Senior Engineer or Principal Engineer

WHO WE ARE

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.


The Environmental Services (ES) Division has four (4) vacancies for either a Senior or Principal Engineer (depending on qualifications) in the Interceptor Engineering group of the Capital Design and Delivery department.

NOTE: This position will remain open until filled and may close at any time after Thursday, May 14, without further notice. Priority application review will begin on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

About the Interceptor System:

The interceptor system is the sanitary sewer network of pipes, mains, and tunnels that intercept wastewater flow when it leaves one city and is conveyed through other cities enroute to one of the 9 wastewater reclamation/treatment facilities in the 7-County Metropolitan area. The interceptor system consists of 635 miles of gravity mains, forcemains, and siphons; 230 billing and performance meters; and 59 lift stations. The interceptor system serves 2.8 million people from 111 communities.


NOTE: THIS IS A REPOST. If you have previously applied, you do not need to reapply.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

The Interceptor Engineering group is responsible for planning and designing capital projects to preserve, improve, and expand the interceptor system to meet our customer service goals. In addition, the Interceptor Engineering department supports the Construction Services group during capital project construction.

A senior or principal engineer in the Interceptor Engineering group is responsible for managing capital improvement projects. Either a senior or principal engineer is responsible for preparing project documentation, developing scopes of work, developing schedules and budgets, monitoring progress for multiple capital projects at a time, and coordinating reviews with internal and external stakeholders. The principal engineer manages large, complex, and often multi-disciplinary projects ($15M or greater in construction costs) and interceptor planning projects. The principal engineer is also responsible for conducting peer reviews of engineering reports and designs as well as mentoring less experienced staff.


After an initial period of on-site work, this position is eligible for a hybrid (both remote and onsite) telework arrangement. The candidate's permanent residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

What you would do in this job

• Represent the Council with regulatory agencies, local interests, neighborhood groups, cities, metropolitan county, state, and federal governmental units, industrial user groups and other interested parties. Conduct necessary communications and interactions with groups.
• Apply engineering skills and knowledge to wastewater projects.
• Conduct or review condition assessments for lift stations, pipelines, meters, or odor control facilities.
• Manage project budgets and expenditures.
• Prepare milestone schedules. Anticipate impacts to the project schedule and actively work to mitigate project delays.
• Track approval processes for various purchase orders, change orders, amendments, pay requests, invoices, and other procurement/contract administration documents.
• Solve problems from an owner/government agency perspective.
• Lead planning and/or design of assigned projects to meet ES business objectives.
• Prepare consultant work authorizations and review consultant deliverables, including plans and specifications, technical memoranda, evaluations, and reports.
• Prepare and review evaluations for process mechanical equipment, products, systems, and facilities.
• Monitor projects during installation/construction and commissioning.
• Provide work direction to Architectural/Engineering (A/E) consultants, technical staff, and less-experienced engineers.
• Perform lower-level engineer series duties as needed.
• Complete related duties as assigned.

What education and experience are required for this job (minimum qualifications)

Senior Engineer

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or in a directly related area of discipline, AND four (4) years of related experience as an Engineer, AND Successful completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) or registered as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Minnesota or a state with reciprocity. PE may be required for some positions.
• Note : FE exam replaces the former Engineering in Training (EIT) exam.

Principal Engineer

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or in a directly related area of discipline AND five (5) years of related experience as an Engineer INCLUDING , including being registered as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Minnesota or a state with reciprocity

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

• Experience managing engineering work on large multi-disciplinary capital projects ($15M construction cost or greater).
• Experience in all three phases of project delivery for wastewater or water projects: planning, design, and construction/commissioning.
• Experience in presenting and explaining technical concepts to the general public or other non-technical groups.
• Basic computer skills using Microsoft applications software and PDF editing.
• Experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive environments.

What knowledge, skills and abilities you should have within the first six months on the job:

• Knowledge of ES interceptor facilities and practices.
• Knowledge of ES project management and program management methods and techniques.

What you can expect from us:

• We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
• We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a good work/life balance.

More about why you should join us!

• Ability to prepare clear and concise written reports suited to the needs of the audience.
• Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, or Council members.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering plans and specifications from the owner's perspective.
• Ability to effectively work in a team environment.
• Increased human relation skills in advocating and negotiating with customers and/or stakeholders to achieve organizationally desired outcomes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Increased proficiency in computer skills necessary to complete work, e.g., Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Teams, Trimble Unity Construct (TUC), Bluebeam, Oracle Work Asset Management (WAM), Microsoft SharePoint, and Wonderware.
• Ability to procure goods and services using Council policies and procedures.

Additional information

Classification Level: Senior Engineer
Union : AFSCME Grade H
FLSA Status : Exempt
Full Salary Range: $ 42.58 -$69.09 Hourly/ $88,566 -$143,707 annually
Anticipated Starting Salary Range: $47.11 hourly/ $97,989 annually TO $58.64 hourly/ $121,971.20 annually


Classification Level: Principal Engineer
Union: AFSCME Grade I
FLSA Status: Exempt
Full Salary Range: $46.06 -$74.71 Hourly / $95, 805- $155,397 annually
Anticipated Starting Salary Range: $53.55 -$111,384 TO $65.00 - $135,200 annually

What your work environment would be:
Work is typically performed in a standard office setting and at various project sites throughout the region. Periodic construction or project site visits will be required.


What steps the recruitment process involves:

1. We review your minimum qualifications.
2. We rate your education and experience.
3. We conduct a structured panel interview.
4. We conduct a selection interview.

If you are new to the Metropolitan Council , you must pass a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the job. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.


If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council , you must pass a criminal background check if the job you're applying for is safety sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers or transit fare cards. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the position.


IMPORTANT: If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.


The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply.

If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email View email address on click.appcast.io .