Dam Safety Engineer - Inspection and Review

Job Title:
Dam Safety Engineer - Inspection and Review
 
Overview:
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO. MBS is a subsidiary of Sealaska Corporation, an Alaskan Native-owned Small Disadvantaged Business.

Application Development- Whether you need to modernize existing systems or build brand new ones, we analyze, design, build, implement, and migrate existing functionality into modernized applications for your organization using agile processes. We combine expertise in custom-built as well as low-code platform development to provide the most value for your project.

Geospatial Integration & Analysis - We specialize in data and technology. Whether you are looking to move your GIS to the cloud to take advantage of a microservices architecture like Kubernetes, develop custom .NET/Python/Javascript applications, integrate with other enterprise systems like Salesforce and ServiceNow, or perform geospatial and cartographic analysis, our GIS experts can help you build the tools you need to tell your story.

Data Engineering - We can help you get your data where it needs to be and when it needs to be there, in the right format. Whether you need a one-time data migration for a modernization project or an ongoing ETL / ELT process for your data analytics platform, we will build the data pipeline that is right for your project.

About this Role:
Managed Business Solutions (MBS) is seeking a full-time dam safety engineer to join our team with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Safety of Dams Program (SOD) on-site in Pierre, South Dakota, or nearby in the State of South Dakota. While having a primary focus on Dam inspection and process/document reviews relating to the safety of dams in the BIA Great Plains Region (GPR) which includes the states: (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska).  This position also may support any of the following in addition to its core inspection and evaluation duties: 1) Risk analysis, risk management and risk reduction, 2) Emergency management, including Emergency Action Plans and Early Warning Systems, 3) Dam security, 4) Dam design and construction, 5) Environmental compliance, 6) Dam maintenance and repairs 7) Contract management for any of the above.  Other MBS employees that support the BIA Dam Safety program are primarily located in Lakewood, Colorado, so this role will be somewhat remote, and the occupying individual will need to be self-sufficient. The individual who takes this role will be excellent at public speaking, as well as developing complex, multi-disciplinary documents that require nuanced and specialized analytical and modeling-based information. The individual who takes this role will be excellent at interfacing with the BIA GPR staff as well as stakeholders including tribal clientele. This position will be altered based on the qualified candidate’s experience level.

Job Summary:
This individual will assist with organizing, planning, coordinating, training, and implementing BIA’s nationwide early warning system research, dam-site investigation, planning, installation, and maintenance efforts. 

Duties/Responsibilities:
•    Contributes to the development of, prepares, and reviews technical work products with multiple facets of dam safety including: (1) Dam inspections, evaluations, risk analysis, risk management and risk reduction, (2) Comprehensive and periodic reviews.
•    Develops extensive knowledge of the various activities and organization of the BIA, and its workflow process to integrate with technical work efforts and provide support to its programs and functions.
•    Ability to create multi-disciplinary technical documents that reflect research, agency needs, downstream community needs, as they relate to the unique dam needs.
•    Provides technical direction in dam safety engineering based on extensive technical knowledge and experience, while incorporating existing BIA and Department of the Interior (DOI) guidelines, regulations, and policy as necessary.
•    Meets, cooperates, and consults with personnel in the other bureaus and services in the Department of the Interior, Federal and non-federal agencies regarding the Bureau of Indian Affairs Safety of Dams Program issues of common interest and makes specific recommendations to achieve proper goals.
•    Provides technical guidance and assistance to the BIA Regional, Tribal, and Field personnel.
•    Visits field locations on an as-needed basis, which may entail multiple day durations and travel to remote locations up to 35% of the time.
•    Creates and delivers dam safety related oral presentations to governmental conferences, tribal groups, and other organizations as required and directed by the BIA SOD branch Chief, GPR SOD officer, or other authority.
Provides Technical Guidance, Policy Development, and Oversight to SOD Programs (25%)
•    Assists and advises the Bureau of Indian Affairs Safety of Dam Branch Chief and staff in the development, implementation, and oversight of guidelines for risk analysis, inspection and evaluation of existing dams.
•    Provides oversight and guidance on BIA dam safety program areas.
•    Provides professional and technical direction in dam safety activities based on extensive technical knowledge and experience, while incorporating existing BIA and DOI guidelines, regulations, and policy is necessary.
•    Continuously appraises policy and effectiveness of operations for the purpose of recommending adjustments to programs based on available funds and conformance to BIA and DOI policies, procedures, and professional technical standards, and for reviewing, drafting, and keeping current the regulations, delegations of authority, and other directives controlling the BIA SOD.
•    Provides statistical and other reports in support of the program and oversees revision of contract and other forms necessary to accomplish BIASafety of Dams Program activities.
•    Works with Bureau of Indian Affairs employees and Managed Business Solutions staff to develop, update, modernize, and maintain a multi-discipline comprehensive Emergency Action Planning Program to reflect the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ emergency management needs.
•    Reports to and takes lead from Bureau of Indian Affairs Safety of Dams Program employees and Managed Business Solutions staff.
•    Writes documents to support dam safety.
•    Assists with other Bureau of Indian Affairs dam safety program needs as they arise.
•    Other duties as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities: 
•    Must be able to demonstrate skills and interest in water resources or distribution.
•    Must be able to demonstrate skills in conceiving, planning and problem solving in areas of considerable scope and complexity requiring unconventional or novel approaches and sophisticated techniques.
•    Must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills.
•    Must demonstrate ability to work independently but also within a team environment.
•    Must demonstrate excellent communication and writing skills. 
•    Must demonstrate ability to work independently but also within a team environment.
•    Must be able to operate a variety of vehicles both rental and federal.
•    Ability to diagnose and remedy technical and mechanical problems with little or no oversite.

Education and Experience:
•    Bachelor of Science in Civil, Agricultural, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or similar from an ABET Accredited Institution or higher-level degree in a science or management field.
•    Evidence of obtaining professional engineering licensure (P.E.) in any state is required.
•    At least 4 years of experience participating in design/inspection or analysis of water resource, dam construction, or dam safety related efforts required. The position offer will be adjusted based on the individual’s experience level.
•    Experience with Federal Design standards of dams, levees and/or associated infrastructure is required.
•    If a more senior level position, at least 3 years of experience leading technical efforts related to dam safety, emergency action or related efforts is required.

Working Conditions 
The physical and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: 
•    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to walk, use hands to finger, handle objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; bending or crouching; talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 
•    Some lifting of files, opening cabinets. 
•    Bending or standing as necessary.
•    Must be able to lift 60 pounds.
•    Must be able to be on your feet in an outdoor setting 8-10 hours a day in adverse weather conditions and uneven or difficult terrain in a remote environment.

Work Environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions and other elements prevalent at the time. 

This description is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills or working conditions associated with the position. It is intended to accurately reflect the activities and requirements of the position, but duties may be added, deleted, or modified, as necessary. This description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.