GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT

SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION / DEVELOPMENT BRANCH / PHOENIX BASED
5000 W. Carefree Hwy. Phoenix, AZ 85086

Salary: $90,000-$105,000 

Grade: T3

Closing Date: 2/8/2026

GAME & FISH ENGINEER 3
“Engineer”
SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION / DEVELOPMENT BRANCH / PHOENIX BASED
FLSA-EXEMPT / SALARY GRADE T3 / HIRING RANGE: $90,000-$105,000


The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is the only state agency solely responsible for conserving and protecting Arizona’s wildlife—more than 800 species across some of the most iconic and challenging landscapes in the country. Our engineers play a critical role in safeguarding infrastructure that supports wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and downstream communities.

We’re looking for a licensed Professional Engineer to provide technical leadership for dam safety, infrastructure rehabilitation, and capital projects across Arizona. This role offers something increasingly rare in engineering careers: meaningful public service, professional autonomy, and visible impact.


Why This Role Matters
Arizona Game and Fish owns and operates 38 jurisdictional dams, fish hatcheries, wildlife areas, shooting ranges, and recreation facilities statewide. These structures aren’t just assets—they protect lives, sustain ecosystems, and ensure responsible access to Arizona’s natural resources.

In this role, you’ll:
• Protect public safety through dam safety compliance and emergency preparedness
• Preserve wildlife habitat and water resources
• Lead projects from concept to construction with real decision-making authority
• Apply your engineering judgment to complex, high-impact infrastructure challenges
• Serve the people of Arizona—today and for generations to come

What You’ll Do
As an Engineering Services Support Lead, you’ll provide technical and program-level leadership for dam safety and infrastructure projects across the state.

Key responsibilities include:
• Leading dam safety inspections, evaluations, rehabilitation, and capital improvement projects
• Managing the full lifecycle of assigned assets—from inspection and design through construction and closeout
• Serving as the Department’s technical authority for dam-related engineering and construction contracts
• Coordinating with ADWR, FEMA, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders
• Maintaining Emergency Action Plans and overseeing corrective actions for high- and significant-hazard dams
• Providing construction administration, field oversight, and professional engineering review
• Developing scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules, and budgets
• Sealing engineering plans and specifications as required

You’ll work under general supervision with significant independence, exercising professional judgment and shaping long-term infrastructure strategy for the Department.

Put your engineering expertise to work protecting Arizona’s wildlife, communities, and water resources. If you’re a Professional Engineer ready to make a lasting public impact, apply today and help shape the future of conservation infrastructure in Arizona!

Under general supervision of the Engineering Services Manager, this position provides technical leadership for dam safety compliance, capital planning, and engineering and construction activities supporting Department infrastructure. Responsibilities include jurisdictional dams and associated water control features—such as spillways, outlet works, embankments, appurtenant structures, and monitoring and access infrastructure—as well as other Department-owned or managed facilities. The position supports the full lifecycle of assigned assets, including inspection, evaluation, operation, maintenance, rehabilitation, and emergency preparedness, and provides technical support to Department work units by determining appropriate engineering approaches, design standards, and construction methods from project development through construction completion.

The position plans, scopes, and manages engineering studies, inspections, designs, and construction projects performed by consultants, Department staff, and state construction contracts. Duties include developing scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules, and procurement documents; reviewing engineering reports and technical analyses for regulatory and standards compliance; performing in-house engineering services and sealing plans and specifications as required; and providing construction administration and field oversight. The role also manages project and program budgets, approves progress payments, administers change orders, completes project closeout, and provides program-level oversight of the Department’s dams operations and maintenance program to ensure compliance with Arizona Department of Water Resources Dam Safety requirements, including Emergency Action Plans, inspections, corrective actions, dam monitoring and alert systems, and coordination with ADWR, FEMA, consultants, and contractors.

Description of Duties (include not limited to):

• Project Management: Assures successful delivery of dam safety, inspection, and rehabilitation projects by controlling planning, scope, cost, and schedule. Coordinates input from regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, and internal stakeholders. Identifies risks and constraints, develops corrective actions, and communicates issues that may impact dam safety, compliance, or project delivery.

