Senior Highway & Roadway Design Engineer – Hybrid

CDM Smith; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 127,000 - 222,000; Full time

Job summary

CDM Smith in the United States is seeking a senior transportation engineer to lead and execute IDOT roadway projects. You will apply ORD for geometric design, coordinate with drainage, traffic, and structures, and ensure designs meet IDOT and FHWA guidelines.

The role requires a PE license, a bachelor’s degree in civil/ transportation engineering, and approximately 12 years of related experience with potential domestic/international travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil, Transportation, or Structural Engineering or related discipline.

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.

Skills

CADD 3D/4D

Engineering design principles

Microsoft Office

Verbal and written communication

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Professional engineering (PE) license

Tools

OpenRoads Designer (ORD)

Job description

CDM Smith in the United States is seeking a senior transportation engineer to lead and execute IDOT roadway projects. You will apply ORD for geometric design, coordinate with drainage, traffic, and structures, and ensure designs meet IDOT and FHWA guidelines.

The role requires a PE license, a bachelor’s degree in civil/ transportation engineering, and approximately 12 years of related experience with potential domestic/international travel.