Job Specifications

COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ

Under general supervision, to perform a variety of moderate to complex office and field technical engineering tasks related to drafting, construction plan review, surveying, inspecting, office research and assisting the public; and perform other duties as required.

Classes in this series are alternately staffed, and incumbents typically promote to the next level after one year at the lower level. However, depending upon the complexity of the position's assignment, promotion to the higher level(s) may not occur. This series is distinguished from the lower level Engineering Aide series in that Engineering Technicians perform more complex work and work with a greater degree of independence.

Engineering Technician I is the first working level in the series. Incumbents perform more routine tasks independently and receive closer supervision when assisting in more complex engineering tasks. Incumbents may serve as an instrument person on a survey crew.

Engineering Technician II is the second working level in the series. Incumbents perform moderate to complex technical engineering tasks related to the analysis of construction materials, development plans, specifications and contract administration and inspections. Some positions provide lead direction to subordinates and may have field project responsibility. This class is distinguished from the Engineering Technician III level in that the latter class typically performs more complex or specialized technical engineering assignments, such as project inspection and materials testing, and provides training and supervision to subordinate classes.

Engineering Technician III is the advanced working level in the series. Incumbents perform moderate to complex technical engineering tasks, such as soils and materials testing, encroachment inspections, and serve as lead worker or supervisor, or serve as chief of a field survey crew. This class is distinguished from the Engineering Associate class in that the latter class performs the most difficult and complex technical assignments on a continuing basis, with minimal supervision.

Set up, adjust and operate theodolite and related engineering equipment and instruments; compute and establish elevations, points, lines and distances for topographic, property and construction surveys; check or set monumentation for subdivision and right-of-way boundaries; calculate grades and alignments and construction quantities and draw plans and profiles; take field notes; maintain office records of maps, plans, boundary descriptions, road and address data and related documents; lay out, draw, trace, check and maintain a variety of special district, property, topographic, reference, address, road and other maps; research property, utility location and title company records; prepare or check legal descriptions, right-of-way maps, encroachments, records of survey maps, parcel maps, subdivision maps, improvement plans, specifications and other engineering documents for conformance to County standards, design criteria and State laws; inspect construction work of contractors to ensure conformance with engineering plans and specifications including roads, subdivisions, sewer and water facilities and other public works projects; approve minor construction changes in the field; process progress payments to contractors; complete Federal, State, and local reports required for construction projects; obtain samples and conducts tests of construction materials such as concrete, asphalt, sand and base rock to ensure that they meet required specifications; conduct soil compaction tests; prepare or obtain material testing reports; design projects using State and County standardized design methodology and design criteria; prepare less complex construction plans and specifications; prepare construction cost estimates and make complex calculations; obtain permits and approvals required from other agencies; assist the public by providing survey records, maps, improvement requirements, interpreting data and resolving complaints; review right-of-way acquisitions; write legal descriptions; prepare reports for litigation and may serve as an expert witness; may supervise subordinate personnel; prepare as-built drawings, reports and correspondence; input, access, and analyze data and generate reports using a computer terminal; organize and maintain computerized and manual files and records.

• The principles and practices of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, general science and scales of weight and measurements as applied to engineering computations and construction.
• Survey procedures, techniques and equipment.
• The physical properties of construction materials.
• The principles and techniques of drafting.

• The principles and practices used in the construction and repair of roads, drainage and sewer facilities, and other public works projects.

• The principles and techniques of testing construction materials and soils.
• The principles and techniques used in the inspection and construction of public works projects.
• Computer assisted applications used to produce automated record-keeping reports, service charge schedules or computer aided design is required of some positions.

• Contract administration is required for some positions.

All of the above, plus:

• Survey procedures, techniques and equipment is required of some positions.

Working knowledge of:

• Contract administration is required for some positions.

• The principles and practices of supervision and training.

• Read and interpret blueprints, maps, change orders, improvement plans and construction specifications.
• Use and adjust precision surveying equipment.
• Perform drafting work and assist in the preparation of designs, plans and reports.
• Make accurate engineering calculations.
• Collect and analyze field data and prepare accurate and detailed reports and records.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Drive vehicles, such as pickup trucks and vans, is required for some positions.
• Learn to input, access and analyze data using a computer terminal.
• Stand or walk for up to eight hours per day.
• Kneel for up to four hours per day, for some positions.
• Perform tasks requiring strength, such as carrying bags of aggregate, removing underground access covers, climbing into and out of trenches, lifting equipment up to 40 pounds out of trenches, and lifting maps from map files.
• Lift items weighing up to 40 pounds, such as buckets of soil and soil gauges (nuclear gauges); some positions require lifting up to 47 pounds, such as two employees moving a 94 pound concrete survey monument.
• Distinguish various sounds, such as the voices of co-workers in noisy environments, the sounds of operating equipment and on-coming traffic, and radio communications at construction sites.
• Smell odors in order to detect natural gas leaks.
• Identify objects in the distance, such as co-workers' hand signals, construction stakes, and on-coming traffic.
• Distinguish colors, such as color-coded underground service alert markings and colored ribbon on construction stakes.
• Put on, wear and use a respirator and other required safety gear is required for some positions.

The above, plus:

• Inspect construction projects and enforce compliance with plans, specifications and laws.
• Meet and consult with engineers, contractors, and others on difficult construction matters.
• Make field engineering estimates, collect samples, measure or test quantities and materials and make complex calculations.
• Prepare and compile complex written technical reports.
• Use computer equipment, including reference materials and operating manuals, to manipulate data bases, update files and produce reports or designs is required of some positions.

The above, plus:

• Plan, organize and supervise the work of subordinates.

Any combination of education and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and abilities, is qualifying, unless otherwise specified. A typical way to obtain these knowledge and abilities would be:

Engineering Technician I: One year of journey level technical engineering experience.

Engineering Technician II: Two years of journey level technical engineering experience.

Engineering Technician III: Three years of journey level technical engineering experience.

Educational Substitution at all levels: College level course work in engineering, computer aided drafting or mathematics (algebra, geometry or trigonometry) may be substituted for up to six months of the required experience on the basis of one semester or quarter-length course for two months of experience. A bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, geology, physics, chemistry, computer science, or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

License Requirement: Possession of a valid California class C driver's license is required for some positions.

Special Working Conditions: Exposure to: Variable temperatures and weather conditions; slippery surfaces, such as wet trenches; heights, such as at the edge of a trench; cramped work spaces; high levels of noise; dust and silica dust; allergens, such as poison oak and stinging insects; strong, unpleasant odors; electrical hazards; potentially hostile or violent individuals; the possibility of experiencing bodily injury and contact with toxic substances, chemical irritants, and ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; and, for some assigned tasks, possible exposure to needles or blood which could possibly result in chronic disease or death.

Bargaining Unit: 41

EEOC Job Category: 03

Occupational Grouping: 25

Worker's Comp Code: 0285

****