Lead Engineer

Lead Engineer

South Florida Water Management District

West Palm Beach, FL

This position is for an engineer or environmental scientist interested in contributing to the ecosystem restoration efforts of South Florida. The role involves work for the design and operation of existing and new water control infrastructure designed for flood protection and water supply of 9 million South Floridians. If your professional interests align with the profile for this position and with becoming part of our diverse team, you are encouraged to apply. The position comes with competitive benefits and offers professional growth opportunities while you contribute to the preservation and management of South Florida’s water resources.

This opening position is in the Hydrometric Services Unit (HMS) of the Hydro Data Management Section, within the Hydraulics and Hydrology Bureau. HMS is responsible for field flow measurements and canal bed assessments with cutting edge hydroacoustic and geopositioning equipment. The unit supports core work and special projects for environmental restoration, capacity verification of open-channels and pumping systems, engineering projects, and water-related litigation. Your position assignments will give you the opportunity to use your engineering hydraulics, fluid mechanics, hydrology, and water resource engineering skills, as part of a team with expertise in hydraulic measurements and field experimental methods used for the planning and execution of, and the processing, interpretation, reporting and catering of data from, hydrometric measurements.

Supervision and guidance will be given on key objectives, critical issues, new concepts, and policy matters. Direction will be provided for unusual problems and assignments, while work products will be reviewed for sound technical and professional judgment. The incumbent will be responsible for keeping the immediate supervisor updated on the status of deliverables and assignments progress and for coaching and leading other staff on team assignments.

Experience is required in:

• Hydraulic measurements and experimental methods aimed at collecting flow data (flow, water/pressure readings & operational settings) for developing, calibrating, and validating flow rating formulas used to estimate the flow at spillways, culverts, and pumps, in field or laboratory settings.
• Reviewing, planning, coordinating, and analyzing stakeholder needs to assess the level of effort and resources needed for a prompt response.
• Extracting & analyzing data from flow-meter output files, archiving in, and extracting data from, hydro databases using computer applications written in the Wolfram Language, Python, or other suitable languages.
• Preparing technical reports and presentations summarizing work for managers, data users & stakeholders.

The selected applicant will be involved in measurements of:

• Open-channel flows near hydraulic structures by advanced hydroacoustic flow meters such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) and acoustic point velocimeters (ADVs).
• Culvert flows by Acoustic Doppler Flowmeter.
• Pressurized flows in pipelines by ultrasonic time-of-travel flow meters.
• Water stages in open channels by portable stage sensors.
• Canal bed scouring by ADCP-RTK/PPK approaches from a moving boat.

The selected applicant is expected to have experience in or quickly learn:

• Good-measurement practices for stream gauging are set forth in USGS guidelines and ISO standards for hydrometric measurements.
• How to apply the standard procedures to compute the total measurement uncertainty as outlined in the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement and ANSI/ASME standards.
• Best-measurement practices applicable to the unique flow-measurement environments of South Florida, HMS data quality assurance and control procedures, and the use of in-house computer applications developed for these purposes.

Employment Guidelines: 

All the positions listed below require education and experience in a discipline that can be applied to support the District's strategic goals & objectives, and demonstrated measurable career progression in environmental fluid mechanics, hydrometry or closely related field. Applicants for an engineering position should have degrees in Civil, Mechanical, Environmental, Geomatics and Surveying or a related engineering field. Applicants non-engineering positions should have degrees in Natural, Physical or Environmental Sciences, with emphasis in water resources, hydraulic systems, hydrometry, or environmental fluid mechanics. Proven experience in hydraulic measurements and experimental methods in field & laboratory environments, and background in the quantification of measurement uncertainty commensurate to the level of the position are highly desirable.

Lead Engineer -OR- Lead Scientist:

Bachelor Degree from an ABET/EAC accredited engineering program and 8+ years’ experience. Master Degree preferred.

-OR-

Master Degree from an ABET/EAC accredited program in Natural, Physical or Environmental Sciences, and 8+ years’ experience.

Senior Engineer -OR- Senior Scientist:

Bachelor Degree from an ABET/EAC accredited program and 6+ years' experience. Master Degree preferred. 

-OR-

Master Degree (Ph.D. preferred) in in Natural, Physical or Environmental Sciences and 6+ years’ experience.

Staff Engineer:

Bachelor Degree from an ABET/EAC accredited program and 4+ years' experience. Master Degree preferred. 

Scientist 4 -OR- Engineering Specialist 4:

Bachelor Degree (Master Degree preferred) in Physical Sciences and 4+ years’ experience. 

-OR-

Bachelor Degree in Environmental Fluid Mechanics or Physical Sciences and 4+ years’ experience. Master Degree preferred. 

License for Lead, Senior or Staff Engineer:

State of Florida Professional Engineer License (PE) and keeps licensure status current, or if PE from another state, must become licensed by endorsement in Florida within six months from date of hire.

License for All Positions:

Valid State of Florida Driver's License required.  

Physical Requirements/ Working Environment:

Due to the District's response role and in the total scope of emergency management, staff in this position will be required to support rapid response stream gauging work before and after major storm events and emergency situations, such as hurricanes or during other declared emergencies. Field deployments during a declared emergency may need working up to 12 hours per day, including weekends if required. Regular work duties generally include allocating about thirty percent of working hours to collecting field measurements throughout most of the spring, fall, and winter seasons. During the rainy season, this commitment rises to approximately 50 percent of the working hours, and most deployments involve working 10-hour days.

For more information and to apply, please visit: https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGnewUI/Search/Home/Home?partnerid=25162&siteid=5198#jobDetails=1471637_5198

Veterans' Preference: Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the job posting.