Engineering Project Manager

Date Opened: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 12:00 AM

Close Date: Sunday, August 02, 2026 12:00 AM

Department: Charlotte Water Department

Welcome to the City of Charlotte

Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.

Our guiding principles include:

• Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce

• Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development

• Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services

• Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems

• Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions

SUMMARY

This position provides management duties from conception to warranty for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Work involves managing all phases of projects, including planning, procurement, preliminary engineering, design, bidding and construction. This position is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects, including budgets, quality control, safety, scheduling, and adherence to regulations and policies; supervising assigned consultants and contracts; and approving changes. This position will primarily select and work with consulting engineering firms to perform and supervise moderately complex civil engineering tasks. This position also coordinates with and serves as project liaison to the public, property owners, media, other government agencies, and other city departments and officials.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Manages projects to ensure project schedules and budgets are met; ensures construction adheres to contract documents; participates in site inspections and progress meetings with consulting engineer and contractor; resolves conflicts; represents Charlotte Water during negotiations for time extensions and change orders.

• Completes technical review of consultant prepared planning reports, construction plans, cost estimates, schedules and contract specifications for technical competency, compliance with Charlotte Water and regulatory standards, consistency, and constructability issues.

• Coordinates with the appropriate Charlotte Water operational divisions and staff personnel during the various phases of project initiation, design, start-up and acceptance.

• Management of projects via varying delivery methods including traditional and alternative.

• Manages vertical commercial/industrial building design and construction projects, in addition to water and wastewater utility infrastructure projects.

• Selects consultants for engineering services ensuring fair competitiveness and selection of the best qualified; conducts negotiations with consultant firm.

• Ensures that the public affected by the project is informed of the project ramifications, project schedules and that concerns are addressed, and conflicts resolved in a manner that satisfies all parties. Provide information such that all parties understand the resolution, whether in exact agreement or not. If a conflict cannot be resolved to a customer’s satisfaction, provide a complete understanding as to why a request cannot be granted.

• Conducts pre-construction and progress conferences.

• Assists the real estate division in acquiring rights-of-way.

• Generates project cost estimates, estimated schedule and associated cash flows. Update budgets and schedules for multiple ongoing projects.

• Manage multiple projects of varying scope and complexity. Ensure department leadership is aware of status.

• Review accuracy and completeness of invoices and construction payment applications in a timely manner.

• Performs varied and complex engineering functions.

• Performs related duties as required.

• Prepares Community Investment Program (CIP) estimates for projects each year.

• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of fundamental engineering and construction principles to initiate, plan, implement, and closeout projects.

• Knowledge of project management tasks.

• Skill in communication, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to apply and direct change control principles to project planning and implementation.

• Ability to quickly learn new software for project management.

• Ability to develop and/or decipher technical reports.

• Ability to work cooperatively with other city employees and the public.

• Ability to apply conflict resolution techniques.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Five (5) years of directly related work experience in engineering or construction management preferably in civil engineering or municipal capital improvement projects.

• Prefers knowledge in water and wastewater collections, distribution and treatment process design.

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite products

• Prefers licensure as an Engineering Intern or Professional Engineer (or equivalent credentials in field of specialty); may be required (or ability to obtain certification within one year of hire) depending on assignment.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management from an accredited school.

• Three (3) years of directly related work experience in engineering or construction management preferably in civil engineering or municipal capital improvement projects.

Licenses, Certifications or Registrations:

• Requires a valid driver’s license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work is light work and requires applying 10 pounds of force frequently exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required: climbing, feeling, manual dexterity, grasping, handling, perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, discriminating among sounds, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, visual acuity in data/color/observations/equipment/inspections, and walking.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs. Requires occasional on-call emergency work.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.

Our culture is to serve the community honorably.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected]

The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.

BENEEFITS

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.