Highway Design Engineer

Prudent Engineering; City of Syracuse (NY); On-site; USD 68,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401K with company match

PTO and paid holidays

Unlimited opportunities to advance

Job summary

Prudent Engineering, LLP is seeking an experienced Highway Design Engineer to support its growing transportation practice. The role emphasizes highway design, drainage, safety, and plan production for NYSDOT projects, with no mandatory Professional Engineer license.

The ideal candidate has 3–5 years of relevant highway design experience, familiarity with Bentley OpenRoads Designer and MicroStation, and the ability to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of highway/roadway design experience.
• Experience preparing or reviewing highway plans, details, and estimates.
• Familiarity with NYSDOT standards and AASHTO guidance.

Responsibilities

• Perform highway and roadway design per NYSDOT, AASHTO, local standards.
• Develop horizontal/vertical alignments, profiles, and cross sections.
• Prepare contract plans, quantities, estimates, and supporting docs.
• Design drainage including culverts and stormwater features.
• Assist with work-zone traffic control and signing/markings.
• Prepare Design Reports and other project deliverables.
• Use OpenRoads/OpenRoads Designer for modeling and plans.
• Coordinate with managers, engineers, surveyors, and environmental staff.
• Review plans for completeness, accuracy, and constructability.
• Support project schedules, budgets, and QA activities.
• Participate in field visits and construction support.
• Provide guidance to junior engineers and designers.

Skills

Highway design

Roadway design

Plan production

Drainage design

Work-zone traffic control

Contract plans

Project coordination

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil engineering

Associate degree in civil engineering technology

Tools

Bentley MicroStation

OpenRoads Designer

InRoads

AutoCAD Civil 3D

Microsoft Office

Job description

About the Firm:

Prudent Engineering is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our mission: Transforming Infrastructure with Passion and Kindness.

We provide quality, cost-effective engineering services to state and local governments and private-sector clients across New York State and Pennsylvania. Our project portfolio features experience in Bridge, Highway, and Structural Design, Condition and Safety Inspection, Civil and Site Engineering Support, Construction Inspection and Administration, Survey and Mapping, and Hydrographic Services.

About the Position

Prudent Engineering, LLP is seeking an experienced Highway Design Engineer to support our growing transportation design practice. This position is intended for a transportation professional with practical highway design and plan-production experience. A Professional Engineer license is not required.

We welcome candidates whose experience was gained with an engineering consultant, NYSDOT, another transportation agency, or a municipal public works or highway department. Candidates may have a bachelor’s degree, a two-year technical degree, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

The successful candidate will contribute to highway, roadway, drainage, safety, and related transportation projects, with an emphasis on work performed for NYSDOT.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform highway and roadway design in accordance with NYSDOT, AASHTO, and applicable local standards.
• Develop horizontal and vertical alignments, roadway models, profiles, cross sections, grading, and related design elements.
• Prepare and coordinate contract plans, details, quantity calculations, estimates, and supporting engineering documentation.
• Perform or assist with drainage design, including closed drainage systems, culverts, stormwater management practices, and erosion and sediment control measures.
• Assist with the design of work-zone traffic control, pavement markings, signing, guiderail, roadside safety improvements, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
• Prepare or contribute to Design Reports, Design Approval Documents, technical memoranda, and other project deliverables.
• Use Bentley OpenRoads Designer and MicroStation for roadway modeling and contract plan development.
• Coordinate design activities with project managers, engineers, designers, surveyors, utility representatives, environmental professionals, and other project participants.
• Review plans and calculations for completeness, accuracy, constructability, and compliance with applicable standards.
• Assist project managers with design coordination, schedules, budgets, and quality-control activities.
• Participate in field investigations, site visits, and construction support activities as needed.
• Provide practical guidance to less-experienced engineers and designers, when appropriate.

Required Qualifications

• At least three to five years of relevant experience in highway design, roadway design, transportation project development, or transportation-agency engineering.
• Practical experience preparing or reviewing highway plans, details, calculations, quantities, estimates, or related project documents.
• Knowledge of roadway design principles, including alignments, profiles, cross sections, grading, drainage, and plan production.
• Familiarity with NYSDOT standards, specifications, procedures, and project-development practices.
• Experience using Bentley MicroStation, OpenRoads Designer, InRoads, or similar civil-design software.
• Working knowledge of applicable AASHTO guidance and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
• Ability to interpret survey information, engineering plans, design criteria, and technical standards.
• Strong organizational, written communication, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage assigned work, meet deadlines, and collaborate effectively with a multidisciplinary project team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and related applications.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project sites and client meetings as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related field or associate degree in civil engineering technology, construction technology, or a related technical field
• Substantial relevant experience with NYSDOT, another transportation agency, a municipality, or an engineering consulting firm.
• A Professional Engineer license is not required.
• Direct experience working on NYSDOT highway design projects.
• Strong proficiency with Bentley OpenRoads Designer.
• Experience coordinating plan production or serving as a senior designer or design-task leader.
• Experience with AutoCAD Civil 3D.
• Experience using Bentley MicroStation, OpenRoads Designer, InRoads, or similar civil-design software.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and related applications.
• Experience with highway drainage, stormwater management, work-zone traffic control, traffic signing and pavement markings, roadside safety, guiderail design, civil/site design, utility coordination, highway safety evaluations, construction support, or construction inspection.

What we offer:

• Salary Range: $67,500 to $100,000 annually.
• Medical, dental, vision.
• 401K with company match.
• PTO plus paid holidays.
• Unlimited opportunities to advance your career.

*Actual compensation will depend on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, professional licensure, technical capabilities, office location, and other job-related considerations.