23923 - Area Construction Engineer

Virginia Department of Transportation•Salem, VA

2d•$103,950 - $168,919

About The Position

The Area Construction Engineer leads and guides construction inspection staff and managers to achieve district contract goals for safety, quality, schedule, and budget across construction and maintenance contracts. The role independently performs and oversees contract construction activities within a geographic region, identifies improvements, and makes cost-effective recommendations that comply with safety, environmental, federal, and state standards. It serves as the responsible charge engineer for highway construction functions and provides professional engineering advice, leadership, and direction to staff. The position manages an assigned District engineering section, plans and monitors project activities, provides fiscal management and technical guidance for transportation projects, and trains and develops team members. The position oversees construction project budgets, staffing and resource coordination, constructability reviews, project development, contract coordination, scheduling, quality improvement, strategic initiatives, and technical guidance. It communicates with contractors, public agencies, officials, legislators, stakeholders, and the public; resolves project issues; monitors project progress and compliance; and reports findings and accomplishments to management. The role also contributes to district and agency goals and ensures resources and engineering practices support VDOT’s strategic plan.

Requirements

Degree in Construction Engineering or a related field.
Valid Professional Engineer’s license.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to apply federal, FHWA, state, and local transportation rules, regulations, and policies.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with diverse audiences, deliver presentations, and conduct meetings.
Ability to oversee construction activities for multiple projects of varying complexity.
Knowledge of engineering design for roadways, structures, and drainage, and of environmental and state and federal standards related to highway design and construction.
Knowledge of quality assurance and quality control methods.
Knowledge of transportation construction principles and practices, project management, and related processes.
Skill in project scheduling and management.
Skill in using computers and software applications to support VDOT operations.
Ability to manage administrative, financial, and technical functions of an engineering work unit, staff, programs, and budgets.
Ability to provide technical and engineering guidance to construction staff, design engineers, and others; research and analyze data; and prepare and present technical reports.
Ability to supervise and evaluate the work of others.
Advanced knowledge of transportation and highway engineering principles, laws, and regulations; civil and design engineering principles; constructability review; contract administration; and engineering construction practices.
Knowledge of strategic and operational practices and supervisory and human-resources practices, including hiring, discipline, performance management, and employee development.
Skill in building relationships with employees across divisions, field personnel, contractors, manufacturers, and FHWA representatives; planning and scheduling diverse teams; leadership coaching and development; customer service; and working with management and elected and appointed officials.
Skill in using computers and software applications, including engineering design and analysis software.

Nice To Haves

Certification as a Certified Construction Manager (CCM).
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Experience in transportation engineering project and program management.
Progressively responsible managerial experience in transportation engineering.
Experience interpreting federal and state transportation engineering guidelines, policies, and practices.
Extensive experience conducting highway and structures constructability reviews focused on scheduling, assessments, and recommendations.
Extensive experience leading and supervising construction and engineering staff.
Extensive experience leading construction engineering staff in resolving construction issues and improving quality on projects of varying complexity.
Extensive experience leading engineering staff in resolving issues on projects of varying complexity.
Progressively responsible experience in transportation engineering.
Progressively responsible experience managing and administering diversified transportation engineering or construction programs.

Responsibilities

Lead and guide construction inspection staff and managers in meeting district contract goals for safety, quality, schedule, and budget.
Perform and oversee contract construction activities within an assigned geographic region and serve as responsible charge engineer for highway construction functions.
Manage budgets for assigned functional areas and construction projects, ensuring expenditures remain within allocations and performance goals are met.
Coordinate with FHWA on work orders, notices of intent, and claims, including validating the necessity of work and federal participation.
Coordinate with residencies regarding project managers, inspectors, equipment, and supplies; conduct site visits to confirm compliance with contract scope, standards, and specifications.
Evaluate project development and conduct constructability reviews, develop schedules and timeframes, participate in project meetings and reviews, prepare review reports, and ensure biddability analysis is completed.
Review plans and contract special provisions before construction and coordinate bid-proposal modifications with appropriate staff.
Organize the work unit, assign and monitor workloads, manage priorities, optimize resources, and provide ongoing direction to project managers and staff.
Represent VDOT in contractor meetings and resolve contract issues and public concerns with district and residency staff.
Manage project scheduling and resources, monitor construction progress, address potential delays with stakeholders, and ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and directives.
Prepare project review findings, corrective-action recommendations, program accomplishment reports, and monthly and fiscal-year-end reports.
Manage construction quality improvement, support dispute resolution and negotiations, interpret plans and contract requirements, and provide technical advice to contractors and design and field staff.
Conduct project correspondence reviews, meetings, site visits, follow-up assessments, and reports to address project issues and evaluate implementation of recommendations.
Participate in district senior leadership and agency strategic initiatives, support district performance goals, and recommend process improvements and efficiencies.
Provide technical guidance on transportation engineering matters and recommend changes to technical policies and directives.
Communicate VDOT initiatives and transportation project information to the public, officials, agencies, legislators, local leaders, media, and other stakeholders.
Train and develop team members; supervise and evaluate staff performance.
Abide by VDOT’s Code of Ethics and the Commonwealth’s Standards of Conduct.