Water Structures – Engineering Associate

Overview

This position will remain posted until filled.

Location: KDA Headquarters – Riley County, Kansas, preferred or other alternative locations are:

Topeka Field Office – Shawnee County, Kansas or

Stockton Field Office – Rooks County, Kansas or

Stafford Field Office – Stafford County, Kansas or

Garden City Field Office – Finney County, Kansas

Job Summary:

The duties of this position are of professionally supervised engineering work, involving specialized aspects of water resources engineering work, involving specialized aspects of water resources engineering. The work includes complex detailed reviews of engineering plans, specifications, and reports; conducting inspections, and reviewing emergency action plans, breach analyses, and inundation maps. The work also includes compiling engineering data, database maintenance and file organization. Report writing and documentation of work is required. Work requires moderate independent decision making.

The incumbent reviews Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) and inundation maps for adequacy and compliance with state regulations and request the necessary information to meet requirements. Contact owners of high hazard dams to establish deadlines for EAP submittals. Assists dam owners with the development of EAPs by providing technical assistance and guidance regarding Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines. Organize and conduct tabletop exercises and seminars for EAPs to ensure that the affected population understands the actions to take to protect and minimize the loss of property, lives, and resources in the events of an emergency. This includes coordinating with local officials and assisting dam safety engineers by participating in seminars and exercise.
Assist in review of consultant prepared dam safety inspection reports. Follow up with dam owners and provides technical assistance when appropriate. Engineering judgment is exercised within the regulatory framework to make recommendations for agency actions or owner response to ensure protection of public health and safety.
Provides information and technical assistance to owners and designers related to dams and regulations. Scan and file correspondence into the Water Resources documents management system. Microfilm and file documents for dams will also need reviewed to updated calculate missing data in the water structures inventory (WSI) database.
Conduct onsite inspections of existing dams to determine if they are maintained and operated in a safe manner and in compliance with established rules and regulations. Inspections are done as a response to complaints while others are done to determine jurisdiction and to meet statutory requirements. A report is to be completed following the inspection. Enforcement actions are outlined in correspondence to the dam owner to ensure clear, timely communication critical to the dam owner.
Organize and manage the biennial dam safety conference, including helping set the agenda, contacting outside speakers, arranging facilities, creating information mailings and managing attendance records.  Manage a portion of the agency’s web site dedicated to dam safety and maintain e-mail lists to notify the Kansas dam safety community of upcoming events or items of interest.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science in engineering or related field.
Engineer in Training (FE or EIT)
Must be physically able to conduct field inspections.
Must be able to travel in-state and out of state including overnight.
Employee must have a valid Class C (or higher) Kansas driver’s license or equivalent license from another state. Employee is responsible to maintain an acceptable driving record to safely drive state vehicle and be willing and able to fulfill all job-related travel normally associated with this position.
Preferred Qualifications (Not Required):

Education in engineering hydraulics, hydrology and soil mechanics is strongly preferred.
Good written and verbal communications skills are strongly preferred.
Experience with GIS software and emergency response is strongly preferred.
Experience with hydrology and hydraulics are preferred.

Compensation:

Annual Salary Range: $62,000 to $65,000 per year
Hourly Pay Range: $29.81 to $31.25 per hour

Employment Benefits:

Comprehensive medical, mental, dental, vision, and additional coverage
Sick & Vacation leave
Work-Life Balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave
Paid State Holidays (designated by the Governor annually)
Fitness Centers in select locations
Employee discounts with the STAR Program
Retirement and deferred compensation programs