Engineering Support Director (Engineer 9)

Louisiana Department Of Transportation and Development; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) seeks an experienced Engineer 9 to serve as Engineering Support Director. This senior role provides statewide direction for engineering support functions.

Qualifications

• Must hold a current Louisiana professional engineer license.
• Two+ years of supervisory experience in engineering leadership.
• Four years licensed engineering experience (or eight years non-licensed professional experience).

Responsibilities

• Provide statewide leadership for engineering support programs (Right of Way, utilities, environment, contracts, publication, plan quality).
• Direct Right of Way acquisition, relocation compliance, property management and environmental reviews.
• Establish governance, standards, and controls to improve project readiness and delivery reliability.
• Develop and monitor KPIs and dashboards for acquisition timelines, relocation, utility coordination, and quality findings.
• Oversee division budget planning and federal funding participation.
• Lead managers in Right of Way, Environmental, Utilities, Contract Services, and Publication/Plan Quality.
• Advise executive leadership and collaborate with districts, regulators, and stakeholders on compliance and delivery risks.

Job description

Engineering Support Director (Engineer 9)

About This Job

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is seeking an experienced Engineer 9 to serve as the Engineering Support Director. This senior leadership position provides statewide direction for engineering support functions critical to compliant, efficient, and risk-informed transportation project delivery.

The selected candidate will oversee programs and activities related to Right of Way, utility coordination, environmental compliance and documentation, contract services governance, publication and plan quality, and other engineering support functions. The position will establish standards, governance frameworks, compliance methodologies, and performance expectations designed to improve project readiness, strengthen accountability, and support reliable project delivery throughout Louisiana.

Please visit our DOTD Career Center for more information about our agency:

https://dotd.la.gov/about/office-of-management-and-finance/human-resources/career-center/

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice professional engineering plus one of the following, which must include two years of experience at the supervisory level or above:

• Four years of licensed engineering experience; or
• Eight years of professional engineering experience.

Experience Substitutions

A master's degree in engineering will substitute for one year of professional engineering experience.

A doctorate degree in engineering will substitute for two years of professional engineering experience.

Advanced degrees will substitute for a maximum of two years of professional engineering experience.

There is no substitution for licensed engineering experience.

Notes

Engineering experience gained while licensed as a professional engineer will be accepted as licensed engineering experience. Engineering experience gained after earning an ABET-accredited degree and prior to earning a professional engineer's license (e.g., as an engineer intern applicant, engineer intern, or equivalent) will be accepted as professional level engineering experience.

Applications will be accepted from persons licensed to practice professional engineering in states other than Louisiana. If one of those applicants is selected for the position, he/she will be required to obtain a Louisiana license prior to appointment. The hiring agency will verify that all licensing requirements are met.

Louisiana Professional Engineer licenses are issued by the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Licensing requirements may be viewed at www.lapels.com.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties and Other Information

• Provides statewide leadership and strategic direction for engineering support programs and services, including Right of Way, utilities coordination, environmental compliance, contract services, publication, and plan quality functions.
• Directs and oversees programs involving Right of Way acquisition and relocation compliance, property management, utility relocation coordination, environmental review and documentation, consultant procurement governance, and publication and plan quality activities.
• Establishes governance frameworks, compliance standards, review methodologies, performance expectations, and internal controls to improve project readiness, regulatory compliance, and delivery reliability.
• Develops and monitors Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), performance metrics, dashboards, and reporting systems related to acquisition timelines, relocation compliance, utility coordination, environmental review milestones, documentation completeness, estimate reliability, and quality findings.
• Oversees Division budget planning, financial management, property acquisition expenditures, relocation payments, utility reimbursements, consultant services, publication-related activities, and federal funding participation.
• Provides leadership and performance oversight for managers responsible for Right of Way, Environmental, Utilities, Contract Services, and Publication and Plan Quality functions, including workforce planning, professional development, and succession planning.
• Advises executive leadership and collaborates with districts, legal counsel, state and federal regulatory agencies, federal partners, utility providers, consultants, and other stakeholders regarding compliance, project readiness, financial impacts, and delivery risks.

Position-Specific Details

Appointment Type: This position will be filled by Detail to Special Duty of a current Permanent Classified DOTD employee. The selected employee will temporarily perform the duties of the Engineer 9 position.

Promotion: Should the position become available, the employee may be permanently promoted to this position.

Compensation: The Special Entrance Rate (SER) for this position is $5,668.80 biweekly.

Additional compensation may be considered for applicants who possess extraordinary job-related qualifications or credentials in accordance with State Civil Service Rule 6.5(g) and DOTD policy. Any such consideration is subject to approval and applicable pay limitations.

No Civil Service test score is required to be considered for this vacancy.

Contact Information

Brian Owens, P.E.

Chief Engineer

Office: 225-379-1200 | www.dotd.la.gov

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is an equal employment opportunity employer and serves as a model employer for individuals with disabilities. DOTD does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, disability, age, or pregnancy, and prohibits harassment of any type.

Information on the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services is available: https://www.laworks.net/workforcedev/lrs/lrs_rehabilitation.asp

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.