Highway/Roadway Engineer 6

Trinnex Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 95,846 - 167,731; Full time

Job summary

CDM Smith Inc. in Illinois is seeking an experienced transportation engineer to lead hands-on roadway design for IDOT projects, including highways and interchanges. You will apply IDOT standards, perform ORD-based geometry work, and coordinate with drainage, traffic, and structural teams.

The role requires a PE license and 10 years of related experience, with travel as needed. You will develop specifications, review design calculations, and mentor junior engineers within a multidisciplinary

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Transportation, or Structural Engineering or related discipline.
• Professional engineering (PE) license.
• 10 years of related experience. Domestic and/or international travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Perform hands‑on roadway design for IDOT transportation projects, including highways, interchanges, and complex urban and rural corridors.
• Apply expert knowledge of IDOT Design Manuals, Standards, Specifications, and Guidelines to develop compliant, constructible design solutions.
• Use OpenRoads Designer (ORD) extensively for geometric design, corridor modeling, plan production, and coordination with drainage, traffic, and structural elements.
• Prepare, check, and review roadway geometry, profiles, cross sections, grading, and drainage designs, ensuring accuracy and adherence to IDOT and FHWA requirements.
• Develop and review design calculations related to alignment, sight distance, superelevation, drainage, and other transportation engineering components.
• Review plan sets and technical deliverables, providing detailed technical comments and quality checks prior to submission.
• Coordinate closely with project managers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless integration of roadway, drainage, traffic, utilities, and structures.
• Will develop IDOT project specifications, special provisions, and cost estimates, ensuring consistency with IDOT standards and project scope.
• Support field investigations and site visits, evaluating existing conditions, constructability constraints, and design impacts.
• Respond to IDOT and agency comments, revising designs and documentation as required through design development and final submittals.
• Contribute technically to proposals and IDOT pursuits by providing approach narratives, scope input, and workload estimates.
• Provide day‑to‑day technical guidance to junior engineers, reviewing their work and offering hands‑on mentoring to support skill development and quality outcomes.

Skills

CADD 3D/4D

Design principles

MS Excel

Verbal and written communication

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil/Transportation/Structural Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

10 years of related experience

Tools

OpenRoads Designer (ORD)

Job description

Job Description

As a key member of our Transportation team, you’ll be directly involved in the technical design and delivery of Illinois DOT roadway projects, applying your deep engineering expertise to develop practical, high‑quality solutions that improve mobility and safety across Illinois. In this role, you will:

• Perform hands‑on roadway design for IDOT transportation projects, including highways, interchanges, and complex urban and rural corridors.
• Apply expert knowledge of IDOT Design Manuals, Standards, Specifications, and Guidelines to develop compliant, constructible design solutions.
• Use OpenRoads Designer (ORD) extensively for geometric design, corridor modeling, plan production, and coordination with drainage, traffic, and structural elements.
• Prepare, check, and review roadway geometry, profiles, cross sections, grading, and drainage designs, ensuring accuracy and adherence to IDOT and FHWA requirements.
• Develop and review design calculations related to alignment, sight distance, superelevation, drainage, and other transportation engineering components.
• Review plan sets and technical deliverables, providing detailed technical comments and quality checks prior to submission.
• Coordinate closely with project managers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless integration of roadway, drainage, traffic, utilities, and structures.
• Will develop IDOT project specifications, special provisions, and cost estimates, ensuring consistency with IDOT standards and project scope.
• Support field investigations and site visits, evaluating existing conditions, constructability constraints, and design impacts.
• Respond to IDOT and agency comments, revising designs and documentation as required through design development and final submittals.
• Contribute technically to proposals and IDOT pursuits by providing approach narratives, scope input, and workload estimates.
• Provide day‑to‑day technical guidance to junior engineers, reviewing their work and offering hands‑on mentoring to support skill development and quality outcomes.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Civil, Transportation, or Structural Engineering or related discipline. Professional engineering (PE) license. 10 years of related experience. Domestic and/or international travel may be required. The frequency of travel is contingent on specific duties, responsibilities, and the essential functions of the position, which may vary depending on workload and project demands. Equivalent additional directly related experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on Illinois DOT (IDOT) projects.
• Expert knowledge of IDOT Design Manuals, Standards, Specifications, and Guidelines.
• Proficiency with OpenRoads Designer (ORD).
• Strong technical writing skills, including ability to develop work plans and lead technical discussions.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary project tasks or serving as a design lead on complex infrastructure projects.

Skills & Abilities

• Expert Knowledge of computer assisted design and drafting (CADD) 3D and 4D software and practices.
• Expert Knowledge of engineer principles of design.
• Expert Knowledge of Microsoft business software (excel, word, etc.).
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Expert knowledge of federal, state and local regulations.
• Basic knowledge of design standards (AASHTO, NACTO, etc.).

Amount of Travel Required

10% or less

EEO Statement

We attract the best people in the industry, supporting their efforts to learn and grow. We strive to create a challenging and progressive work environment. We provide career opportunities that span a variety of disciplines and geographic locations, with projects that our employees plan, design, build and operate as diverse as the needs of our clients. CDM Smith Inc. and its divisions and subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, pregnancy related conditions, childbirth and related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression), national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Massachusetts Applicants

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Pay Range Min

USD $95,846.00

Pay Range Max

USD $167,731.00

Visa Sponsorship Available

No – We will not support sponsorship in the United States, i.e. H-1B or TN Visas for this position