Associate Structural Engineer

Salary/Pay Plans


The salary listed above is Step 1 in a structured pay plan. At 6 months of employment with the District, the salary will increase to Step 2: $102,373.96. At 18 months, the salary will increase to Step 3: $108,660.50. There are 9 total steps for TAM 15 of the pay plan (view full pay plan). These increases are based on service time in the job classification and require a 'Meets Standard' performance rating.


Original Entrance - Introduction

This examination is open to all candidates, both internal and external, who meet the minimum requirements.

Applications will be accepted only during the designated filing period for this examination. The opening and closing dates of the filing period are listed in this announcement. Applications must be filed by the following method:

Submitted online through the District's Online Employment Center at Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the closing date in order to be considered.

The deadline for filing an application will not be extended due to any unavailability of theDistrict's Online Employment Center. TheDistrict will not be liable for the Online Employment Center being unavailable for any period of time, and it is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application form is completed and submitted in a timely manner. Therefore, it is recommended that applications be submitted early in the filing period.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application form is completed and submitted in a timely manner by the method described above.

Descriptions and dates of education, experience and any required license or certification should be very clear so that it is understood exactly how the applicant meets the minimum requirements. Prospective employees will be required to provide documentation of the required education, experience and licensure/certification upon employment. Falsification of a material statement in an application may constitute grounds for rejection of the application, exclusion from the examination, removal from the eligible list, or discharge of an employee from his or her position in the Classified Service.

Minimum Requirement Date: The minimum requirements for this examination must be met by the qualificationdate listed in this announcement.

Residency Requirement: There is no residency requirement to participate in the examination; however, all District employees must be domiciled within the boundaries of the District within six months of successful completion of probation. (The District is in Cook County, Illinois, covering approximately 90% of the county area.)

Veterans' Preference: In Original Entrance examinations, five points for Veterans' Preference will be added, in accordance with the District statute, to the scores of those candidates who attain a passing score in all phases of the examination. Information regarding the periods of eligible service, the documentation needed to file a claim and Veterans' Preference claim forms can be obtained through the District's website, by clickinghere, or requested at the test site.

Probationary Period: The probationary period for this classification is one year (250 days worked).

Hiring and Employment Objectives: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is committed to hiring and employment practices that base employee selection on a candidate's knowledge, skill and ability to perform effectively on the job; provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants; prohibit the entry of political reasons or factors and other improper considerations into any stage of the selection and hiring processes; and create a transparent, honest and fair hiring system.

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D

Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities will be made in accordance with applicable laws. Requests for testing accommodations are to be made within one week after the close of the filing period. For information regarding accommodation for individuals with disabilities, phone View phone number on click.appcast.io (voice) or View email address on click.appcast.io (email).

Original Entrance - Examination

Duties: Under general supervision, performs ordinary structural engineering work in connection with the design of steel, wood and reinforced concrete structures. May supervise subordinate engineers and sub-professional personnel.

Minimum Requirements: Graduation from a four-year accredited college or university majoring in civil or structural engineering and two years of full-time, post-degree structural engineering experience related to the District's activities. Substitution: Full-time graduate study in structural engineering may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

A bachelor's degree in structural engineering is interpreted to mean a four-year program which has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Effective October 31, 2006, foreign educated applicants must produce a satisfactory assessment of their academic qualifications by the Center for Professional Engineering Education Services (CPEES), a unit of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), or present an undergraduate degree from a school that is recognized by theWashington Accord. Prior to October 31, 2006, assessment by the Engineering Credentials Evaluation International (ECEI) was deemed qualifying. The NCEES assessment and any additional coursework used to correct deficiencies must be completed by the qualification date. Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois or another state will be accepted in lieu of an assessment for foreign-educated applicants.

Examination: The examination will consist of a written test weighted 100%. The minimum passing score on the written test will be 70% unless determined otherwise by the Director of Human Resources. Candidates must achieve a passing score to have their names placed on the eligible list.

The written test will assess candidates' knowledge, skill and ability in areas such as principles and practices of structural engineering design for steel, reinforced concrete, masonry, and timber structures, foundation design, and geotechnical engineering; building and design codes and standards; field methods for assessment practices for repair and reinforcement of steel, concrete, masonry, and timber structures; contract administration practices including preparing and reviewing project cost estimates, change orders, contract specifications and drawings, contractor submittals and RFIs; structural analysis software STAAD and AutoCAD and proficiency in Excel; and written communication.

Examination Process: All applicants will be advised by email if they have been admitted to the examination process. Applicants who do not receive a response to their application by Friday, Friday, October 16, 2026 should contact the Employee Selection Office at View phone number on click.appcast.io.

WRITTEN TEST: The written test will be administered on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the MWRDMain Office, 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, IL 60611.

Candidatesshould report at 9:00 a.m. with the approved ( printed ) admission letter and driver's license or other form of photo identification. Calculators will be provided. The use of books, study guides, cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops or other aids during the test is prohibited.

Original Entrance - Appointments

Appointments will be made from an eligible list with three categories: A (Exceptionally Well Qualified), B (Well Qualified) and C (Qualified). Candidates in the highest category will be given first consideration for appointment. This examination is also being given on a Promotional basis. In instances where both Original Entrance and Promotional eligible lists result from an examination process, it is the District's practice to appoint only from the Promotional eligible list until all names from that list have been considered. The eligible list has a duration of three years. Appointment is subject to successfully passing a physical examination, a drug test and a criminal history background investigation.