Deputy State Safety Engineer (WMS3)

State of Washington•Thurston County – Lacey, WA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is seeking a Deputy State Safety Engineer to provide strategic leadership for the agency's statewide highway safety program by developing and implementing policies, guidance, and initiatives that improve roadway safety and reduce fatal and serious injury crashes across Washington. This position works directly with the State Safety Engineer to carry out the needs of a multidisciplinary multimodal highway safety program, all the safety related activities that occur across WSDOT capital and operational programs. The Deputy State Safety Engineer partners with WSDOT regions, headquarters, and external safety agencies to ensure consistent, data-driven safety practices, oversee compliance with federal highway and rail-highway crossing safety requirements, support safety planning, performance evaluation, and knowledge transfer through training, and leads staff and cross-functional teams in advancing agency safety priorities. Strong candidates will possess expertise in transportation safety, policy development, regulatory compliance and exceptional leadership, strategic planning, and communication skills.

Requirements

Extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative analyses to support transportation processes, policies, and projects.
Proficiency in safety analysis, audits, evaluations, and diagnostic assessments, including identification of crash contributing factors.
Demonstrated experience and understanding of transportation planning, design, operations, and project development.
Extensive experience designing, performing, managing, implementing and reporting on quantitative and qualitative analyses to support recommendations for transportation processes, policies and projects.
Experience in safety analysis, audits, evaluation and diagnostic assessment (understanding crash contributing factors).
Extensive experience and applied knowledge of best practices, standards, and guidance for vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian facility design, operations, and safety.
Demonstrated ability and significant experience leading and developing professional, technical staff, and matrix-organized project teams.
Ability to build, manage, and guide multidisciplinary teams toward successful outcomes.
Ability to interpret, apply, and analyze government rules, regulations, and laws.
Experience communicating with elected officials, agency leaders, stakeholders, the public, and the media.
Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, accessible language for diverse audiences.
Ability to testify as an expert to the legislature and courts.
Actively demonstrates a commitment to learning and growth.
Takes action to meet the needs of others.
A valid driver’s license and the ability to operate state-owned vehicles.
A bachelor's degree in transportation planning, land use planning, or engineering.
Licensed as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or licensed as a PE in another state with the ability to obtain licensure in Washington State within six (6) months of hire.
Ability to testify as an expert to the legislature and courts.
Ability to build and lead multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to travel statewide and nationally.

Nice To Haves

Possession of safety-related professional certifications (e.g., Road Safety Professional, Safety Auditor).
Familiarity with nationwide perspectives and practices on safe systems approach and federal requirements for safety target setting and reporting.
Proficiency with statistical analysis tools, software, and methodologies.
Experience working within a public transportation agency environment, including familiarity with agency processes and stakeholder coordination.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement safety-specific and safety-related policies, processes and procedures, manuals, and guidance necessary to carry out WSDOT’s approach to safety consistent with the Safe System Approach and Executive Order 1085.
Report on the success of that program at the federal and state level in various forms and to multiple audiences.
Develop the Highway Safety Programming Ranking and prioritization methods for proactive and reactive safety approaches used to develop locations for safety improvement projects.
Provide strategic leadership, direction, expertise, and communication towards development of the Target Zero Strategic Highway Safety Plan.
Develop, implement, and oversee the Highway Safety Implementation Plan which outlines WSDOT strategic approach to highway safety with specific actions and strategies to occur within the program for the following year to achieve a reduction in fatal and serious crashes.
Provide strategic leadership, perform, and develop federally required analysis, evaluation, and coordination (internal, external, and public) for Safety Performance Target Setting, vulnerable road user assessments, high risk rural roads, and HSIP/RCHP federal reporting.
Provide strategic leadership and direction necessary to carry out a program of safety audits, assessments, inspections and investigations for projects, programs, and locations.
Provide high level safety expertise to the region, headquarters, and local agencies as necessary to achieve the Safe System, address project and program needs, and increase safety knowledge.
Provide bill analysis and support for legislative proposals and requests related to safety.
Provide strategic leadership to the Highway Safety Issue Group (HSIG), as chair.