Section Chief (Transportation Engineering Manager I)

Maryland-Department-of-Transportatio; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Health benefits

Pension plan

401k

Free transit program

Advanced education and training

Job summary

State Highway Administration in Baltimore City is seeking a Section Chief (Transportation Engineering Manager I) to oversee the Federal Aid Program and lead a team of ten professionals. This role requires strong engineering expertise and regulatory knowledge, serving as the primary link to FHWA for statewide projects.

The position emphasizes daily program management, reporting, and ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements while supporting MDOT's broader transportation goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited college or university.
• Seven (7) years of experience in professional engineering.
• Two (2) years of experience providing oversight and/or monitoring federal transportation programs or projects.
• PE license in MD or comparable state is considered meeting education requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations of SHA’s Federal Aid Program; monitor apportionments, obligations, and project oversight.
• Lead a staff of 10 employees and provide guidance on federal program requirements and regulations.
• Serve as the sole conduit to the FHWA for Maryland projects and stakeholders.
• Analyze reports and communicate conclusions and recommendations to SHA leadership and FHWA.

Skills

Attention to detail

Supervisory skills

Administrative skills

Transportation engineering knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Engineering software

Job description

State Highway Administration

(OPEN RECRUITMENT)

Section Chief (Transportation Engineering Manager I) – Grade 20 (0515) SP# 26-30-09 – Baltimore City

The State Highway Administration's Office of Finance (OOF) is recruiting for a Section Chief (Transportation Engineering Manager I) position in Baltimore City.

This position is open to anyone who meets the minimum and selective qualifications listed below. This is a position specific recruitment. The resulting list of eligible candidates will be used to fill this vacancy only in this classification.

Nature of Work

This position resides in SHA’s Office of Finance. It is responsible for managing the daily operations of SHA’s approximately $800 million Federal Aid Program, including control of apportionments, obligational authority, and project oversight within program categories. This role manages a staff of 10 employees and provides guidance and expertise on federal program requirements and regulations to all levels of the organization, from Senior Managers to individual offices and their staff within SHA. The Section Chief will serve as the sole conduit to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), advancing projects for the State of Maryland and all counties and municipalities within the state. These responsibilities require knowledge and expertise in engineering and in state and federal codes and regulations. The Federal Aid Programming Section reviews approximately 98% of all federal aid projects at SHA. This position will utilize various federal and state reports to analyze the daily status of SHA’s projects and communicate the conclusions/recommendations to all levels of the organization, FHWA, and any other interested parties.

MDOT offers a generous and competitive benefits package. You can learn about our amazing benefits here: MDOT Benefits Guide.

The State Highway Administration (SHA) has been named a Training Magazine’s award winner for the seventh consecutive year.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Possession of a bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited college or university.
• Experience: Seven (7) years of experience in professional engineering.
• Selective Qualification: Two (2) years of experience providing oversight and/or monitoring federal transportation programs or projects.

*This statement contains a selective qualification, which is more focused in scope than the minimum qualifications for this classification. Selective qualifications are utilized when the position requires specific or additional bona fide occupational qualifications (i.e., knowledge, skill or ability).

Preferred Qualifications

• Excellent attention to detail
• Demonstrated combination of supervisory, administrative, and transportation engineering skills and experience.
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills associated with engineering applications, fiscal applications, and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Notes

• 1. Additional work experience in professional engineering, or in technical engineering at the journey level or above, may be substituted on a year for year basis for the required education.
• 2. Possession of a master's degree in engineering may be substituted for one year of the required experience.
• 3. Persons currently registered as Professional Engineers in the state of Maryland, or in a state with comparable requirements, are considered to have met the education requirements.

Possession of a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the state of Maryland.

The selected candidate may be subject to background and reference checks. A conviction is not an automatic disqualification from employment. Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply.

The state of Maryland offers excellent health and leave benefits, 401k benefits, pension plan, a free transit program, and advanced education and training opportunities.

Please Note: The State Highway Administration is not sponsoring new employees in application of the H-1B Visa or providing an extension of an existing H-1B Visa at this time due to budgetary constraints. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Federal regulations prohibit H-1B Visa candidates from paying sponsorship fees, all sponsorship fees must be assumed by the potential employer.

Appropriate auxiliary aids and services for qualified individuals with disabilities will be provided upon request.

Applicants who have education obtained outside of the U.S. will be required to provide proof of the equivalent U.S. education as determined by a foreign credential evaluation service, such as the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) or World Education Services: International Credential Evaluation (https://www.wes.org/).

The incumbent in this position will not be a member of a covered bargaining unit.

WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. SHA does not discriminate based on age, ancestry, color, creed, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religious affiliation, belief or opinion, sex, or sexual orientation.

Issue Date: 08/24/2026