Organization:
City of Loveland, CO
Location:
Loveland, CO
Recruiter:
Catherine Tuck-Parrish
The City Engineer will step into a vital leadership role as a member of the department’s executive team. The Public Works Department has a strong foundation of collaboration across the organization in place, a motivated team, and a clear three-year strategic agenda. It needs a skilled, people-centered engineer to drive that work forward with consistency, innovation, and a genuine commitment to the community. This is a rare opportunity to shape how a fast-growing Colorado city plans, builds, and manages its infrastructure for the next generation of residents and businesses.
Reporting directly to the Public Works Director, the City Engineer provides forward-focused operational and engineering leadership for a diverse portfolio that includes Traffic Operations, Transportation Engineering, Capital Projects, Street and Right-of-Way Management, and Development and Planning. The position holds responsibility for the full lifecycle of infrastructure delivery — from master planning and capital improvement programming through procurement, construction, and ongoing asset management. The City Engineer administers multiple operating and capital budgets drawing on a range of funding sources including state and federal grants, the Street Capital Expansion Fee Program, the General Fund, Utility Funds, and Street Maintenance Fees. The City Engineer actively pursues external funding opportunities to extend the City's infrastructure investment capacity. A strong emphasis on on-time, on-budget project delivery and measurable performance outcomes runs through everything this role does.
This role sits at the intersection of technical engineering excellence and organizational leadership. The City Engineer guides citywide master plan development and periodic updates, including transportation planning and stormwater standards, and provides technical leadership for development regulations and design standards to ensure alignment with both industry best practices and community goals. The position oversees the transportation development review process and provides leadership on the City's involvement in land use decisions with engineering implications. Key near-term priorities include standardizing project delivery processes, advancing Public Works toward APWA Accreditation by 2028, supporting updating the Stormwater Master Plan, and strengthening the ROW and stormwater permitting framework.
The City Engineer works collaboratively across the City organization as a Public Works leader, supporting a One-City strategic direction while providing leadership for department-wide priorities. The position coordinates closely with neighboring municipalities, Larimer County, CDOT and regional agencies to advance transportation safety, infrastructure, and funding initiatives. Externally, the City Engineer represents the City at the local, regional, state, and national levels and serves as a key point of contact for the development community, residents, and stakeholders on capital projects, programs, and policy.
The next City Engineer is a technically grounded, people-first leader who brings equal measures of engineering credibility and organizational savvy to a fast-growing community with big infrastructure ambitions. This is a leader who understands that great engineering outcomes depend just as much on strong, one-team relationships and clear communication as they do on technical expertise. The ideal candidate is comfortable operating at the intersection of strategy and operations, can hold the long view on infrastructure planning while remaining engaged in the day-to-day realities of project delivery, and approaches every interaction—whether with a direct report, a developer, or a City Council member—with transparency, respect, and a genuine commitment to Loveland's community.
The successful candidate is a skilled manager who invests in their people. They lead through trust and accountability, delegate with confidence, and prioritize professional development as a core part of their leadership practice. This person creates an environment where staff feel supported and empowered to do their best work, where feedback flows in both directions, and where the "one city, one team" approach is the norm rather than the aspiration. The ideal candidate brings proven experience leading multi-disciplinary teams across diverse functions and understands the importance of setting clear expectations, recognizing contribution, and addressing workplace challenges constructively and promptly.
Relationship-building is a strength of this candidate. They are a collaborative partner across the City organization, and they bring a track record of building productive working relationships with regional agencies, the development community, neighboring jurisdictions, and state and federal partners. This leader communicates with clarity and intention, whether presenting a capital program to City Council, navigating a complex development review, or explaining a project delay to a community member. They listen as well as they speak, and they know how to build consensus around difficult decisions.
The ideal City Engineer brings deep knowledge of civil engineering principles as applied to transportation planning and design, traffic operations, stormwater management, floodplain considerations, and urban infrastructure systems. They have a strong command of capital improvement program management, procurement best practices, and the mechanics of administering diverse funding sources including grants, special fees, and general fund allocations. The successful candidate is experienced in overseeing development review and providing technical leadership on design standards and development regulations, and they understand how to align those frameworks with both industry best practices and community goals.
Minimum requirements include a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related field and eight years of experience with a strong background in urban infrastructure systems and urban design, including transportation planning street design, street and intersection design and construction, traffic engineering, drainage systems, floodplain considerations, and integrated stormwater management solutions. Other requirements include at least eight years of experience managing and overseeing staff and developing, monitoring, and regulating multiple budgets and projects as well as exercising discretionary judgment between intent and rules to make decisions. A Professional Engineer license registered in Colorado is required, or candidates must be able to obtain within six (6) months of hire date.
