Assistant Chief Traffic Engineer

Chicago Department of Transportation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 138,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Chicago’s Department of Transportation seeks an Assistant Chief Engineer to lead traffic operations and safety, oversee major projects, and guide policy development. This senior role requires PE licensure, strong management skills, and the ability to coordinate across departments to meet safety standards.

The position offers a stable salary in the upper mid-range and a Monday–Friday schedule at downtown Chicago offices, with a focus on complex, multimodal transportation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field, plus 6 years of work experience, 4 years supervisory.
• 0
• Master's degree in Civil Engineering or related field, plus 5 years of work experience, 4 years supervisory.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer (R.P.E.) in Illinois required.
• State of Illinois driver’s license required.

Responsibilities

• Lead citywide traffic operations and safety initiatives.
• Manage major infrastructure projects and budgets.
• Supervise traffic engineering staff and consultants.
• Coordinate with other departments on safety standards and design policies.
• Exercise professional engineering judgement and multitask across priorities.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Project management

Engineering judgement

Interdepartmental coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Master's degree in Civil Engineering

Job description

Assistant Chief Engineer

Chicago Department of Transportation

Division of Project Development

Number of Positions: 1

Starting Salary: $137,856-$155,292/year

Location: 2 N LASALLE ST

Days: Monday-Friday

Hours: 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

THIS POSITION IS NOT CAREER SERVICE

The Assistant Chief Engineer is a critical dual-role position responsible for the citywide implementation and technical oversight of traffic safety requirements mandated under Chicago Municipal Code Title 9. This role provides expert engineering leadership and cross-departmental coordination to ensure transportation projects, traffic operations, and technology initiatives meet established safety standards and align with the Department’s mission.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

As the Department’s senior technical authority in traffic operations and safety, this position leads the traffic engineering section, manages major infrastructure projects, handles project and staffing contracts, prepares project and section budgets, and supervises traffic engineering staff and consultants.Serving as a senior representative of the department, the role includes involvement in citywide mega development projects, the planning and design of multimodal transportation facilities, the execution of major pilot initiatives, and the development of design policies and guidelines. This position requires exercising professional engineering judgement, independence in decision‑making process and the ability to multitask.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a directly related field of engineering, PLUS at least six (6) years of work experience in the planning, design, and construction management of engineering projects of which four (4) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position, OR

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree or higher in Civil Engineering or a directly related field of engineering, PLUS at least five (5) years of work experience in the planning, design, and construction management of engineering projects of which four (4) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

Registration as a Professional Engineer (R.P.E.) is required. At the time of employment, positions must have obtained Registration as a Professional Engineer (R.P.E.) in the State of Illinois

This position requires a State of Illinois driver’s license.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires the successful completion of an online application and an initial screening process. Applicants who meet the established screening criteria may be invited to participate in one or more assessments designed to evaluate the knowledge, skills, or competencies relevant to the role.

Candidates who successfully complete all required assessment components may be invited to take part in a structured interview using a standardized set of questions, when applicable. In addition to the interview, applicants may also be evaluated through job‑related exercises such as work samples, skill demonstrations, presentations, or other performance‑based activities aligned with the requirements of the position.

APPLICATION EVALUATION

Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio‑Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website

City of Chicago :: Classification and Pay Plan