Senior Engineering Manager

Salary : $104,328.00 - $166,914.00 Annually
Location : 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC
Job Type: Full time with benefits
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 26-05823
Department: Planning & Development
Opening Date: 02/09/2026
Closing Date: Continuous


Position Description
Work. Serve. Thrive. With the City of Durham
Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $104,328.00 - $166,914.00
Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm

***This position is eligible for a one-time $5,000 sign-on bonus that will be paid upon successful completion of the new hire's six-month probationary period. Internal promotional/transfer hires are not eligible.

A flexible work environment, top-notch management, highly qualified, competent staff and opportunities for career advancement and professional success make the Planning & Development Department a great place to work. We help plan and direct Durham's growth to support a high quality of life, a robust economy, and a sustainable, equitable, and accessible Durham for generations to come. We work collaboratively with other agencies and the community in a fast- paced, innovative environment looking for solutions to today's land-use, community planning, and infrastructure challenges. If you're talented, creative and focused on serving the community, join our team!
Devoted to providing paraprofessional engineering support, inspection and professional civil engineering for a variety of public works, utilities, storm water, and transportation facilities/projects as well as review of public and private development projects. An incumbent serves as a second level or higher supervisor and has middle management level responsibilities. Makes interpretive decisions on behalf of the organization regarding the means for executing the goals established by the relevant executives and governing body subject to constraints imposed by available technology and resources. Such interpretive decisions provide context for the work to be accomplished by subordinates supervised within the units managed.
Responsible for supervising and managing engineers and technical staff for large complex Citywide projects and/or serving as second-level unit supervisor over other professional staff. Incumbents are assigned the most complex and/or politically sensitive projects and manage staff involved in multiple, high-dollar, high visibility projects concurrently.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Supervises and manages engineers and technical staff for large complex, politically-sensitive, multiple, high-dollar, special, high-visibility, and/or city-wide projects and/or serves as a second-level unit supervisor over other professional staff.
• Manages department and project operations to ensure compliance with department goals, and applicable regulations, policies, and procedures; develops, implements, evaluates, and communicates policies, procedures, programs, and initiatives; allocates resources; develops contracts, project schedules, and budgets; issues request for qualifications and selecting contractors; manages project staffing; serves as the primary technical advisor, troubleshooting complex issues; assessing City and department needs, and prioritizing and evaluating departmental projects.
• Manages internal staff and coordinates with City departments, and external agencies; attends public meetings such as the Development Review Board, City Council other meetings; serves as an official representative of the department; and provides professional and technical assistance to resolve problems and conflicts, make policy-related decisions, and facilitate departmental and project operations.
• Manages the development of design and technical specifications, construction and development plan reviews and inspections; approves infrastructure acceptance and project closeouts; reviews and approves plans, specifications, drawings, and other technical documents; ensures accuracy of work product and compliance with City and departmental goals, requirements, standards, and applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Oversees the preparation and/or review of complex technical reports, plans, contracts, bid documents, ordinances, and other documentation and correspondence; reviews, analyzes and evaluates information; and develops, approves and implements recommendations.
• Prepares and manages department and project budgets; monitors expenditures, forecasts department needs, prepares cost estimates, researches funding sources, and provides final approval for payment requests and purchase orders.
• Oversees and manages pre-bid, bidding, and City Council agenda preparation processes; monitors and reviews staff work to ensure adherence to deadlines and compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures.
• Oversees the supervision of professional, paraprofessional and support staff and directly supervises professional staff, to include conducting performance evaluations, coordinating training, and implementing hiring, discipline, and termination procedures.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or a directly related field.
• Six years of professional engineering and/or construction/project management experience.
• Two years of supervisory experience.
• North Carolina Professional Engineering (PE) Registration.
• Some assignments may require a valid North Carolina Class C Driver's License with a satisfactory driving record acquired within a time frame established by the City.

Benefits - General Full-Time Employees

• 12-13 paid holidays per year
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans
• State and City retirement plans
• Short and long term disability plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System
• Paid funeral leave
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year*
• 4 hours parental leave each year
• Workman's Compensation Insurance
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans

Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan

Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period)

• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary)
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service

01


Where did you first hear about this opportunity?

• City of Durham Website
• Walk in
• Job fair
• Employee referral
• Professional organization ***Please list the organization in "other" box below***
• Internet posting ***Please list the specific web site in the "other" box below***
• Craig's List
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• GlassDoor
• governmentjobs.com
• Monster.com
• Indeed.com
• Employment Security Commission
• Magazine/Newspaper
• Other

02


If you listed "other" above please give specific web site, organization, or publication.
03


Please select your highest level of COMPLETED education.

• Less than a High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
• High School Diploma or Equivalent (GED, HiSET, TASC)
• Associates Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• Doctoral Degree (PhD, Juris Doctorate)

04


Do you have a NC Professional Engineering Registration?

• Yes
• No

05


How many years of professional engineering and/or construction/project management experience do you have?

• No related experience
• Less than 1 year of related experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years of related experience
• 2 years but less than 6 years of related experience
• 6 or more years of related experience

06


How many years of supervisory or management experience do you have?

• No related experience
• Less than 1 year of related experience
• 1 year but less than 2 years
• 2 years but less than 5 years
• 5 or more years

07


Do you have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license? (If you have a valid license from a State other than North Carolina, you must be willing and able to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days of hire).

• I have a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license.
• I have a valid license from another State and I am willing to obtain a valid, unrestricted NC driver's license within 60 days.
• I do not have a valid, unrestricted driver's license.

Required Question