Engineering Assistant

Engineering Assistant

Salary

$42.42 Hourly

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26- Engineering Assistant

Department

Public Works

Division

Public Works Engineering

Opening Date

06/22/2026

Closing Date

7/7/2026 4:30 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Local 1937

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Nature of Work

Join the City of Bellinghams Public Works Department as our next Engineering Assistant and play a key role in advancing meaningful Public Works projects that support our community's infrastructure. This position offers a dynamic blend of technical work, collaboration, and problem-solving in a fast-paced environment. Join us in shaping the future of our community by applying online today!

The Engineering Assistant performs technical engineering design tasks and engineering computations for Public Works projects. Interprets and translates raw field data into computerized drawings using computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) systems, Geographic Information System (GIS) and engineering design software. Facilitates the processing of permits required for projects. Recommends and maintains design, drafting and data collection standards for engineering projects. Coordinates production of digital base mapping by consultants. Conducts technical research, analyzes data and generates customized reports and graphic presentations. Researches and provides technical assistance to the general public, City staff, contractors and consultants. Assists Project Engineers in preparing preliminary project design plans and supports Real Property, Construction, and Development teams with drafting tasks.

SALARY AND BENEFITS INFORMATION:

This position will start at Step 1 ($42.42/hour). Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 Collective Bargaining Agreement and City policy. The full hourly range for this position is $42.42- $55.35. For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy the peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here's a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page and labor agreements page.

• 10 hours of vacation leave per month, with increased accrual over time
• 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year
• 8 hours sick leave accrued monthly
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families
• Life insurance and long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security
• Optional 457 deferred compensation (Retirement Savings Plan) with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Closing Date/Time: Tues. 7/7/26, 4:30 PM Pacific Time

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Performs technical engineering design activities on Public Works projects. Uses field survey notes and electronic data, site inspections, GIS and engineering records to convert design concepts into detailed construction plans. Interprets and translates raw field data into computerized drawings utilizing the CADD system appropriate to level of responsibility. Uses engineering design software to create three-dimensional surface models, profiles and cross-sections. Performs preliminary project design tasks such as vertical and horizontal alignment, earthwork and quantity calculations, curb-return elevations, top and toe-of-slope calculations, and connections to existing improvements. Finalizes plans according to instructions from Project Engineer. All designs are reviewed and receive final approval from engineers to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Coordinates, facilitates and supports the permit application process for Public Works projects, including internal City permitting processes, as well as the permitting processes for regulatory agencies. Assists staff in preparing and tracking the status of permit applications.
• Coordinates production of digital base mapping and project files by consultants for capital improvement projects and other areas as needed. Assists in providing direction to, and scope of work for consultants. Reviews consultant work products to ensure accuracy, completeness, quality and conformance with standards.
• Recommends and maintains design, drafting and data collection standards for engineering projects. Assists defining departmental methods and standards for digital drawings and project files. Maintains a CADD library of layering conventions, symbols and line types, lettering styles, and standard sheets. Also assists developing customized CADD applications or routines.
• Researches and provides technical assistance and information to staff, consulting engineers, general public, and private developers. Utilizes GIS, CADD, and a variety of database and spreadsheet applications to analyze data and generate customized reports and graphic presentations.
• Supports Real Property, Construction, and Development teams with drafting simple design drawing, such as, alleyway improvements, maps of legal descriptions for property improvements, or similar drafting tasks.

ADDITIONAL WORK PERFORMED:

• Prepares check plots, maps, reports, exhibits or graphic displays as assigned.
• Researches and prepares computer-generated graphics for engineering and City Council presentations, lawsuits, crime and/or accident scene maps, etc.
• Performs other related work of a similar nature and level.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Work is primarily performed in an office setting and requires sitting and working for extended periods in front of a computer terminal. Occasionally visits to construction and land development sites required.

Physical abilities to perform the essential functions of the job, including:

• Frequently operate a computer and other office machinery such as a keyboard, mouse, phone and fax machine;
• Frequently communicate accurate information and ideas with others;
• Occasionally move between worksites;
• Occasionally transport boxes or equipment weighing up to 30lbs.

