Senior Roadway Engineer

State of Oregon; Salem (OR); Hybrid; USD 91,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

11 paid holidays

Flexible work schedules

Paid leave

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Job summary

Oregon Department of Transportation in Portland invites applications for a Senior Roadway Engineer. You will act as final design expert and technical lead for the Roadway Unit, guiding multimodal and complex urban highway projects.

The role requires a PE license in Oregon or ability to obtain within six months, plus at least three years of licensed experience. This position blends office and field work with occasional travel and overtime.

Qualifications

• Must hold a Professional Engineering (PE) license in Civil Engineering or obtain within six months of hire.
• Three years of licensed experience providing knowledge and skills for complex highway design.
• Ability to obtain temporary permit if registered in another state within six months of hire.

Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee complex roadway design projects as technical lead.
• Mentor and train lower-level engineers and engineering specialists.
• Coordinate cross-functional design reviews and ensure compliance with HDM and standards.
• Prepare and sign final PS&E packages as Registered Professional Engineer of Record.

Skills

Licensed PE in CE

Highway design experience

Mentoring/leadership

Education

Professional Engineering (PE) license

Job description

Initial Posting Date: 08/18/2026

Application Deadline: 09/01/2026

Agency: Department of Transportation

Salary Range: $8,159 - $12,658

Position Type: Employee

Position Title: Senior Roadway Engineer

Professional Engineer 2 – Senior Roadway Engineer

Oregon Department of Transportation

Delivery and Operations Division – Region 1

Roadway

Portland / Hybrid

The role:

Bring your engineering expertise to our team in Portland as a senior roadway engineer! In this collaborative role, you will serve as our final design expert and technical lead our Roadway Unit. You will work with project teams and provide technical direction, mentoring and training for multimodal, rural and highly complex urban highway projects. Apply today to join our team!

Our first application screening is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. We encourage interested applicants not to delay in applying.

We provide a safe and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people and helps Oregon's communities and economy thrive. We encourage people from all backgrounds and abilities to apply for our positions.

Before applying, visit our applicant information website to learn more about our process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, you must apply through your employee Workday profile.

A day in the life:

• Preliminary Design & Major Projects:
  
  
  • Plan, direct, and scope the most complex designs for major regional transportation facilities and freight routes to solve unusual engineering problems.
  
  
  • Serve as the primary authority within the Technical Center responsible for coordinating, distributing, analyzing, and reconciling multidisciplinary engineering reviews for complex highway design plans.
  
  
  • Review preliminary layouts and roadside features against safety criteria to reduce future state liability. Create clear records of data used, explain why certain design decisions were made and write formal justifications when designs don’t meet standard requirements so the state is protected under the Oregon Tort Claims Act (OTCA).
  
  
  • Coordinate data-sharing and technical design compromises across regional environmental, traffic, right-of-way and utility units during early major project milestones.
  
  
  
  


• Final Design: Plans, Specifications, and Estimates:
  
  
  • Direct and approve the production of complete, construction-ready Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) packages for advertisement.
  
  
  • Independent judgment to sign and seal final construction plan sets, special provisions, structural estimates and design narratives as the Registered Professional Engineer of Record.
  
  
  • Enforce strict adherence to the ODOT Highway Design Manual (HDM), Standard Drawings, and statewide drafting metrics before final project turn-in.
  
  
  • Evaluate specialized roadway materials, traffic control staging plans, and utility conflicts to resolve engineering flaws prior to active construction bidding.
  
  
  
  


• Provide specialized technical direction and mentoring to lower-level engineers and engineering specialists.


• This position requires a combination of office work and field work: outdoor worksites require working in inclement weather, close to highway traffic, construction equipment.


• Requires some moving around uneven terrain, overnight travel, overtime, weekend and evening work as needed for projects/tasks.


• To request a copy of the position description, which includes all duties and working conditions, please email [e-mail].

What’s in it for you:

• Work/life balance, 11 paid holidays a year, flexible work schedules, paid leave and so much more. Learn more about working at the Oregon Department of Transportation and the benefits we offer.


