Excellent planning and coordination skills for scheduling projects and meetings requiring many external agencies, consultants, and contractors, often with short notice;
Professional level technical letter writing; and
Excellent oral communication.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and experience would be:

Experience: A minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible field experience working in or with the construction industry related to construction project management, engineering, field inspections, or related field.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, construction management or related field.

Licenses and Certifications:

Possess and maintain:

Valid Washington State Driver’s License
Current Washington State Engineer-In-Training (EIT) or Professional Engineer (PE) certification highly desired

WORKING CONDITIONS

Primarily performs duties in an office working at a desk using a computer and in the field with exposure to varying degrees of weather and hazards of construction sites. This position may be required to work hours in excess of 8 hours per day or 5 days per week and call-back for emergency situations. This position may be required to attend meetings, travel for training purposes and travel to other government agencies after business hours.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position typically requires climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, lifting, finger dexterity, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. When working in the field the incumbent is subject to exposure to adverse weather conditions, loud noises and hazards from automobile traffic and construction sites.

Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Assigned tasks will require consecutive days of walking on roads, paths, uneven ground, construction sites, undeveloped land, and over/around obstacles for extended periods.

OTHER DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS

Punctual and consistent attendance;
Dress and grooming appropriate to the position;
Safety attire, equipment practices appropriate to the position;
Deal tactfully and courteously with the public; and
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow employees.

SALARY and WORK SCHEDULE

The salary range is $112,882 to $142,834 per year;
Position is eligible for health/dental/vision insurance;
Work schedule will be 40 hours per week; and
Twelve paid District holidays

APPLICATION PROCESS

First review of applications will be on Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Application Form: LWWSD Job Application v.2024
Submit completed application, cover letter, and resume to Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District, 1220 Lakeway Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229 or in PDF format by email to jobs@lwwsd.org.

The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District is an equal opportunity employer. The District employs, retains, promotes, disciplines, and otherwise treats all employees and job applicants strictly on the basis of job-related qualifications and competence. These policies and all employment practices shall be applied without regard to any individual’s sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sexual orientation (including gender identity), pregnancy, age, marital status, military status, disability genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The position is represented by the AFSCME bargaining unit.

This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties to be performed. The employee serving in this position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisors.

This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the District and the employee and is subject to change as the needs of the District and requirements of the job change.