Design Lead
CityOfNewYork· Government· Oct 8, 2026 · 20d ago
Queens, NY, United States
In office
Full-time
Lead
$138K–$191K est.
Job description
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water, managing wastewater and storm water, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.
The Bureau of Engineering Design & Construction (BEDC) currently has a portfolio of capital projects valued at $35B, and another $13.6B projected over the next 10-year commitment plan. The projects BEDC implements allows DEP as a whole to continue to operate and maintain an exemplary water supply system.
BEDC In-House Design (IHD) directorate provides design and engineering services to meet operations’ needs in a manner consistent with BEDC’s core values of safety, schedule, quality, and customer service. IHD supports projects from the business case through preliminary design, design, procurement construction, and finally with the turnover to operations. The directorate includes two divisions: Design Services and Engineering Services.
IHD’s Design Services includes the Architectural, Site Civil, Structural, Process Mechanical/HVAC, Tunnel Mechanical, and Electrical discipline sections. Each design section prepares design and construction documents including engineering plans and specifications for the construction of water supply, sewer, and wastewater treatment infrastructure. They also provide design services during construction. IHD projects are typically of the highest priority for the Agency. The projects worked on are some of the largest public work contracts administered by the City. They are vital to the health and welfare of the citizens of New York and allow the designers to leave a lasting legacy by creating facilities that will be utilized for generations to come.
IHD’s Engineering Services includes the Quality Assurance, Quality Assurance Lab, Specifications/Standard Operating Procedures, Sustainability, and BIM/CADD sections. The Engineering Services division focuses on sustainability, resiliency, laboratory material testing, quality reviews and inspections, standardization of documents, project delivery standards and uses current BIM/CADD technology to streamline engineering design processes. The division defines and maintains standards for project management, project delivery, contract specifications and sustainability within BEDC in order to deliver the best and most efficient version of a capital project. The Quality Assurance Section implements the bureau’s quality assurance program. The program ensures that all construction and engineering projects meet established quality standards for safety, performance, and regulatory compliance. This includes developing and enforcing manufacturing criteria, defining and overseeing equipment testing procedures, and conducting both shop-level and field-level verification of materials and installations.
BEDC seeks to hire an Environmental Engineer 3 (Design Lead) for the IHD Process Mechanical Section, in our Lefrak Office in Queens, NY. The Process Mechanical Section is responsible for creating sustainable mechanical engineering designs for capital improvement projects that, in conjunction with other engineering disciplines, develop and shape DEP’s public infrastructure, and assist in the continued operation and maintenance of exemplary wastewater pumping and treatment systems to protect New York City’s public environment. The Process Mechanical Section is focused on large capital projects associated with the City Wastewater Collection, Pumping and Treatment Systems and infrastructures.
The selected candidate, under supervision of the Section Manager, will lead the design and the delivery of capital projects through the design phase with the preparation of engineering documents for process mechanical equipment needed within wastewater treatment infrastructure and other miscellaneous facilities. The candidate may also perform work in construction phase of projects to provide design services during construction. Specific duties that the selected candidate will be engaged in include, but are not necessarily limited to, mentoring and supervising lower level engineers, acting as a design lead on selected projects, preparation and sealing of drawings, specifications, and preparing design calculations for process mechanical equipment, such as large valves, piping, pumps, heating and ventilation equipment, plumbing and fire protection equipment, and developing and conducting field and shop testing of equipment as needed. The selected candidate may also oversee / supervise the preparation of contract drawings and/or prepare and edit extremely complex specifications and/or perform extremely complex calculations in conformance with Bureau Standards. S/he may also review extremely complex and highly specialized designs prepared by outsourced engineering firms and subordinates for the same types of facilities. The Design Lead will be required to travel operating a motor vehicle to job sites to perform site investigations, equipment testing, inspections, and attend site meetings with stakeholders during the design and construction phases of projects, as needed.
**** Only those applicants with permanent Civil Service status as an Environmental Engineer 3 or have taken the DCAS Civil Service exams # 6056/6528, are eligible to apply to this JVN. If you do not have permanent civil service status as an Environmental Engineer or have not taken the DCAS Civil Service exams # 6056/6528, please do not apply for this position as you will not be considered for an interview. ****
PREFERRED SKILLS
1. Experience in the planning and preparation of layout and details of contract drawings, specifications, review of shop drawings, field inspections and investigations for heating, ventilation, air conditioning plumbing, fire protection, and wastewater piping, pumping, and valve applications.
2. Knowledge in the application of American Water Works Association (AWWA), American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) standards, NYC building codes and standards, American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASRAE) Standards, Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) Standards, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards as well as 10 State Standards for wastewater facilities.
3. Experience in material and equipment selection, methods used in construction, and making engineering recommendations for alterations, repairs, and testing. Four years or more experience in mentoring and supervising junior level engineers.
4. Preference will be given to candidates with ten years or more experience in HVAC/plumbing/fire protection design work, AutoCAD experience and computer knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
5. Strong skills in research, analysis, and report writing on technical issues and in verbal communication.
6. Ability to organize, prioritize, meet deadlines, and multitask.
7. A valid New York State Driver’s license.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER - 20618
1. A valid New York State Professional Engineer License and four years of full-time experience in environmental engineering. A master's degree in environmental engineering from an accredited college will be accepted as equivalent to one year of the
full-time experience in environmental engineering.
SPECIAL NOTE:
In addition to above qualification requirements, to be eligible for placement in Assignment Level II or III, individuals must have at least one year within the last three years of experience as a major contributor or a project leader on a complex project requiring additional and specific expertise in the disciplines needed to design or construct the project.
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
Application prep
Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.
- Platform
- smartrecruiters
- Effort
- medium
Benefits
Benefits detected in the listing.
Vision