• Construction Administration: Provides construction administration and field oversight for dam maintenance and rehabilitation projects. Ensures construction conforms to contract documents, regulatory requirements, and engineering standards. Reviews submittals, change requests, and pay applications, and supports final inspection and project closeout.

• Contract Development: Develops and administers contracts for dam inspections, engineering studies, designs, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation activities. Supports the Contracting Officer throughout procurement, including preparation of scopes, clarifications, addenda, evaluations, and recommendations for award. Serves as the Department’s technical representative for dam-related contracts.

• Budget Control: Develops and monitors dam safety and capital improvement budgets. Authorizes expenditures to consultants and contractors within approved funding limits. Reviews performance against project scopes and specifications and documents technical and contractual changes through established processes.

• Regulatory and Environmental Compliance: Coordinates with ADWR Dam Safety Program on inspections, Emergency Action Plans, compliance schedules, and corrective action implementation. Supports environmental permitting and compliance activities associated with dam projects, coordinating with applicable federal, state, and local agencies as required.

• Technical Support: Provides technical expertise in dam engineering, operations, maintenance, and risk management. Supports planning, troubleshooting, and performance evaluation of existing dam infrastructure. Assists Department leadership with technical briefings, reports, and long-range dam safety planning.

• Other Duties: Performs other duties as assigned consistent with the scope and intent of the position, typically five to ten percent of work time.

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of civil engineering as applied to the planning, design, inspection, construction, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of dams and other infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of hydrologic, hydraulic, geotechnical, and structural engineering concepts related to dam safety and water control structures.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, statutes, codes, and policies applicable to dam safety, engineering design, construction, and public infrastructure, including Arizona Department of Water Resources Dam Safety requirements.
• Knowledge of engineering contract development, procurement, construction administration, and capital project delivery methods.
• Knowledge of project management principles, budgeting, scheduling, cost estimating, and lifecycle asset management for public infrastructure.
• Knowledge of the use and application of engineering software, design tools, and basic survey equipment such as total stations, GPS units, and construction levels.

• Skill in reviewing, interpreting, and evaluating engineering reports, technical studies, plans, specifications, and construction documents.
• Skill in coordinating and communicating effectively with engineers, consultants, contractors, regulatory agencies, and internal stakeholders throughout all phases of project delivery.
• Skill in preparing scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules, and procurement documentation for engineering and construction projects.
• Skill in managing multiple complex projects concurrently while maintaining compliance with regulatory, safety, budgetary, and schedule requirements.
• Skill in written and verbal communication sufficient to prepare technical memos, reports, correspondence, and briefings for leadership and regulatory agencies.
• Skill in applying engineering judgment to resolve technical and field-related issues.

• Ability to exercise independent judgment and make sound engineering decisions within established authority.
• Ability to analyze complex technical information and develop practical, defensible engineering solutions.
• Ability to oversee engineering consultants, contractors, and construction activities to ensure compliance with plans, specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to plan, prioritize, and manage workload across multiple projects with competing deadlines.
• Ability to administer project and program budgets, review expenditures, and manage changes in scope.
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and organizational units.
• Ability to prepare, seal, and take professional responsibility for engineering documents as required by the Arizona Board of Technical Registration.

Minimum of five years experience in the successful delivery of engineering and construction projects, preferably within a natural resource management agency. Specific experience in design, operation and maintenance of jurisdictional dams in Arizona.

Professional Engineer: This position requires registration as a professional engineer with the Arizona Board of Technical Registration or the ability to obtain registration within six months of hiring.

This position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job, and the following requirements apply. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid class-appropriate driver’s license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver’s license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked nor suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operates a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-10-207.11).

Employment is contingent upon completion of a post-offer medical/physical examination and the agency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona offers an outstanding comprehensive benefits package including:

* 13 days of vacation
* 12 sick days with accumulation benefits
* 10 paid holidays
* Participation in the nationally recognized Arizona State Retirement System
* Superior health care options
* Vision care, dental care, pharmacy benefits, and flexible spending account (options available)
* Life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance options are available
* Many more benefit programs are available

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS). Please note, enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Nicole Baker at nbaker@azgfd.gov for assistance.