• Comprehensive and equitable base salary offer within the listed range. Through an equal pay assessment, we will determine the salary offer using the information you provide in your submitted application materials. Please ensure your application materials are detailed, accurate and reflect your skills, experience (paid and unpaid) and education as they relate to the position when applying.


• The salary range listed is the non-PERS monthly salary range. If you are already a participating PERS member or once you become PERS eligible, the salary range will increase by 6%.


• Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity!

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Minimum qualifications:

Possession of a Professional Engineering (PE) license in the State of Oregon in the branch of Civil Engineering (CE) OR the ability to obtain license within six months of hire*, AND three years of licensed experience that would provide the required knowledge and skills to perform the responsibilities of the position.

*If registered in another state, successful applicants will be required to obtain a temporary permit to practice engineering, pursuant to ORS 672.109, within six months from date of hire.

Special qualifications:

Driving is an essential function of this position. You must have a valid US driver license and an acceptable driving record. We will conduct pre-employment driving records checks on our final candidate(s). Your license does not have to be issued in Oregon to be considered.

What we’d like to see:

• Experience directing complex, intricate analysis/design/operations of major facilities to solve unusual engineering problems.


• Experience serving as staff mentor and engineering expert in highway design, safety and operations.


• Experience advising management in determining policies and the future direction of highway design and safety.


• Experience as a subject matter expert in highway design and safety.


• Experience leading a group of professionals from multiple disciplines and project team members to deliver complex projects.

How to apply:

• Complete the following required steps:
  
  
  • Fill out the application or attach a resume. Please contact the recruiter under the ‘Need help?’ section if you have any questions about how to fill out the experience fields or to attach a document. Your submitted experience fields or attached resume must include dates (MM/YYYY) for each employer.
  
  
  • Attach a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience and training relates to the qualities that you have under the “what we’d like to see” section above.
    
    
    • Your cover letter must be limited to no more than two (2) pages.
    
    
    • Please address your cover letter to Ray Chong, Senior Roadway Manager.
    
    
    • Generic cover letters that do not address the qualities that you have under the “what we’d like to see” section may receive lower scores than those that addressed the desired qualities.
    
    
    • You must upload your cover letter in the “Resume/Cover Letter” section of the application.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Complete questionnaire. Answer the checkbox-style questions before submitting your application.
  
  
  
  


• After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This screen will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox.


• If you are a veteran or Oregon National Guard servicemember, you may receive preference. The task to upload your documents will be available after you submit your application. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your military service document(s) to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments.

Need help?

• For questions, call 503-586-6863 or email [e-mail].

Additional information:

• This recruitment will remain open until filled. Our first application screening is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, but we may close the announcement at any time after this date when we have received an adequate number of applications. We cannot guarantee that we will consider applications received after this screening date. We encourage interested applicants not to delay in applying.


• We do not offer visa sponsorship. If you are hired, you will be required to fill out the US Department of Homeland Security’s I-9 form confirming you are able to work in the US. We are not an E-Verify participating employer, and we are unable to proceed if E-Verify participation is required [e.g., STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension].


• The State of Oregon does not request or require your age, date of birth, attendance or graduation dates from an education institution during the application process.


• We may use this recruitment to fill multiple or future vacancies.


• We will conduct name-based criminal background checks on final candidates, not including current ODOT employees. All applicants may be subject to additional pre-employment check(s) such as driver license, LEDS (Law Enforcement Data System), and/or education verification as required for the position.


• You will be represented by the Association of Engineering Employees of Oregon (AEE).

ODOT is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Aff… We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any other class protected by state or federal laws in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring, and employment practices. Applicants with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. For questions, concerns, or complaints regarding EEO/AA/ADA, contact 1-877-336-6368 (1-877-EEO-ODOT). This information can be made available in an alternative format by contacting ODOT Recruitment at 503-986-3700. Oregon Relay Service can be reached by calling 7-1-1.

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