City of Palo Alto

  • Utilities Development Services Engineer (Water-Gas-Wastewater)

  • City of Palo Alto
  • Palo Alto, California United States View Map
Description

The Department

The City of Palo Alto is the only city in California that owns and operates full-service municipal utilities, providing electric, fiber-optic, natural gas, water, and wastewater services to the community. City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) delivers these essential services through five divisions, including Engineering. This position is within the Water, Gas, and Wastewater (WGW) Engineering group. Learn more about the City's Utilities Department.

The Position

The Development Services (DS) Engineer is part of the WGW Development Services team and plays a key role in reviewing complex development and high-density housing projects. Working closely with developers, the City's Planning and Development Department, and other City departments, this position evaluates proposed developments to help ensure the City's water, gas, and wastewater infrastructure can safely and reliably serve future growth.

We are looking for a candidate with strong interpersonal skills who can effectively engage with our in-house staff and a diverse range of utility customers. The ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of WGW utility standards, rules and regulations, utility construction practices, and city permitting processes. Practical problem-solving abilities are essential to support WGW Development Services in a dynamic environment, where WGW Engineering must closely coordinate with WGW Operations, Utility Electric and Fiber Systems, as well as Public Works Stormwater Systems. This role requires good communication skills, the ability to handle fast-paced development demands, and the capability to collaborate seamlessly with engineers, operations staff, and private developers.

The ideal candidate possesses the following attributes:
  • B.S. in Civil or Mechanical Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution
  • Skilled in municipal water, gas, and wastewater utility systems
  • Experience in a Development Services environment
  • Knowledgeable about the California Building and Mechanical Codes as they relate to new development
  • Experienced with Accela or similar city or county permitting software
  • An effective verbal and written communicator, able to collaborate with WGW Engineering, WGW Operations, and private developers
  • Comfortable working in a fast-paced private-development setting, including direct interaction at the City's Development Center


Embark on this rewarding career. Apply today!

Compensation (SEIU): Comprehensive compensation plan. To learn more, click here.

Benefits: The City offers a fantastic benefits package including:
  • Schedule: This is a full-time, in-person position following a 9/80 schedule with a regular start time of 6:30 a.m.
  • Professional development: Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities.
  • Education benefits: Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change).
  • Childcare support: $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change).
  • Commute benefits: Incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work. The City of Palo Alto participates in the Clipper Bay Pass program (Employee Cost: $5 per month).
  • Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits.


This is a continuous recruitment and may remain open until the position is filled.

First review of applications will take place during the week of July 13, 2026.

Subsequent reviews will be conducted every two weeks thereafter.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early.

This position is represented by Service Employee International Union position (SEIU).

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Positions allocated to this level in the Utilities/Water, Gas, Wastewater Engineering Section may perform the following duties:
  • Prepares plans, specifications and cost estimates for assigned projects requiring engineering capability in the water, gas, and wastewater.
  • Manages utility construction projects, taking responsibility for contract administration, schedule coordination, political liaison, public relations, inter-utility coordination, and quality control. Field decisions and supervision of any and all tests may be required to assure specified results.
  • Works with and provides guidance for the utilities' customers in establishing utilities' service requirements and efficient usage.
  • Develop utilities materials standards, equipment specifications, and operating procedures.
  • Provides guidance and work closely with utility project coordinator, utility engineering estimator, WGW Operations staff as required by projects, as well as outside consultants on major projects.


To review full job description, click here.

Minimum Qualifications

Sufficient education, training, and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities, which would typically be acquired through:
  • Bachelor of Science degree in civil, mechanical, or other approved engineering curriculum depending upon assigned area; and,
  • Equivalent to four years of increasingly responsible engineering experience.

(Note: PE Certificate or master’s degree in engineering may be considered in lieu of one year of experience.)

Special Requirement:
  • Registration as a professional engineer in the State of California required to attain top step (Step E) in Engineer classification.
  • Possession of a valid California Driver's License.


Supplemental Information

The Selection Process:
  • Recruitment status notifications will be sent via email or text (please enroll in text alerts when applying).
  • Updates can also be found on your governmentjobs.com account.
  • Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time.
  • The screening process for this position may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
  • This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy.

