Transportation Engineer Senior

State of Iowa - Executive Branch; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Iowa Department of Transportation in Ames is seeking a Transportation Engineer Senior to serve as the Bureau’s Contract Administration Engineer. You will manage engineering staff, supervise contract administration for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, and ensure compliance with specifications and policies across projects.

The role requires a licensed professional engineer and several years of relevant experience, with cross-functional coordination across field and central

Qualifications

• Professional engineer license required.
• Four years of full-time professional work experience in transportation or civil engineering.
• Alternate path: PE license + 3 years of experience and a master’s degree in a related field.
• Current continuous experience in the state executive branch including 18 months as Transportation Engineer Specialist/Manager.

Responsibilities

• Guides and interprets specifications; provides technical assistance to district and resident engineers.
• Reviews and approves substantial contract change orders, Value Engineering proposals, and releases retained funds.
• Ensures compliance with Davis-Bacon wage requirements on Federal-Aid contracts.
• Reviews upcoming projects and coordinates letting projects with field and central offices.

Skills

PE licensure

Transportation eng.

Civil eng.

Education

Master’s in transportation/related field

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Job description

Job Description

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Construction and Materials Bureau is seeking a motivated Transportation Engineer Senior to serve as the Bureau’s Contract Administration Engineer. In this role, you will assist the Bureau Director in managing engineering and administrative staff responsible for administering construction contracts to accomplish the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. You will provide direction, consultation, and specialized services regarding specifications, methods, techniques and policies for construction and inspection to field construction staff to assure uniform compliance with specifications, procedures, and instructions.

At the Iowa DOT, our mission is Making Lives Better Through Transportation. To help us fulfill that mission, the person selected for this position will model the actions and behaviors guided by our five CORE values: Safety First, People Matter, Customer Focused, Servant Leadership, and Integrity Without Exception.

If you are passionate about improving systems, supporting others, and contributing to projects that make a real difference across Iowa, we welcome your application and encourage you to bring your strengths to our team.

Location: Ames

Shift Requirements: 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. M-F, some travel required.

As a Transportation Engineer Senior, your duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Provides guidance, specification interpretation, and technical assistance to District Construction Engineers and Resident Construction Engineers to ensure statewide compliance.
• Analyzes and grants final approval for substantial contract change orders, Value Engineering proposals, and the release of retained contractor funds.
• Manages compliance with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements on Federal-Aid contracts.
• Originates or recommends Staff Action forms for major project changes requiring upper-management

approval in accordance with department policy.

• Reviews upcoming projects weekly and assigns future letting projects to the appropriate Resident Construction Engineers.
• Coordinates between field staff and central offices, providing construction reviews for proposed plans and serving as a liaison to the Location and Environment Bureau.
• Provides urgent construction engineering assistance to field teams in the absence of the Construction Field Engineer.
• Provide technical assistance to other Bureaus within the Central Office Complex regarding construction issues. This includes providing a review and assessment of proposed plans and specifications, effects on field construction staff by actions of other offices and serves as a liaison with field construction staff when requested to obtain information.
• Reviews and provides final approval for the disbursement of contract funds retained to contractors.

Special Requirements

The Contract Administration Engineer is required to be a professional engineer licensed by the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board.

Benefits

• Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance
• Insurance benefits start the first month following 30 days of employment and costs can be reviewed here.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Paid time off effective immediately - biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match
• Optional 401A plan with employer contributions.
• Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling; legal, financial).

We encourage you to view more about the State of Iowa Employee benefits and costs at the State of Iowa Employee Benefits Website !

The Iowa Department of Transportation is proud to be a partner with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Through this partnership, DOT engineers are granted membership at a largely discounted price, as well as discounts for conferences and continuing education through the ASCE. We are excited to offer this benefit and to have you join this partnership with us! If you’re interested in learning more about this benefit, please visit https://www.asce.org/membership .

The Iowa Department of Transportation is an equal-opportunity employer. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing any screening, interviewing, pre‑employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please direct your request to the affirmative action & equal employment opportunity (AA/EEO) officer at: [e-mail]

Reasonable accommodation such as interpreter, translator, written materials, modified equipment/devices, ADA access, etc. This does not include scheduling needs.

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal right to work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

• All of the following (a and b):
• Licensure as a professional engineer; and
• Four years of full-time professional work experience in transportation engineering or civil engineering.
• All of the following (a, b, and c):
• Licensure as a professional engineer; and
• Three years of full-time professional work experience in transportation engineering or civil engineering; and
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in chemical, civil, construction, environmental, materials, structural, or transportation engineering; engineering management; or a field closely related to transportation engineering.
• Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes 18 months of full-time work as a Transportation Engineer Specialist or Transportation Engineer Manager.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

Additional Qualification Requirements

Prior to appointment, applicants must possess active licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering & Land Surveying Examining Board.