Engineer In Training
Agency: Snohomish Conservation District
Location: Lake Stevens, WA
Closing Date: September 21, 2020
Contact: Sarah Jones at sjones@snohomishcd.org
Priority will be given to applications received by 8:00 am, September 21, 2020
When you apply, please indicate that you are responding to the posting on Conservation Job Board.
Term/Grade: Temporary
Position Summary:
The Engineer-In-Training will assist conservation district planners and engineers in the field and in the office. This position will directly support the work of staff at Skagit and Snohomish Conservation Districts. Professional Engineers in each of these two offices provide engineering support to multiple nearby conservation districts, so tasks may extend into surrounding conservation districts within the greater Puget Sound area. This position will aid conservation district staff to develop project designs and work with landowners to implement various projects. Funding for this position is currently provided by a grant awarded to Snohomish Conservation District for the purpose of implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on private properties.
Major Duties:
The primary responsibility for this position is to prepare project designs that meet NRCS funding and technical criteria. The measurement of success is completed work products, including project site assessments, designs, permit applications, and installed BMPs. The BMPs typically address resource concerns that include water quality problems, erosion, degraded salmon and wildlife habitat, and meet all appropriate standards and specifications, while meeting the landowner’s goals. The chosen person will be responsible to manage project workload and deadlines, keep lines of communication open with their supervisor and fellow staff, and provide regular status updates. NRCS standards and specifications provide the technical backbone for BMPs implemented through their cost share programs. This position will support staff with various program requirements, including assembling designs, NRCS standards and specifications, documenting design calculations, and inspecting construction activities for regulatory and program compliance.
Duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Conduct field investigations and surveys and assemble data needed in the design of conservation practices for structural and non-structural solutions to problems with water quality, erosion, drainage, fish and wildlife habitat, flooding and threats to agriculture.
- Develop designs that meet objectives of the landowner and improve natural resources.
- Provide support to farm planners to design and implement BMPs identified in farm plans.
- Provide technical assistance in the field with the use of surveying equipment, spreadsheets, modeling software, manual calculations, and field sketches. Prepare GIS maps, CAD drawings, and permit applications.
- Assist professional engineers in preparing preliminary designs, final designs, construction drawings, construction standards and specifications, and construction records for BMPs of varying complexity. Assist with lay out work for construction, inspect work under construction, and provide necessary interpretations of the drawings and specifications needed to determine conformance with the design, standards, specifications, and permits.
- Coordinate with other staff to respond to project inquiries from regulators and others.
- Assist staff in creating educational materials for land users and organizations.
- Support staff in developing landowner agreements, tracking budgets, reviewing reimbursement requests, and following cost-share guidelines.
- Prepare documents to support new project applications and track existing projects.
- Attend conservation district staff and board meetings and other local, area and state meetings as needed. Attend training sessions and workshops, mainly to improve your understanding of NRCS Field Office Technical Guides (FOTG).
- Serve as an incidental motor vehicle operator, requiring operation of a motor vehicle on both public and private roads during daylight and occasionally after dark. A valid WA State driver’s license is required.
- Provide project-level information to staff for entry in to the Washington State Conservation Commission database and prepare reports on activities, including progress toward project goals.
- Other duties as assigned.
See announcement and apply here.
