FIELD SERVICES DIRECTOR

City of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Chicago’s Department of Transportation seeks a Field Services Director to oversee field inspection, construction compliance, and traffic survey activities for enforcing public way ordinances. This role supervises staff, directs traffic surveys, and ensures quality reporting across the unit.

The position requires extensive supervisory experience and a strong background in public way inspections, with responsibilities including budget preparation and coordination with other departments.

Qualifications

• Five (5) years of experience in inspecting public way construction and traffic surveys, with at least three years in a supervisory role.
• Associate's Degree plus three years of supervisory inspection experience.
• Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate plus one year of supervisory inspection experience.

Responsibilities

• Prioritizes and assigns field inspection and traffic survey work based on urgency and staff availability.
• Interprets and explains city codes and ordinances involving the public way to contractors and staff; ensures reports meet standards.
• Develops and implements methods to improve inspection quality and timeliness.
• Directs traffic surveys to determine signage needs and detours during construction.
• Oversees staff training and performance appraisals; initiates corrective action when necessary.
• Maintains unit records and prepares administrative and budget reports.
• Assists in budgeting and serves as liaison to city departments and the public on enforcement issues.

Skills

Field inspections

Traffic surveys

Supervisor experience

Budget planning

Education

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree

Job description

FIELD SERVICES DIRECTOR

Job Number: 416282

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

FIELD SERVICES DIRECTOR

CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CDOT)

# of positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $105,516; Grade: BX-20

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm CDT on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Under direction, the class manages a bureau, directing and coordinating field inspection, construction compliance and traffic survey activities to ensure and enforce compliance with city ordinances regarding use of the public way; and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Prioritizes and assigns field inspection and traffic survey work to supervisors and their staff based on urgency, complexity and staff availability
• Interprets and explains provisions of city codes and ordinances involving the public way to contractors and staff; ensures that inspections reports, citations and traffic surveys approved by supervisors meet quality standards and comply with city ordinances regarding the public way
• Develops and implements work methods and standards to improve the quality, effectiveness and timeliness of inspections and traffic surveys
• Directs and coordinates traffic surveys to determine the need for new or replacement traffic signs and for pedestrian or vehicular detours during construction projects
• Directs the development of training programs for staff; oversees and participates in performance appraisals of staff and initiates and administers corrective or disciplinary action as necessary
• Supervises the preparation and maintenance of unit records and correspondence and the preparation of administrative and budgetary reports
• Assists in developing budgets for personnel and equipment; serves as a liaison to city departments, public agencies and the general public on public way enforcement issues.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Location: 445 N. Sacramento Blvd. or 2 N. LaSalle St. (Office 860)

Days: Monday thru Friday

Hours: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM CAREER SERVICE.

MINIMUM QUALFICATIONS

• Five (5) years of experience in the inspection of public way construction and demolition projects, traffic flow surveys and street sign placement, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position, OR
• Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate's Degree, PLUS three (3) years of experience in the inspection of public way construction and demolition projects, traffic flow surveys and street placement, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position, OR
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate degree, PLUS one (1) year of experience in the inspection of public way construction and demolition projects, traffic flow surveys and street placement, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• A valid State of Illinois driver's license is required

Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any nationally or regionally accredited college, university, or law school where the applicant is enrolled in or has completed an Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Juris Doctorate degree program.

NOTE: You must provide your transcripts, degree or certifications at time of processing, if applicable.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully pass a skills test and complete an interview. The test results will be sent out by the Department of Human Resources after the test results have been analyzed and compiled. Candidates who pass the exam will be selected for an interview. The interviewed candidate receiving a passing score on the exam and possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position based on the oral interview will be selected.

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.

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 at: https://my.chicago.gov/dam/intranet/documents/depts/dhr/INFORMATION/2026_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

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.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Salary: $105,516; Pay Basis: Yearly