The Senior Project Engineer, Water & Wastewater is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) responsible for leading the delivery of County water and/or wastewater infrastructure projects, including the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport. This position also provides strategic engineering advice to County leadership to help explore regional-scale servicing opportunities, supporting forecasted growth and optimizing any associated County investment decisions. Reporting to the Director of Planning/Chief Planner alongside a working relationship with the General Manager – Engineering, Planning & Environment, the Senior Project Engineer will be a primary member of various inter-departmental teams tasked with delivering specific water/wastewater projects (concept to commissioning) as well as ensuring Simcoe County is informed and strategically positioned to work with the Province and partner municipalities in future water/wastewater matters.
** This is a 3-year Contract **
1. Capital Projects
- Lead delivery of water and/or wastewater projects (planning, design, approvals, procurement, construction, commissioning, and close-out). Projects will include but are not limited to the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport Water/Wastewater System Expansion project and a regional Septage & Leachate Solutions Assessment.
- Undertake, supervise and approve all aspects of project engineering associated with assigned projects.
- Arrange for, direct, and approve pertinent studies, evaluations, design and specifications, surveying, drafting, office services, inspections and testing programs.
- Define project scope, schedule, budget, resourcing, governance, and performance measures; implement project controls and reporting.
- Manage internal teams and/or external consultants, contractors, and stakeholders.
- Review and approve engineering deliverables, drawings, specifications, and cost estimates.
- Oversee value engineering assignments when required to ensure constructability and value.
- Provide construction oversight including site coordination, change management, and deficiency resolution.
- Ensures capital projects are comprehensively considered to ensure risk is minimized to existing infrastructure and treatment processes.
- Coordinate all other related activities, including construction management, to attain project objectives.
- Undertake all necessary procedures to ensure that pertinent projects comply with the Environmental Assessment Act.
- Recommend class and/or schedule environmental assessments for individual projects, attends hearings and provides information as required.
- Maintain compliance with all applicable legislation, standards, bylaws, and County policies.
2. Strategic Advice: Regional Strategies, Master Planning & Growth Servicing
- Provide strategic engineering advice and guidance on regional-scale water/wastewater opportunities that could support forecasted growth.
- Help inform County responses to provincial and/or municipal infrastructure proposals and requests for County assistance in infrastructure service delivery.
- Develop and evaluate alternatives using lifecycle cost, risk, resilience, and operational impacts.
- Prepare briefings and recommendations for senior management and Council.
- Support long-range capital planning, prioritization, and business case development.
3. Innovation & Service Delivery Optimization
- Explore innovative service delivery approaches and project execution models.
- Identify opportunities to improve value-for-money across planning, design, and operations.
- Apply systems thinking to optimize solutions across the servicing chain.
4. Stakeholder, Partner & Regulatory Coordination
- Lead engagement with municipalities, agencies, conservation authorities, and other partners.
- Negotiate, coordinate, and secure all approvals, permitting, and compliance obligations.
- Maintain strong working relationships that support timely approvals and delivery.
- Work with LSRA water/wastewater operator (i.e. OCWA) to review performance, ensure reporting requirements are met, and provide necessary update to the LSRA Board/Council.
5. Financial, Procurement & Contract Management
- Develop and track project budgets, forecasts, and funding requests.
- Support procurement processes and evaluations.
- Administer consultant and construction contracts, ensuring defensible decisions.
6. Leadership, Mentorship & Continuous Improvement
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior staff.
- Support development of standards, templates, and best practices.
- Promote safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
- Represent Simcoe with the province, agencies, local area engineering professionals, development stakeholders, and other associations, as directed.
7. Corporate Responsibility
- Undertake special projects and perform other duties as assigned, in accordance with departmental, divisional or corporate objectives, including redeployment in emergency situations.
- Execute roles and responsibilities with a high degree of tact, expertise and political acuity, in a manner that builds confidence and establishes trust.
- Comply with provincial and County occupational health and safety legislation, regulations, policies and procedures.
- Maintain confidentiality in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
- Other duties as assigned, including redeployment in emergency situations.
Has knowledge of and demonstrated ability in our corporate competencies:
- Acts with the Customer in Mind
- Continuously Seeks to Improve Work Processes
- University degree in Civil Engineering. This job may be considered for educational equivalency in accordance with County Policy.
- Holds a P. Eng designation in good standing.
- Demonstrated understanding of growth-related infrastructure planning and delivery methods and processes.
- Experience in planning, design and construction of municipal infrastructure including water/wastewater treatment facilities, pump stations, trunk sanitary sewers, and water mains.
- Excellent time and project management skills.
- Thorough knowledge of water/wastewater treatment processes, design practices and standards, related codes, regulations, safety acts, tendering/contract process, value engineering and contract administration to work independently.
- Construction management of large working groups which includes Contracts, municipal staff, Plant Operators, and Consultants.
- Experience completing Environmental Assessments and procuring major equipment
- Strong staff leadership and supervisory skills to build enthusiastic staff teams and external partnerships.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and facility with report writing and presentation preparation and delivery.
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills with the ability to also think and act strategically in a political and community service environment.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate with diplomacy and sensitivity with all levels of internal staff, Council, the public, and other stakeholders.
- Thorough working knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, standards, guidelines, and regulations.
- Knowledge of labour relations principles and collective agreement administration would be considered a definite asset.
- Computer literacy utilizing word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database software, related GIS and mapping applications, and the Internet.
- Class G Driver’s License in good standing and reliable vehicle to use on corporate business.
- Criminal records check that is less than six (6) months old at time of hire.
- Availability to attend evening or other events as required/assigned.
- Minimum of seven (7) years previous experience as a professional engineer leading municipal water and wastewater projects and system analysis, including some experience in a supervisory/management capacity.
- Visual and mental effort required when attending meetings, reviewing statistical data, etc.
- Regular office environment.
- Occasional travel to outdoor locations and project sites.
- Ability to work remotely if required.
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