Halifax Regional Municipality
JOB DESCRIPTION POSITION TITLE: Design Engineering Technologist
BUSINESS UNIT: Transportation and Public Works Services DIVISION: Design & Construction Services
SECTION: Design
SUPERVISOR’S TITLE: Senior Design Engineer Date Approved:
POSITION SUMMARY
This position is responsible for a variety of technical and administrative functions required for the design and tendering of civil/municipal engineering projects. Due to the variety and complexities of the work, the Technologist must possess a strong background in the area of civil/municipal engineering design practices, and must have the ability to operate, maintain and customize procedures for the civil engineering design software (e.g., Autodesk Civil 3D). Autodesk Civil 3D is state of the art design software and requires substantive experience and knowledge to properly utilize it. As well the Technologist must keep current with ongoing adaptations to the software and industry standards.
The Technologist designs and provides expert knowledge in the field of civil/municipal engineering. The position is required to review existing conditions related to the upgrading and enhancement of municipal infrastructure, and to provide insight, judgement and technical expertise in the development of feasible design solutions. The projects can be new construction or the rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure, and include: streets & roads, gravity and pressure sanitary sewers, pumping stations, storm sewers, bridges, retaining walls, sidewalks, curbs, pavement (resurface, renewal, recycled, etc.,) guiderails, traffic improvements, natural gas lines and sports fields. The Technologist works in a team environment with a Design Engineer and is responsible for researching project background, establishing design parameters and alternatives, preparing complex engineering designs and specifications, estimating project costs, producing record drawings, providing technical and engineering expertise to internal and external contacts, and tendering / awarding of projects ranging in value from several thousand to several million dollars.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Implement Capital Budget Program
Pre-Design Capital Works Projects
Formulates the scope and design requirements for identified capital projects. This duty involves site investigation, notifying affected residents and responding to inquiries, conferring with Senior
Inspector, relevant departments (EES, Operations, Traffic, Harbour Solutions, Capital District, etc.) and outside agencies (Natural Gas, HRWC, NSPI, Aliant, Allstream, Eastlink, Department of the Environment, Canadian National Railways, Fisheries and Oceans, Department of Transportation and Public Works) to properly ascertain the scope of work, reviewing sewer main videos when required, analysing soil structure and environmental test results, past correspondence, record drawings, consultant’s studies and background information, files, sewer query system(SQS), lateral cards, assessing the need for the following: lateral replacements, bike routes, land acquisition, Local Improvement Charges (LIC), new trees, tree removal, pedestrian ramps, environmental protection, drainage remediation, public safety and preparing a preliminary cost estimate.
Design Capital Works Projects
Apply municipal design guidelines and policies to develop and produce designs for capital projects. The Engineering Technologist must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of civil/municipal engineering practices and possess the ability to operate complex computer-aided design software. The Technologist assesses survey and soil investigation results, conducts additional site investigations and analyses relevant field information, reviews survey data and analyses existing topography to develop effective design alternatives, establishes horizontal and vertical alignment, prepares detailed engineering drawings, quantities and specifications and administers the pre-tender process. The pre-tender process includes coordinating the pre-tender meeting between construction department, traffic and relevant stakeholders and evaluating comments to incorporate as necessary for the final design of capital projects.
The Technologist is responsible for a significant volume of work and the total construction value of projects designed and tendered from the design section is approximately $20 million per annum Manage Construction Document Process
• Coordinates tender calls with Financial Services (Procurement) including advertisement, requisition of funds, obtaining approvals from stakeholders and preparing tender documents for delivery to Procurement.
• Responds to design related tender inquires and coordinates the issuance of addendums when required.
• Maintains project documentation and provide thorough project information to Construction Services.
• Evaluates tender bids for accuracy and conformity to HRM requirements. This involves producing a detailed spreadsheet summarizing unit prices bid and unit prices estimated, ensuring that the calculated totals are correct , and analysing the bids for unbalanced bidding and bid irregularities.
• Prepares Council, CAO and Director Award Reports to address project background, bids received, Local Improvement Charges applicable and recommendation to award tender. This includes obtaining availability of funds confirmation and stakeholder approvals and detailing budget implications. This may also involve determining cost sharing and obtaining final agreement of cost sharing with outside agencies.
