Transportation Design Engineer (4-7 years)

Fehr & Peers; Tacoma (WA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with matching

Flexible Spending Accounts

Commuter Benefits

Paid Vacation and holidays

Paid Parental Leave

Mentoring and Career Development

R&D group participation

Job summary

Fehr & Peers in Washington state is seeking a Transportation Design Engineer to grow our transportation engineering practice from Seattle or Tacoma, leading the delivery of community-based projects and mentoring staff in the Tacoma office. You will work in person at least three days per week, collaborating with colleagues and clients to expand our presence in the local market.

Your work combines technical leadership, project management, and client development.

Qualifications

• 4-7 years of transportation/traffic engineering experience.
• Experience applying WA DOT standards, MUTCD, AASHTO on projects.
• Strong project management and client-facing responsibilities.
• PE license in WA or ability to obtain within 6 months.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain relationships with public and private clients in WA.
• Lead client communication and delivery of traffic engineering studies.
• Prepare PS&E packages for transportation projects including complete streets and signals.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to office culture.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities through networking and proposals.
• Oversee conceptual designs that are technically sound and visually compelling.
• Conduct field work and support construction management.

Skills

Transportation engineering

Project management

Client development

Mentoring staff

Public engagement

Community outreach

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering/urban planning

Job description

As a Transportation Design Engineer, you will help grow Fehr & Peers’ transportation engineering practice in Washington while leading the delivery of impactful, community-based, transportation projects. Based out of our Seattle or Tacoma offices, you will work in person at least three days per week, collaborating with colleagues. You will work with clients and community partners while helping expand our presence in the local market. This position will be particularly tied to the growth and mentorship of design staff in our Tacoma office, so the ideal candidate will be based out of Tacoma, but any successful candidate would spend at least one day per week physically in our Tacoma office working with local staff and clients.

Your work will combine technical leadership, project management, and client development. You will deliver innovative, thoughtful design solutions that align with client objectives and reflect current best practices. You will also manage projects, oversee tasks, and mentor technical staff to deliver high-quality engineering work for our clients. At Fehr & Peers, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your career while helping shape the future of transportation in communities across the region.

We partner with public, private, and institutional clients to provide cutting-edge transportation planning and engineering expertise. For public sector clients, we lead PS&E, corridor studies, master plans, conceptual designs, environmental documents and processes, and related services. Our private sector clients include civil engineers, urban designers, developers, and technology firms.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with public agency, institutional, and private-sector clients throughout Washington
• Serve as a project manager and trusted advisor, leading client communication and ensuring successful project delivery of traffic engineering design and planning studies
• Prepare plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) for transportation engineering projects, including complete streets, bikeways, traffic signals, signing/striping, and lighting projects for Pacific Northwest public agencies
• Mentor and develop junior engineers and planners while contributing to a collaborative office culture
• Identify, pursue, and help secure new business opportunities through networking, client engagement, proposal preparation and development, and interview participation
• Prepare and oversee engineering conceptual designs that are technically sound, feasible, and visually compelling
• Perform some field work, including site reviews, design verification, and construction management support
• Engage with community members, stakeholders, and agency staff through public outreach and engagement efforts
• Embrace opportunities to learn and adopt new tools, technologies, and ways of working that enhance day‑to‑day work, while maintaining professional judgment, critical thinking, and accountability for results

Qualifications

• 4-7 years of experience in transportation and traffic engineering, including preparing and reviewing traffic signals, roadway illumination, ITS, and signing & striping plans, specifications, and estimates; selecting and designing transportation safety countermeasures and complete streets elements
• The ideal candidate will have experience applying Washington State local agency design standards, WSDOT Design Manual, MUTCD, AASHTO design standards on a variety of transportation projects
• Strong project management skills and client-facing responsibilities
• Bachelor’s degree in transportation, civil, electrical engineering, urban planning, or related field
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in Washington State, or the ability to obtain Washington P.E. licensure within six months of hire date
• Understanding of WSDOT and local agency operational standards, with experience applying them on Washington projects
• Familiarity with safety & mobility issues and how they affect transportation engineering
• Demonstrated success developing client relationships, leading proposals, and contributing to business development efforts
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills with clients, teaming partners, stakeholders, and internal project teams with a passion for listening to and engaging with communities across different backgrounds and experiences
• Interest and experience in mentoring and developing staff
• Openness to exploring and responsibly using new technologies and tools, while maintaining critical thinking and professional judgment

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Experience practicing engineering in Oregon or Alaska
• Additional professional credentials such as: Road Safety Professional (RSP), Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE), Project Management Profession (PMP) certification
• Existing relationships with Washington State, regional, or local agency clients
• Active transportation planning and design experience
• Road safety planning and design experience
• Quick‑build project design and implementation experience

Benefit Highlights

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability Insurance.
• 401(k) Plan with matching and profit sharing.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Commuter Benefits.
• Paid Vacation, holidays and sick leave.
• 8 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
• Mentoring and Career Development programs.
• Research and Development group participation, and more.

Full information about the benefits we offer can be found by visiting our careers page.

EEO

Fehr & Peers is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We recruit, hire, develop, and promote employees based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

We value the unique experiences, perspectives, and contributions of our employees and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

Nondiscrimination

Fehr & Peers ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact Human Resources.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Placement within the stated pay range will be determined based upon education, experience, and qualifications.