Highway/Roadway Engineer 7

CDM Smith•Chicago, IL

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

As a key member of CDM Smith’s Transportation team, the Highway/Roadway Engineer will contribute technical expertise to the design and delivery of Illinois DOT roadway projects. The role involves developing practical, high-quality solutions intended to improve mobility and safety across Illinois, including roadway designs for highways, interchanges, and complex urban and rural corridors. The engineer will apply IDOT requirements and coordinate roadway work with drainage, traffic, utilities, and structural elements. The position also includes checking and reviewing design calculations, plans, and technical deliverables; preparing project specifications, special provisions, and cost estimates; responding to agency comments; and supporting field investigations, proposals, and IDOT pursuits. The engineer will provide day-to-day technical guidance and hands-on mentoring to junior engineers. Travel of 10% or less may be required, depending on duties, responsibilities, workload, and project demands.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Civil, Transportation, or Structural Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent additional directly related experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
12 years of related experience.
Expert knowledge of computer-assisted design and drafting (CADD) 3D and 4D software and practices.
Expert knowledge of engineering design principles.
Expert knowledge of Microsoft business software, including Excel and Word.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Expert knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations.
Basic knowledge of design standards such as AASHTO and NACTO.
Domestic and/or international travel may be required; frequency depends on duties, responsibilities, essential functions, workload, and project demands.

Nice To Haves

Experience working on Illinois DOT (IDOT) projects.
Expert knowledge of IDOT Design Manuals, Standards, Specifications, and Guidelines.
Proficiency with OpenRoads Designer (ORD).
Strong technical writing skills, including the ability to develop work plans and lead technical discussions.
Proven experience leading multidisciplinary project tasks or serving as a design lead on complex infrastructure projects.

Responsibilities

Perform hands-on roadway design for IDOT transportation projects, including highways, interchanges, and complex urban and rural corridors.
Apply IDOT Design Manuals, Standards, Specifications, and Guidelines to develop compliant, constructible design solutions.
Use OpenRoads Designer (ORD) for geometric design, corridor modeling, plan production, and coordination with drainage, traffic, and structural elements.
Prepare, check, and review roadway geometry, profiles, cross sections, grading, and drainage designs for accuracy and compliance with IDOT and FHWA requirements.
Develop and review design calculations for alignment, sight distance, superelevation, drainage, and other transportation engineering components.
Review plan sets and technical deliverables, providing detailed comments and quality checks before submission.
Coordinate with project managers and multidisciplinary teams to integrate roadway, drainage, traffic, utilities, and structures.
Develop IDOT project specifications, special provisions, and cost estimates consistent with IDOT standards and project scope.
Support field investigations and site visits by evaluating existing conditions, constructability constraints, and design impacts.
Respond to IDOT and agency comments and revise designs and documentation through design development and final submittals.
Contribute technical input to proposals and IDOT pursuits, including approach narratives, scope input, and workload estimates.
Provide technical guidance to junior engineers, review their work, and mentor them to support skill development and quality outcomes.