Right-of-Way Engineering Technician I/II/III

Skagit County

Skagit County

Mt Vernon, WA, USA

USD 29.87-36.65 / hour

Posted on May 30, 2026

Summary

Depending upon qualifications, the successful candidate will be appointed at either the Right-Of-Way (ROW) Engineering Technician I, II, or III level.

The ROW Engineering Technician handles public permit requests for development within the County’s rights-of-way. The Right-of-way Engineering Technician III functions as a highly experienced technician, regularly completing highly complex assignments and regularly assists other employees with related tasks. Positions are assigned to a specific division or section within Public Works but may be assigned tasks across divisions/sections as needed.

Salary upon hire is step 1 through 3 dependent upon qualifications:

  • ROW Engineering Technician I - $29.87/hr. - $31.98/hr.
  • ROW Engineering Technician II - $31.98/hr. - $34.26/hr.
  • ROW Engineering Technician III - $34.26/hr. - $36.65/hr.
Progressive increases are based on years of services with Skagit County, up to 8 total steps. Top steps and ranges are listed below:
  • ROW Engineering Technician I - Top step $37.91/hr. The ROW Engineering Technician I is range 13 of the AFSCME Public Works salary schedule.
  • ROW Engineering Technician II - Top step $40.66/hr. The ROW Engineering Technician II is range 14 of the AFSCME Public Works salary schedule.
  • ROW Engineering Technician III - Top step $43.57/hr. The ROW Engineering Technician III is range 15 of the AFSCME Public Works salary schedule.

Note: You must attach a cover letter and resume to your application in order to be considered

Essential Functions

Depending on assignment, duties may include:

  • Research maps, engineering data, records, legal descriptions, and related documents to support engineering assignments.
  • Review right of way construction permit applications for impacts related to utilities, traffic, and transportation.
  • Review plans for building permits, land use permits, and land disturbance permits, including technical reports for environmental assessments, stormwater analysis, and storm system designs.
  • Attend and participate in meetings, such as pre-application and pre-construction meetings with applicants, citizens, and interested parties to explain requirements, develop transparency and ensure full disclosure of applicable land development activities.
  • Meet with developers, property owners, engineers, contractors, utility companies, and the public to identify and help resolve construction related problems.
  • Coordinate and conduct plan review and field inspection of land development and right of way construction to ensure compliance with subdivision, right of way use, drainage regulations, and established construction practices.
  • Review Transportation Impact Analyses (TIA) and assign development requirements based on traffic study findings and applicable codes and standards.
  • Review of traffic control plans based on the MUTCD
  • Serve as liaison between Public Works and Planning staff to provide coordinated development review comments.
  • Investigate code compliance violations, coordinate responses, and collaborate with Public Works staff and other departments to resolve issues.
  • Research and process requests for deviations, variances, and right of way vacations.
  • Review bonding and surety documentation associated with development projects.
  • Provide testimony and presentations at County Hearing Examiner proceedings and other public meetings when required.
  • Provide guidance to the Engineering Division to resolve engineering challenges as it pertains to stormwater, transportation, utility, and development issues.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS:
May be tasked with performing related duties. Related duties as required are duties that may not be specifically listed in the position description but are within the general occupational series and responsibility level typically associated with the employee's classification of work.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical path to obtaining the required qualifications would be:

ROW Engineering Technician I:

  • Completion of a two (2)-year vocational course in Civil Engineering Technology/Planning, OR;
  • Two (2) years of college/university pre-engineering/planning courses (inclusive of Biology, Chemistry, or Geology), OR;
  • Two (2) years of experience in engineering, development review, surface water management, transportation planning, right-of-way permitting, construction inspection, or the construction trades OR;
  • Any combination that provides a total of two (2) years of training/experience to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the work.

ROW Engineering Technician II:
  • Completion of a two (2)-year vocational course in Civil Engineering Technology/Planning or two (2) years of college/university pre-engineering/planning courses, and two (2) years of experience in civil engineering, development review, surface water management, transportation planning, right-of-way permitting, construction inspection, or construction trades, OR;
  • Any combination that provides a total of four (4) years of training to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to perform the work, and a minimum of one (1) year of civil engineering, development review, surface water management, transportation planning, right-of-way permitting, construction inspection, or construction trades.
  • When filled as an advancement from a Row Engineering Tech I to Row Engineering Tech II, a Technician I will be eligible with any combination that demonstrates a total of four (4) years’ experience with at least one (1) year within the Public Works Department (other Public Works agencies are equivalent) and meets the requirements outlined in the job description. Promotion is based upon demonstrated proficiency in performing assigned functions, has satisfactory evaluations, supervisor and director recommendation using the County’s progression promotion request procedure, and adequate budget. Final approval of promotion to Row Engineering Technician II remains with the County Administrator or designee.

