Engineering work that is visible, practical, and built for the North.
Yellowknife is not a place where municipal engineering happens in the background. In a northern capital city, infrastructure decisions are visible, practical, and consequential. Roads, water, sewer, stormwater, lift stations, traffic systems, and capital projects do more than support growth. They shape daily life, strengthen community resilience, and help define how the North’s capital city functions for decades to come.
Reporting to the Manager, Engineering, the Municipal Engineer III is an in-scope position that supports the planning, coordination, implementation, and reporting of municipal infrastructure projects and services. The role is hands-on and varied, moving between design review, contract administration, field oversight, consultant and contractor coordination, budget and schedule monitoring, technical advice, public-facing communication, and mentorship.
Engineering in Yellowknife also requires adaptability. Northern construction brings compressed seasonal timelines, limited contractor availability, logistics challenges, changing field conditions, and the need to make sound decisions with practical realities in mind. Northern experience is an asset, but the City is equally interested in engineers who can learn quickly, ask good questions, understand field constraints, and solve problems without losing sight of safety, quality, cost, schedule, and service continuity.
The successful candidate will also contribute to broader capital planning, infrastructure renewal, development-related reviews, traffic and transit-related matters, departmental reporting, and continuous improvement in how engineering work is planned, tracked, documented, and delivered. While this is not a formal staff management role, it is an important senior technical and mentorship position. The Municipal Engineer III will support less experienced engineers and staff by sharing judgment, strengthening project discipline, and helping build confidence across the Engineering Division.
The ideal candidate is a practical, field-oriented professional engineer with significant experience managing complex capital projects. They are comfortable working with contractors, consultants, utility companies, internal departments, government partners, and the public. They can operate independently, make sound field-level decisions within delegated authority, and know when to escalate issues involving budget, schedule, quality, service continuity, public visibility, or municipal risk.
A civil engineering background would be a natural fit, particularly where it includes roads, water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, traffic control, or other municipal infrastructure. Candidates from municipal, public sector, consulting, or construction environments may all be considered, provided they have strong capital project management experience and the ability to work effectively in a hands-on municipal environment.
The City is looking for someone who is technically credible, organized, approachable, curious, and grounded. The right person will bring confidence without ego, ask thoughtful questions, speak up respectfully when they see a better way, and take pride in delivering infrastructure that works for the community.
Yellowknife offers a professional and personal experience few cities can match. As the capital of the Northwest Territories, it combines public sector complexity, community visibility, and northern influence with a strong sense of place. Yellowknife offers modern amenities, daily air connections, year-round road access, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and immediate access to wilderness, water, and outdoor adventure.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will bring:
- A university degree in Engineering.
- Registration as a Professional Engineer, P.Eng., with a Canadian regulatory or licensing association, with eligibility to transfer registration to the Northwest Territories.
- Membership in good standing with the applicable professional association.
- A minimum of six years of engineering experience, including significant experience managing complex capital projects.
- A valid NWT Class 5 driver’s licence, or the ability to obtain one.
- Demonstrated experience with project management software.
Join Us
This is an opportunity for an engineer who wants meaningful capital project work, real municipal complexity, strong community visibility, and the chance to contribute to a capable Engineering Division through both technical leadership and mentorship. For the right person, Yellowknife offers a career defined by impact, not hierarchy, and a lifestyle grounded in community, wilderness, and northern possibility.
For more information, please contact Leadership Source at search@leadershipsource.ca or 306-543-1666.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Early applications are encouraged, as the City may proceed with interviews and move forward with a preferred candidate once a strong match has been identified.
The City of Yellowknife is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to inclusive, accessible recruitment. Accommodations are available at all stages of the process. The City is committed to hiring a diverse and skilled workforce that is representative of the community, strengthening our ability to provide high-quality services and excellent customer service to residents and business owners. In addition, the City of Yellowknife is committed to reconciliation and implementing actions intended to increase the number of Indigenous peoples who work for the City. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and encourage Indigenous persons to self-declare when submitting their applications.