Technical Support:
For technical issues applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.

Closing Date/Time: Continuous
City of Palo Alto

City of Palo Alto

650-329-2376

The Community


The birthplace of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto, is a community of approximately 68,000 residents and nearly 100,000 jobs. Located on the mid-Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, Palo Alto is recognized worldwide as a leader in cutting-edge technology, medicine, and green innovation. The community's treelined streets and historic buildings reflect its California heritage, and, at the same time, many world-class businesses maintain or started offices here, such as Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Amazon, Broadcom, Hewlett-Packard, Houzz, Rivian, SAP and SAP Ariba, Tesla, and Varian Medical Systems. Numerous start-ups are also at home in Palo Alto, arguably making it the start-up capital of the world. Stanford University is foundational to the history and prestige of Palo Alto, reflected in the community's dedication to lifelong learning. Stanford's cultural and educational offerings are integral to the vibrancy and charm of Palo Alto, while the City's exceptional K-12 school district ranks among the top public-school systems in the country. With more than 50% of adult residents holding a graduate degree or higher, Palo Alto is frequently listed as one of the most educated cities in the nation. Palo Alto boasts a genuine sense of community and an active citizenry with strong environmental values. Beautiful neighborhoods are complemented by vibrant commercial corridors and a bustling economy featuring premium shopping and dining options. Excellent healthcare facilities, performing arts, and diverse recreational opportunities are some of the community's incredibly desirable and cherished amenities. To learn more, visit https://www.paloalto.gov/Departments/City-Manager/Latest-News

City Government

Palo Alto is a full-service charter city with a council-manager form of government. The seven-member City Council is elected at large, and the City Council annually selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor from among its members. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, and City Auditor. The City Manager is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of the City. Palo Alto is organized into 15 departments/offices with 1,093.10 authorized positions in FY 2025. There is also a FY 2025 capital budget of $316.2 million. Palo Alto owns and operates its own utilities, including electricity (carbon-neutral), gas, water, wastewater, and an expanding fiber network. This dynamic municipal environment ensures an ever-engaging platform for unique problem-solving and advances new initiatives, including sustainability, broadband, and effective service delivery. Community assets also include five libraries, 36 parks, five community centers, a museum and zoo, youth centers, a general aviation airport, an 18-hole golf course, a regional water treatment plant, and wildland open space preserves at the San Francisco Bay and in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains offering 41 miles of walking/biking trails in addition to its police, fire, and ambulance services. Palo Alto has long been a leader in sustainability, and the City's ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals are part of what sets it apart. Since the City's first Climate Protection Plan was passed in 2007, Palo Alto has set goals that exceed State and Federal targets. Today, the City's goal to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the "80x30" goal) and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 guides sustainability efforts. An award-winning City, Palo Alto is recognized nationally as innovative and well-managed. City services and performance also receive impressive marks from community members in the Palo Alto Community Survey.

Many of those ratings put City programs and services in the highest percentiles among the hundreds of benchmark cities. Palo Alto makes decisions through comprehensive processes and proactively seeks to involve its extremely informed, educated, and engaged residents. Projects are naturally a cooperative effort among the City Council, Boards, Commissions, Committees, engaged residents, neighborhoods, businesses, property owners, and staff.

Join an Award Winning Team 

Palo Alto is an award-winning City recognized nationwide as innovative and well-managed. Palo Alto is one of a small number of California cities with a AAA bond rating. Recently, Palo Alto became one of the most livable cities in the U.S. by Livability.com. It's the only city to receive the Platinum Beacon Award in sustainability best practices by California’s Institute for Local Government. We offer a variety of career paths that relate to building and improving communities. The City has fourteen departments employing 1,000 full-time staff. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and library professionals enhance community life. Utilities provides electric, gas, water, sewer and other services. Internal services departments help manage, staff, and protect the City.

Want to learn more about our benefits? Learn more by reviewing our "Benefits at a Glance Booklet."

Contact Us

Phone: 650-329-2376   

Email: Recruit@paloalto.gov   

Location: City Hall, 1st Floor | 250 Hamilton Ave 94301 | View Map

 

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