Other Related Duties
• Represents the department at preconstruction and on-site meetings with Construction Inspectors, Contractors, Utility representatives, elected officials and members of the public as required.
• Provides detailed information, technical advice, interpretations and general advice to inquires from the general public, elected officials, government agencies, consultants, contractors and other HRM departments as required regarding Capital Projects.
• Performs an integral role in the production of record drawing information.
2. Computer Aided Design System Management
• Evaluates civil engineering design software and make recommendations to senior staff for purchasing (new duty).
• Installs, implements, customizes and provides support and guidance for civil engineering design software.
• Develops standards and procedures for computer-aided design software to be implemented in the Municipal Service Systems Design Guidelines and used as the standard for all municipal engineering projects within the HRM.
• Consults with software developers/experts to problem solve and stay current with ongoing advancements in software.
• Provides technical expertise and training for civil engineering design software.
3. Administrate Policy and Procedures
• Evaluates and assesses the requirement for new infrastructure components.
• Creates, monitors and maintains essential databases used by technical staff for project coordination, project status reports, cost estimating, time reporting, and unit price summary. • Reviews and critiques proposed changes to HRM engineering standards, policies, or details. • Administers the Soil Structure and Environmental Testing for the borehole program. Test results must then be reviewed and analysed in conjunction with the final selection of the upgrade strategy.
• Manages a technical library.
AUTHORITY/DECISION MAKING
The Design Engineering Technologist is required to work in an extremely busy environment with time spent in both the office and the field. There is significant pressure to deliver the project workload within budget and on schedule. This position usually has the supervisor present in the office, although the supervisor may not be available for extended periods of time. The Design Engineering Technologist is required to have a comprehensive understanding of design management principles, standards, guidelines and best practices for the design of a wide variety of municipal, civil and structural works. The ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities and show good judgement in problem solving is integral to completing projects within budget and on time. Approximately 90% of decisions are made without conferring with the supervisor.
Pre-Design Review
• Reviews and assesses compliance and implications of predesign strategies as outlined in the capital budget program versus final detailed design.
• The Engineering Technologist must have a clear understanding of municipal guidelines and specifications. In some rehabilitation circumstances, the guidelines cannot be feasibly achieved. The Engineering Technologist must be cognizant of physical and financial constraints and must use judgement to determine the optimum design solution.
Design Stage
• Independently reviews and assesses requested changes to civil/municipal engineering designs and determines scope of potential revisions for approval by the Design Engineer. • Prepares and finalizes details of contract documents including information to tenderers, form
of tender and form of agreement. Policies and Procedures
• Evaluates engineering software and make recommendations for purchasing based on engineering design requirements.
• Evaluates and defines standards and procedures for computer-aided design software. • Determines required revisions to HRM Specification Document and manages ongoing
adaptations.
• Assesses requests for new sidewalks and evaluates according to criteria including safety, cost effectiveness, public interest and pedestrian/vehicular traffic volumes.
• Directs consultants in carrying out Soil Structure and Environmental Testing Program that is utilized in the final evaluation in the selection of rehabilitation strategies.
• Ensures technical reference materials are available and up to date for Transportation and Public Works staff.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
• Bachelor of Science degree or Diploma in Engineering or diploma in Civil Engineering Technology or a suitable combination of training and experience with a minimum of six years of municipal engineering training.
• Must have civil engineering design software training from a recognized program or a suitable combination of training and experience.
• Training in spreadsheet, e-mail software and word processing computer applications. Technical/Job Specific Knowledge:
• High level of expertise in civil engineering design software, preferably Autodesk Civil 3D. • High level of expertise in computer-aided design, preferably AutoCAD.
• Strong knowledge of the HRM Municipal Services Systems design guidelines and/or other design guidelines necessary to carry out accurate civil engineering designs.
• Proficient in the design and preparation of municipal and civil engineering drawings. • Proficient in estimating quantities of materials, unit costs, and total costs of municipal
projects.
