Principal Engineer/Architect ID - 16285

About the Department  

The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration. The City's Public Works Department is seeking an individual whose values align with the values of the City's employees.   

 

The Department of Public Works is responsible for delivering capital improvement projects for a wide variety of City facilities and infrastructure, maintaining City facilities and fleet assets, facilitating and regulating development activities, and providing animal care and services. The Department is committed to high-quality service, partnering with the community, and providing an excellent environment in which to work.  

 

Position Duties   

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is currently seeking to fill one (1) Principal Engineer/Architect position in the City Facilities and Architectural Services (CFAS) Division. This is a temporary (Overstrength) position that is anticipated to be funded through June 30, 2025, subject to further extension as appropriate. If this position is not extended through the budget process, the city may seek to place you in other internal job opportunities based on your previous work experience. 

 

Salary range(s) for this classification is $179,076.82 - $218,123.62 annually. This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.  

 

The Principal Engineer/Architect will support the Library Department (LD) in leading the coordination for the Library Facilities and Customer Experience Planning. This individual will play a key leadership role in driving critical infrastructure initiatives, including supporting the implementation of the California State Library Building Forward Infrastructure Grant projects and managing capital and facilities planning processes in collaboration with the LD and consultants. This individual will act as a leader, ensuring timely and effective project execution, and delivering results that meet organizational and state funding objectives.  

 

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Principal Engineer/Architect will require the ability to extensively collaborate across the LD, the DPW, Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) and other contractors/vendors, while maintaining adherence to budgets, timelines, and plans. Outstanding leadership, a high degree of accountability, and the ability to establish an excellent working relationship with all stakeholders are required to be successful in this position.  

 

Key Responsibilities 

 

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.  

 

 

Minimum Qualifications  

 

Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the required professional discipline.  

 

Experience: Eight (8) years of progressively responsible, directly related professional experience, including at least three (3) years of experience at a level equivalent to Senior Engineer or Senior Architect. 

 

Required Licensing:  

  • Possession of a Certificate of Registration in the required discipline. 
  • Possession of a valid State of California Driver’s License may be required.  

 

Form 700 Requirement:  

This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office. 


  

Other Qualifications  

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:   

 

Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.  

 

Decision Making: Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.  

 

Collaboration: Develops networks and builds alliances; engages in cross-functional activities. 

 

Vision/Strategic Thinking: Support, promote and ensure alignment with the organization’s vision and values. Understand how an organization must change in light of internal and external trends and influences. Builds a shared vision with others to translate vision to action.  

 

Political Skill: In taking action, demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how it will impact stakeholders and affected areas in the organization.  

 

Creativity: Addresses objectives and problems while questioning traditional assumptions/solutions in order to generate creative ideas and new ways of doing business; exhibits creativity and innovation when contributing to organizational and individual objectives; seeks out opportunities to improve, streamline, reinvent work processes.  

  

Fiscal Management: Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan; complies with administrative controls over funds, contracts, and procurements.  

 

Communication Skills: Communicates and listens effectively and responds in a timely, effective, positive and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, current, well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form. Ability to effectively present ideas orally and in writing. Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly and timely, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills; displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts. 

 

 

Selection Process:   

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application, resume, cover letter and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews. 


Please attach an updated resume and cover letter to the application.  

 

Requirement for cover letter:  

In the form of a cover letter, please elaborate on how your background and experience make you the best candidate for this position. Be sure to include your experience in the following areas:  

 

  • Budget planning and monitoring of various programs and projects  
  • Leading a work unit to achieve a common goal  
  • Public interaction  
  • Customer service   

 

Your cover letter should be no more than two pages in length. This response will also be used to evaluate your written communication skills.  

 

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Diana Gonzalez at diana.gonzalez@sanjoseca.gov. 

  

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Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

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