Manager, Engineering (Utilities)

Organizational Profile

The Municipality of North Cowichan is in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on the southern coast of Vancouver Island, between Nanaimo and Victoria, and offers a unique blend of coastal beauty, vibrant communities, and deep cultural roots. With 40 kilometres of oceanfront and spanning 195 square kilometres, the municipality is ideally situated between the Salish Sea, rolling forests, and neighbouring urban and rural centres.

North Cowichan is one of the most inclusive and environmentally conscious municipalities. Home to the communities of Chemainus, Crofton, Maple Bay, and several others, each with its own charm, identity, and quality of life. The area offers a mix of heritage, innovation, and natural beauty that supports both work-life balance and professional growth. Home to a multitude of artistic, cultural and outdoor recreational activities, the Municipality provides a stable and varied work environment, competitive pay and benefits, and is ideally situated on Southern Vancouver Island.

The Municipality of North Cowichan sits on the traditional territories of the Quw'utsun First Nation, which includes the Cowichan Tribes, the Halalt First Nation, the Lyackson First Nation, the Penelakut Tribe, and the Stz'uminus First Nation. North Cowichan also sits on the traditional, territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

About the Role

This is an incredible opportunity for a technically strong, solutions-oriented Professional Engineer with strong leadership capabilities and a commitment to delivering sustainable infrastructure, effective project delivery, and responsive municipal services. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Engineering (Utilities), the Manager, Engineering (Utilities), is responsible for planning and delivering water and sanitary infrastructure projects and related services. The role provides for the short-, medium-, and long-term planning, design, renewal, and delivery of the Municipality's water and sanitary utilities infrastructure, while supporting both the Infrastructure Design and Construction section and the Operations department in the operation and maintenance of all water and sanitary assets.

The Manager reviews and interprets condition and capacity data, asset condition ratings, failure history, engineering studies, and field-based insights to inform maintenance strategies, asset replacement, system upgrades, and new capital projects. The role also supports the development of capital cost estimates, evaluates financial impacts on reserves and taxation, reviews land development application referrals, and responds to a variety of technical inquiries and service requests.

The Manager provides leadership to assigned staff, fostering effective, accountable, and high-quality service delivery while ensuring infrastructure investments are informed by sound engineering analysis, long-term asset management principles, and the Municipality's operational priorities.

Contact Details

Should you be interested in learning more about this unique opportunity with the Municipality of North Cowichan, please contact Harbour West Consulting at 604-998-4032 or forward your resume and letter of introduction in confidence to info@hwest.ca.