Preferred qualifications include a master's degree in civil engineering, public administration, or a closely related field. Experience in a public sector environment with direct responsibility for capital improvement program delivery, development review oversight, and administration of diverse funding sources including state and federal grants is strongly preferred. Familiarity with APWA accreditation processes, stormwater master planning, or ROW and permitting program development is a plus.
Candidates must be willing to reside within a reasonable commuting distance of Loveland, Colorado after hiring in order to respond in a timely way to emergencies. Relocation assistance may be available for the selected candidate.
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Incorporated in 1881, the City of Loveland is a full-service city serving a population of 82,460 across 36.6 square miles with an annual budget of $532 million and a team of 926 FTEs. The City operates under a Council-Manager form of government with a nine-member City Council led by the Mayor, who is elected for a two-year term by the community at large. Two council members are elected from each of the City's four wards to serve four-year terms. The City Manager is the chief executive officer of the City, appointed by City Council.
The City's management team works together to create an environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and growth. Departments include Economic Development, Finance, Human Resources, Utilities, Public Works, Police, Airport, Information Technology, City Clerk, Development Services, Community Partnership, Community Services, and Communication and Engagement.
The City of Loveland's Public Works Department provides planning, design, construction, and maintenance services for the public and the City's internal operations across 10 divisions: Business Services, Facilities Management, Fleet Maintenance, Solid Waste Management, Stormwater Engineering and Maintenance, Streets and Right-of-Way, Transit (COLT), Transportation Development, Transportation Engineering, and Traffic Operations. The department employs nearly 200 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees and carries a 2026 adopted budget of approximately $78 million, including $25.5 million in capital outlay.
The City Engineer's portfolio sits at the core of the department's infrastructure mission, with direct responsibility for approximately $30 million in adopted spending across Engineering, Street Repair and Maintenance, Traffic Engineering, and Transportation Development and a staff of 56 FTEs. The position reports to the Public Works Director and has 4 direct reports, including the Assistant City Engineer, Traffic Engineer, Streets & ROW Division Manager, and Development Review Engineering Manager. Loveland maintains nearly 400 centerline miles of roadway valued at more than $1.3 billion. Prudent asset management, data-informed prioritization, and disciplined lifecycle planning are central to how the department approaches that stewardship. Funding pressures, particularly for roads and transportation infrastructure, make strategic reinvestment decisions and the active pursuit of external funding sources all the more critical to sustaining long-term service quality.
The department is guided by a clear mission: building Loveland's future through exceptional service, safety, and performance. The City Engineer joins a leadership team and a workforce that takes that mission seriously and a community that is watching its infrastructure investment closely.
Located 45 minutes north of Denver, Loveland is a vibrant community of 82,460 tucked against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the growing Northern Colorado region of Larimer County. The City's friendly, small-town feel and proximity to outdoor recreation and big-city amenities make Loveland one of the most sought-after communities for families, retirees, and businesses alike.
Loveland lies 25 minutes south of Fort Collins, its larger neighbor and the county seat. The two cities have been steadily growing toward each other and are considered a single metropolitan area by the U.S. government.
Boasting 300 days of sunshine, Loveland is surrounded by stunning natural beauty and an expanse of mountains, lakes, and wilderness areas, offering convenient nearby opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, boating, camping, and skiing. The City lies within a short drive of both Big Thompson Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park. Within Loveland, 31 miles of paved trails connect to regional trail systems, and the scenic Big Thompson River runs through the heart of the community.
Loveland supports a vibrant cultural scene with galleries, art shows, headliner concerts and theatre productions, professional hockey, and nearly 500 sculptures and public art installations. Since 1985, the City has dedicated 1% of its revenue to public art, earning Loveland a ranking as the number two arts town in America. Loveland is also internationally known as The Sweetheart City — since 1947, over 12 million Valentine's Day cards have been re-mailed from Loveland with a holiday-themed stamp and verse.
Loveland's walkable downtown district features eclectic shops, eateries, coffeehouses, and breweries alongside a robust calendar of events including the Downtown Pumpkin Festival, Festival of Lights, Downtown Beer Week, and Night on the Town on the second Friday of each month.
The expected hiring range is $152,000 – $204,000, depending on qualifications, with an excellent benefits package. Learn more about our options and employee-based benefits here.
Benefits offered include the following:
Applications will be accepted electronically by Raftelis. Applicants complete a brief online form and are prompted to provide a cover letter and resume. The position will be open until filled with a first review of applications beginning July 17, 2026.
Please direct questions to Catherine Tuck Parrish at ctuckparrish@raftelis.com and Kelsey Batt at kbatt@raftelis.com