• Strong knowledge of HRM Contract and Specifications for Municipal Services and Nova Scotia Road Builders Standard Specifications for Municipal Services
• Knowledge of Provincial/Federal regulations and guidelines affecting municipal designs. • Proficient in spreadsheet, email software and word processing computer applications. • Sound working knowledge of GIS, Arc/Info, Sewer Query System, Hansen and Halgis. • Effective communication capabilities including writing and speaking skills.
Competencies:
Achievement Motivation: Focuses efforts on working well and/or competing against a standard of excellence while achieving high quality results.
Analytical Thinking: Understanding a situation by breaking it apart into smaller pieces, or tracing the implications of a situation in a step-by-step way. This includes organizing the parts of a problem, situation, etc., in a systematic way; making systematic comparisons of different features or aspects; setting priorities on a rational basis.
Customer Service Implies a desire to help or serve others, to meet their needs. It means focusing one’s efforts on discovering and meeting the customer or client’s needs. “Customers” include citizens, elected officials, internal colleagues, or anyone that the person is trying to help.
Communication: effective, timely, and relevant exchange of information that is respectful of the diversity of people, and the geography and working environments of our employees. It includes receiving information, listening, understanding and responding openly and effectively in interactions with others. It also implies that this information is processed into actions.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Implies the intention to work cooperatively with others, to be part of a team, to work together, as opposed to working separately or competitively. For this competency to be effective, the intention should be genuine. Teamwork and Cooperation may be considered whenever the subject is a member of a group of people functioning as a team.
Valuing Diversity: Ability to understand and respect the practices, customs and values of other individuals and cultures. Sees diversity as beneficial to the organization and community. It applies the ability to work effectively with a wide cross-section of the community representing diverse backgrounds, cultures and socio-economic circumstances, and divergent goals.
Flexibility: Managing and adjusting own behaviors to work effectively in light of new information, changing situations and/or different environments and with various people. It entails understanding and appreciating difference and opposing perspectives on an issue, adapting one’s approach as the requirements fo a situation change. Easily accepting changes in one’s own organization or job requirements.
Initiative: Identifying and dealing with issues pro-actively and persistently, seizing opportunities that arise.
RELATIONSHIPS/CONTACTS
Supervisor’s Title: Senior Design Engineer This position supervises 0 employees
Internal Contacts External Contacts
Halifax Regional Water Commission General Public
Traffic Services Utility Companies
Environmental and ROW Services Contractors Parks & Recreation Facilities Consultants
Geographic Information Services Suppliers Planning & Development Services
Financial Services Procurement
Real Estate Services Councillors
WORKING CONDITIONS
Overtime may be required on rare occasions. Working hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Environmental Demands
This position requires work to be carried out in a busy office environment with visits to construction sites where adverse weather conditions, rugged terrain, vehicle traffic, dust, fumes, chemicals, compresses gas, heavy equipment, and noise may be present.
Psychological Demands
• Resolve conflicts arising internally and externally during the design and construction process.
• Provide fair solutions to requests from concerned parties.
• Working environment associated with construction industry is intense, with pressures to provide timely, accurate and professional service with changing priorities for a significant volume of work.
Physical Demands
Intense visual concentration Always
Intense listening concentration Often
Ability to sit for long periods of time Often
Ability to stand for long periods of time. Rarely
Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull (under ten lbs) Often
Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull (over ten lbs) Rarely
Other heavy physical effort: Never
Use of hands Always
Repetitive physical actions: Often
Ability to walk and/or climb stairs Always
Hand - eye coordination Always
Ability to kneel Rarely
Ability to crawl Rarely
Ability to reach Rarely
Ability to twist Rarely
Ability to bend Rarely
Incumbent Employee Signature Date Brian Hebb Eugene Hennebury Dean Knowles Jim LeClair Rhonda MacKinnon Janet MacLeod Linda Ward Signatures:
Completed by: David Hubley, P.Eng., Manager, Design & Construction Services Signature: _____________________________
Date: ________________________ Reviewed by Director:
Director: Mike Labrecque, P.Eng., Transportation and Public Works Services Director Signature: _____________________________
Date: ________________________ Reviewed by Human Resources:
Name: ____________________________ Signature: _____________________________ Date:________________________