ROW Engineering Technician III:
  • Completion of a two (2)-year vocational course in Civil Engineering Technology/Planning or two (2) years of college/university pre-engineering/planning courses, and five (5) years of experience in civil engineering, development review, surface water management, transportation planning, right-of-way permitting, construction inspection, or construction trades, OR;
  • A four (4) year Civil Engineering or Planning degree, and three (3) years of experience in civil engineering, development review, surface water management, transportation planning, right-of-way permitting, construction inspection, or construction trades, OR;
  • Any combination that provides a total of seven (7) years of training to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to perform the work with a minimum of three (3) years of civil engineering plan review or construction inspection required.
  • When filled as an advancement from a Row Engineering Tech II to Row Engineering Tech III, a Technician II will be eligible with any combination that demonstrates a total of seven (7) years’ experience with at least two (2) years within the Public Works Department (other Public Works agencies are equivalent) and meets the requirements outlined in the job description. Promotion is based upon demonstrated proficiency in performing assigned functions, has satisfactory evaluations, supervisor and director recommendation using the County’s progression promotion request procedure, and adequate budget. Final approval of promotion to Row Engineering Technician III remains with the County Administrator or designee.

Requires the knowledge of, or the ability to learn:
Applicants/Promotions should know the majority of the required knowledge at the time of hire/promotion and show the aptitude to learn the remainder through on-the-job-training.

ROW Engineering Technician I:
  • Civil engineering principles, practices and construction methods
  • Basic high school level geometry, trigonometry, algebra, and writing.
  • General office policies and procedures.
  • Customer service principles and etiquette.
  • Introductory knowledge of construction methods.
  • Introductory knowledge of transportation and traffic concepts.
  • Introductory knowledge of stormwater systems and drainage concepts.
  • Introductory knowledge of utilities and their impact on right-of-way infrastructure.
  • Basic permitting processes in Engineering and Planning.
  • Basic County codes and road standards.

ROW Engineering Technician II:
  • Same as ROW Engineering Technician I
  • Applicable local, state, and federal laws, codes, regulations, and ordinances
  • Construction materials, methods, and techniques
  • Transportation analysis, traffic control plans, and the MUTCD
  • Stormwater regulations and design
  • Land surveying and field mapping techniques
  • Public works infrastructure design concepts
  • The permitting process for both Engineering and Planning departments.

ROW Engineering Technician III:
  • Same as ROW Engineering Technician II
  • Construction inspection, survey calculations and hydraulic calculations.
  • Advanced civil engineering principles and sound engineering judgment.
  • Expert-level knowledge of stormwater engineering, drainage design, and surface-water management.
  • Legal encumbrances related to land entitlement processes.
  • Comprehensive understanding of development regulations and infrastructure standards.
  • Bonding and project surety requirements.
  • Right-of-way vacation processes and legal considerations that pertain to ROW.

Requires the ability to:
Applicants/Promotions should have the ability to perform the following tasks at the time of hire/promotion and show the aptitude to learn the remaining skills through on-the-job-training.

ROW Engineering Technician I:
  • Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
  • Read, interpret, and apply technical documents, maps, and legal descriptions.
  • Provide effective customer service using tact, discretion, and courtesy.
  • Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with staff, other agencies, and the public.
  • Perform physical fieldwork and work outdoors in varying conditions.
  • Use Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Windows) proficiently.
  • Use permit-tracking software (e.g., EPL) and plan-review tools (e.g., Bluebeam Revu) with training.

ROW Engineering Technician II:
  • Same as ROW Engineering Technician I
  • Read, understand, and apply detailed code provisions and road standards to project proposals and permits.
  • Write clear and concise responses to applicants, including imposing permit conditions when required.
  • Coordinate reviews across multiple divisions and agencies.
  • Analyze engineering plans and identify compliance issues or needed corrections.
  • Deal effectively with consulting engineers, contractors, utility companies, and the public.
  • Work independently and help refine departmental procedures.
  • Use permit-tracking (e.g. EPL) and plan-review software proficiently (e.g. Bluebeam Revu).

ROW Engineering Technician III:
  • Same as ROW Engineering Technician II
  • Apply advanced engineering judgment to complex, sensitive, or high-impact development proposals.
  • Resolve complex engineering problems in stormwater design, transportation impacts, and land development.
  • Lead multi-department project coordination.
  • Mentor lower-level staff.
  • Develop, revise, and document procedures at the program level.
  • Provide authoritative recommendations and defend decisions in formal public settings, e.g. to a Hearing Examiner.
  • Represent the division as a technical expert on complex issues.
  • Analysis and respond to more complex ROW questions such as legal encumbrances related to land entitlement process.
  • Independently investigate code-compliance violations and coordinate responses.

Licenses and/or Certifications:
Washington State driver's license

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
70% of work is performed in an office environment. 30% of work is on project sites with exposure to varying weather and terrain conditions. Must be able to stand or walk on uneven terrain for extended periods, climb, lift equipment or samples up to 40 pounds, and have sufficient hand-eye coordination to operate computers and surveying equipment.

Hazards:
Physical hazards on-site may include traffic and construction equipment.

Supplemental Information

SELECTION PROCESS:
Following review of applications, resumes and cover letters, the highest qualified applicants will be interviewed and may be tested. After a selection is made, all applicants not selected will be notified in writing. Skagit County reserves the right to use applications received for this posting to fill any other positions within this classification which may open within six months following the closing of this position.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Skagit County, as an equal employment opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply. It is the policy of Skagit County to follow all federal and state laws to ensure non-discrimination in its employment practices. American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Notice: Individuals, who need an ADA accommodation to complete the application, test or interview process, please call: (360) 416-1380.

The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the essential functions of this position, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or otherwise to balance the workload. Changes to the position description may be made at the discretion of the employer.