Department: Water Services
Employee Group: Exempt
Location: 4515 Central Boulevard, Burnaby
Salary Range/ Wage Rate: Management / Leadership, Level M3B ($138,719.13 - $163,194.52 annually)

Our Water Services Department is seeking a Lead Senior Engineer, Treatment & Source Operations, to lead a team of engineers and technical staff supporting frontline operators. This leadership role is critical to the stewardship of our world-class water treatment facilities, high-consequence dams and supply sources that deliver clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water to more than three million residents

You are: a practical, resilient, and service-oriented leader who thrives in a fast-paced operating environment. You take pride in motivating your team to deliver critical programs and technical services that ensure continuous supply of world-class drinking water. Your technical expertise in water treatment and dam operations, combined with your ability to collaborate, enables you to drive continuous improvements and mitigate operational risks. As a strategic thinker, you make data-driven decisions, adapt to shifting priorities, and provide clear, confident direction to your team.

The Lead Senior Engineer reports to the Division Manager, Technical & Support Services.

This role:

• Provides leadership to a team of professional engineers and technical staff responsible for complex and varied engineering, project management, utility operations program management and technical work. Works strategically to optimize operations and address matters impacting the utility’s overall performance.
• Accountable for budget administration, preparation and reporting. Monitors and controls spending ensuring the effective and efficient expenditure of allocated funds. Develops and reviews RFQ’s, RFP’s and tenders, working with Purchasing to ensure the timely award of contracts. Contributes to the preparation of long range financial plans and provides input to strategic initiatives.
• Provides guidance on technical issues, corporate policies, and program management and ensures work is undertaken in conformance with corporate standards and policies. Makes independent decisions and recommendations within broad policies and mandates and uses judgment and ingenuity to devise practical and economical solutions.
• Develops or provides input to technical standards, policies and procedures in accordance with corporate objectives. Sets group standards considering all relevant information such as applicable design codes, specifications, operational requirements and previous experience.
• Makes decisions and/or recommendations on hiring engineering and technical consultants based on workload, costing, scheduling, expertise, and other factors. Oversees work carried out by multi-disciplinary consultants and contractors, including reviewing and providing direction on design, construction and contract administration. Ensures work is undertaken in conformance with corporate standards and policies, and meets the requirements of the project.
• Prepares and reviews a range of written material including reports, recommendations, technical memoranda and technical specifications. May deliver presentations for various audiences including the public as required.
• Supervises, directs and motivates staff monitoring performance towards division, department and corporate objectives; ensures staff adhere to EGBC Professional Governance Act, workplace conduct and purchasing policies.
• Leads, coaches, mentors and develops staff recognizing the importance of leadership, supervisory and technical training; develops and sustains a flexible workforce encouraging staff to pursue opportunities that complement their skills and experience.
• Works collaboratively with staff to resolve complex technical, design, operational, or interpersonal issues staff encounter while doing their work. Facilitates information sharing among staff to transfer knowledge and experience and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the team. Provides leadership to address critical and complex operational emergencies; coordinates staff and makes decisions to mitigate risks.
• Establishes effective working relationships with various outside agencies as well as other internal departments. Works collaboratively with departmental staff to deliver on strategic O&M initiatives.
• Upholds Metro Vancouver’s reputation through positive and forthright dealings with other organizations and members of the public. Understands the organizational culture and the processes/mechanisms necessary to attain work objectives.
• May provide advice, recommendations and follow up to the Metro Vancouver Board, Committees and municipal councils.
• Performs other related duties as required.

To be successful, you have:

• Bachelor of Applied Science Degree in Engineering. 8-10 years of recent related experience following professional registration; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Membership or eligibility for immediate membership as a registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC).
• Extensive technical expertise related to infrastructure systems operations and understanding of relevant engineering principles. Experience specific to dam operations and/or water treatment is an asset. Knowledge related to providing engineering technical support for a large complex utility such Metro Vancouver’s drinking water utility. Superior ability to troubleshoot complex challenges affecting diverse aspects of the water system. Ability to interpret, apply and advise others on engineering and related guidelines such as technical manuals, codes and regulations, contracting policies, safety regulations and corporate and Board policies. Ability to adapt or adjust guidelines and procedures for unique or problem situations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including sound report writing and presentation skills. Ability to communicate complex information and implications to diverse audiences. Ability to explain difficult concepts and persuade others to adopt a point of view or way of doing things.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain effective working relationships. Skill in dealing openly, tactfully and sensitively in a variety of situations. Ability to effectively lead a team and work collaboratively. Deals effectively with disagreements and prevents the escalation of conflict.
• Proven ability to use judgment to resolve complex problems; seeks solutions in congruence with the organization’s objectives and values. Ability to develop and revise procedures and plans to address problems and changing circumstances. Seeks to include staff in decisions that will impact them; works cooperatively to resolve differences of opinion.
• Proven contract administration and project management skills and excellent attention to detail including troubleshooting and resolving complex contractual issues. Demonstrated ability to lead a complex series of project components and deliver projects on time and on budget.
• Ability to manage a complex portfolio of work while establishing ambitious and challenging goals; demonstrated ability to deliver on multiple projects simultaneously; demonstrates persistence in overcoming obstacles. Responds to changing priorities due to internal or external pressures resulting in revised schedules and a reallocation of resources.
• Ability to supervise, coach and guide others while enhancing individual and team effectiveness. Ability to mentor and foster the development of direct reports.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, Outlook and Project.
• Valid BC Class 5 Driver’s License.