Digital Project Construction Unit Head (Professional Engineer II)

State of Nebraska•Lincoln, NE

8d•$42 - $62•Onsite

About The Position

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) has established a new Digital Project Delivery Division (DPD) to develop, implement, and support digital delivery processes across the entire transportation asset lifecycle—from planning and design through letting, construction, and long-term operations. Our mission is to establish the standards, workflows, BIM manuals, and digital tools that enable consistent delivery of contractual digital information. Our specialized technical team works across two complementary focus areas: Pre-Letting Workflows (focus on pre-letting design integration, data schemas, agency standards, SOP's, MALD model production workflows, MALD QA/QC of NDOT projects) and Post-Letting Workflows (focus on construction technology, model conversion and support in field tools/workflows, field adoption, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)). While our organizational chart identifies Project Delivery and Construction focus areas, these are not rigid boundaries—our team collaborates closely to connect data, technology, and people across the entire project lifecycle, and ultimately empower NDOT and our stakeholders to fully adopt and realize the benefits of Digital Delivery.

Requirements

Professional Engineer II: Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline and one year of experience performing professional level engineering assignments.
Must possess a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license at the time of application and be licensed by the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects at time of employment or be able to obtain such license within 90 days of employment.
Professional Engineer I: Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
Must possess a Professional Engineer (P.E.) license at the time of application and be licensed by the Nebraska Board of Engineers and Architects at the time of employment or be able to obtain such license within 90 days of employment.
Engineer: Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline.
Must pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE) within one year of employment.
Degree must be from an EAC/ABET or CEAB(Canada)-accredited engineering program OR meet the NCEES Engineering Education Standard.
Must have a valid driver's license or ability to provide independent authorized transportation.
Must be able to safely move, drag, and lift 35 pounds frequently (without assistance).
Must be able to climb, bend, stoop, walk long distances, work in outdoor temperature extremes.
Regular and reliable attendance is also required.
Knowledge of: civil engineering theories, principles, and practices of civil engineering and design; modern methods and techniques of highway construction, maintenance, and materials; legal responsibilities and ramifications associated with the work performed; federal and agency design standards, specifications, and procedures; federal and State laws and regulations applicable to the function performed; practices and terminology of computer operation and Computer Aided Design and Drafting (CADD); Geographic Information Systems (GIS); mathematics, surveying and material testing; engineering properties of materials and surfacing types; rehabilitation and maintenance techniques; pavement management; practical engineering concepts.
Ability to: interpret, understand and implement State and federal laws and regulations, and agency standards, policies, and procedures; read interpret and evaluate engineering plans and specifications; review and approve/stamp engineering plans; understand all levels of project design; organize, analyze, and evaluate available information and draw reasonable conclusions; develop procedures and determine the logical flow of work through the work unit; plan, organize, assign and direct the work of section/unit staff; provide direction and expertise to other engineering professionals and engineering technicians; evaluate the professional and/or technical skills of assigned team members and assign work accordingly; communicate information clearly and concisely; prepare, interpret, use, and explain civil engineering plans, maps, specifications and standards and reports, communicate with the public, contractors, consultants, agency staff at all levels, and local government officials; interact with assigned worker, other agency employees, local government representatives, contractors, consultants, and the public.

Nice To Haves

Three years of progressively responsible experience leading and managing engineering functions.
Demonstrated experience using total quality management principles and decision making.

Responsibilities

Bridge Design to Field: Take raw 3D design models (e.g., OpenRoads, Civil 3D) and extract, cleanse, and reconstruct data into construction-ready formats in Trimble (or other) technologies and Automated Machine Guidance (AMG) surfaces.
Resolve Geometric Anomalies: Fix model discrepancies and align design attributes to ensure seamless, lossless data handoffs to field technology.
Data Schema Standardization: Translate complex design metadata into standardized field asset schemas to guarantee data integrity during construction execution.
Statewide Technical Lead: Serve as the subject matter expert and training lead for construction digital delivery technologies and established SOPs. Configure construction model and inspection technologies per NDOT and DPD requirements and workflows.
Curriculum & Hands-On Training: Design, update, and deliver training curricula and documentation for Project Managers, Field Engineers, Inspectors, and external consultants.
Field Tech Training: Train district personnel on the practical mechanics of DPD processes and tools; 3D models, Trimble rovers/hardware, and mobile inspection applications used on job sites.
Advanced On-Site Support: Participate in field reviews, construction meetings, and in-progress inspections to support digital workflows.
Real-Time Issue Resolution: Troubleshoot model discrepancies and hardware/software synchronization issues encountered by field engineers using construction tech solutions.
Feedback Loop: Gather direct feedback from contractors and inspectors to continuously optimize model-building workflows for downstream construction use.
Pilot Emerging Tech: Evaluate and test emerging civil construction software, Trimble technologies, hardware tools, and data schemas.
Workflow Optimization: Conduct pilot testing and provide engineering insights and recommendations to higher-level managers regarding software configurations, workflow bottlenecks, and technical roadblocks.
Implementation Strategies: Evaluate digital data sources and technologies to prepare technical project reports and statewide implementation strategies.
Program Oversight: Supervise the NDOT Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) team, managing operational scaling, pilot workflows, equipment procurement, and maintenance.
Workflow Integration: Collaborate across DPD, key stakeholders, and vendors to define drone use cases and incorporate aerial deliverables (photogrammetry/LiDAR) into Digital Delivery workflows.
SOP Development: Participate in the technical evaluation of drone deliverables and establishment of SOPs to operationalize drone workflows statewide.
Other duties as assigned.