Experience and Training

• An Associate's degree in engineering technology or other relevant degree that includes coursework in surveying, civil engineering design, drafting utilizing CADD (preferably AutoCAD), and mapping utilizing GIS (preferably Esri products) required.
• AND -
• Four years of technical engineering experience involving transportation, water, sanitary sewer, or storm drainage improvement projects required.
• Two years of experience utilizing CADD and GIS graphics, associated civil engineering applications, and digital mapping required.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering technology or equivalent is preferred.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Employment contingent upon passing a criminal background check (See Fair Hiring Practices below).
• Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.

Selection Process

You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City's commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

Application Review Process:

• Minimum Qualifications: Applicants must provide specific, detailed information so an initial determination can be made regarding your level of qualifications for this position. Applicant status will be updated on or around July 8, 2026.
• Experience and Training Rating: Applicants that meet minimum qualifications will go through an Experience and Training Rating. Applicant status will be updated on or around July 17, 2026.
• The top six (6) scoring applicants from the Experience and Training Rating will be invited to participate in an Oral Board Interview, tentatively scheduled for July 29, 2026. Applicants must have a passing score of 60% or higher to be placed on the eligibility register.
• Applicants will be notified via email of Final Scores & Ranks. The final ranking of the register will be based on total scores for the following Experience and Training Rating (40%) and Oral Board Interview (60%).

Final candidates will be referred to the department for additional examination, assessment, or test.

This recruitment process will create a Civil Service eligibility register that will be used to fill current and future vacancies as they become available. There is currently 1 full-time vacancy in the Public Works Department. This position is represented by a union.

If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity:

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its work force. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individuals race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

• The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.
• The City will not inquire about an applicants criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.
• The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.
• The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section for additional information.

This position is represented by The Guild of Pacific Northwest Employees, Local 1937 bargaining unit. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the Local 1937 labor agreement.

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website for more information on PERS.

Civil Service Information

This position is subject to the Bellingham Civil Service Commission. When a vacancy occurs, the top fifteen candidates or the top 25% of the register will be forwarded to the department for further consideration. All new Civil Service employees are subject to a one-year probationary period. A candidate may challenge the scope, content, or method of an examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days following the date of the challenged examination. A candidate may also challenge the scoring of an examination or test, failure of the candidate on any part of an examination, or clerical error in examination results of any examination or test, and a protest may be filed in writing with the Examiner within five (5) days of notification of the challenged result. The Examiner shall consider all timely filed protests and make appropriate corrections if an error is demonstrated.

Veterans Scoring Criteria

Applicants who have been honorably discharged from active military duty may be eligible to receive veterans scoring criteria points as provided by Washington State Law (RCW 41.04.010). If you wish to claim Veterans' Preference Points, please complete the Veterans Scoring Criteria Declaration Form and upload it to your application with your DD214.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you have an associate's degree in engineering technology or another related field? That includes coursework in surveying, civil engineering design, CADD drafting (preferably using AutoCAD), and/or GIS-based mapping (preferably using Esri products).

• Yes
• No

03

Do you have four years of technical engineering experience involving transportation, water, sanitary sewer, or storm drainage improvement projects.

• Yes
• No

04

If yes, to the question above, please describe in detail: Your technical engineering experience related to transportation, water, sanitary sewer, or storm drainage improvement projects

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we'll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

05

Do you have two years of experience utilizing CADD and GIS graphics, associated civil engineering applications, and digital mapping.

• Yes
• No

06

If yes, to the question above, please describe in detail: Your experience using CADD and GIS graphics, including related civil engineering applications and digital mapping tools.

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we'll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

07

Do you have the following preferred qualifications?

• I hold a Bachelor's degree in engineering technology or equivalent.
• I do not hold a Bachelor's degree in engineering technology or equivalent.

08

This position requires managing multiple responsibilities with minimal supervision. Please provide an example of a time when you had to prioritize work tasks, apply effective problem-solving strategies, and meet critical deadlines.

09

The Engineering Assistant interacts with a variety of diverse groups of people including residents, public officials, employees, contractors, engineers, vendors, developers, and others. Describe a time when you had to communicate complex information to coworkers or members of the public. How did you ensure your message was clear and understood?

10

If you are requesting Veterans Preference points, a completed Veterans Scoring Criteria Status Declaration is required along with a copy of your DD214. The required form is in the Selections Process section of the Job Posting. Check "YES" here if you are attaching a Veterans Declaration form and DD214.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Bellingham

Address 104 West Magnolia Street

Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone 360-778-8220

Website http://www.cob.org/employment