Transportation Engineer 3 (Drainage Engineer)

State of Connecticut • Thomaston, CT

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation (DOT), is seeking motivated agency employees for a Transportation Engineer 3 (Drainage Engineer) position in the Bureau of Highway Operations, District 4 office in Thomaston. This role is part of the Special Services Unit, responsible for inspecting drainage structures, culverts, and catch basins, with a focus on MS4 compliance and potential environmental impacts on DOT properties. The position involves handling property owner and municipal complaints, creating maintenance work orders, and assisting the Bureau of Highway Operations Administration and Maintenance Manager in accordance with federal and state statutes, policies, and regulations. Familiarity with the DOT’s Hydraulics and Drainage Manual, Encroachment Permit Regulations, and related statutes and regulations is beneficial. Applicants must be available to travel for training, conferences, meetings, and field reviews, potentially outside normal working hours, and must possess a valid driver's license.

Requirements

• Must be a current State of CT employee of the agency listed for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service.
• Possess and retain a valid driver's license.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering.
• Three (3) years of experience in transportation engineering.
• One (1) year of the General Experience must have been at the working level in a professional transportation engineering capacity (equivalent to Transportation Engineer 2).
• Considerable knowledge of principles and practices involved in transportation engineering such as bridge design, foundations, highway design, transportation facilities design, transportation planning, maintenance, drainage or hydraulics, research, pavement design, pavement management and traffic.
• Considerable knowledge of operational methodologies and established policies.
• Knowledge of administrative and financial controls with respect to transportation engineering plans, contracts, projects and reports.
• Considerable analytical, problem solving and technical report development skills.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Oral and written communication skills.
• Considerable ability to interpret and apply principles of information systems and technologies.
• Ability to analyze plans and estimates.
• Supervisory ability.

Nice To Haves

• Experience communicating with DOT staff, Town, and field personnel on implementing DOT standards on encroachment permit, VIP and construction projects.
• Experience leading others in the administration of a project.
• Experience analyzing and reviewing engineering reports, project reviews, funding obligations, schedules, estimates, time extensions, shop drawings, project closeouts as well as plans, and specifications related to highway, traffic, drainage or structure construction.
• Experience with resolving claims and customer care complaints in a timely manner.
• Experience analyzing drainage issues, determining and implementing effective solutions.
• Experience using COMPASS, MS Office Suite, and GIS.

Responsibilities

• Inspection of drainage structures, culverts, and catch basins, with a concentration on MS4, and potential environmental impacts of regulated areas within DOT properties.
• Handle property owner and municipal complaints, some of which may require the creation of a Maintenance work order.
• Assist and carry out direction from the Bureau of Highway Operations Administration and Maintenance Manager in accordance with federal and state statutes, policies, and regulations.
• Oversee work of lower level engineers and perform complex design work.
• Design difficult foundations and bridges of advanced design.
• Make field inspection of bridge sites to obtain information necessary for design of important structures.
• Oversee field inspection of structural condition of existing structures and preparation of sketches, plans and recommendations for adequate repair.
• Act as liaison between towns and state as consulting engineer in repair of bridges.
• Oversee and conduct research on materials incorporated in bridges, highways, and miscellaneous structures and maintenance and construction methods in field.
• Oversee state and consultant engineers in review of storm sewer and culvert designs and computations prepared by Design division and contracting engineers for watersheds of 650 acres and less.
• Provide technical advice to Design division and District Engineers on pollution control measures and unusual storm sewer and culvert designs.
• Prepare computations for storm sewer and culvert designs.
• Attend field reviews on all new designs for highway projects.
• Recommend revisions to improve drainage design.
• Oversee laboratory work on soil samples for determination of void ratio, water content, specific gravity, grain size distribution, plasticity limits, permeability, optimum moisture content, confined and unconfined compressive strength, direct shear and consolidation.
• Prepare detailed geotechnical reports and recommendations.
• Oversee analyses, computations, preparation of plans and data relating to hydraulic problems encountered in planning and design of highways.
• Perform hydrographic analysis and flood routing for retention basin designs.
• Serve as expert witness in court cases.
• Review drainage design on major permit applications for shopping centers and housing developments.
• Assist in preparation and updating of Drainage Manual.
• Oversee engineers, electricians and technicians in design or maintenance of extensive highway lighting, traffic light installations and computerized traffic control systems.
• Perform complex work in preparation of plans, specifications and estimated cost of electrical contracts and work.
• Oversee inspection of electrical construction and maintenance work and preparation of monthly and final estimates.
• Coordinate preliminary surveys and planning of engineering requirements for construction and maintenance of electrical installations with state utilities.
• Assist in coordination of work of design engineers with consulting engineers in preparation of plans to determine contract documents.
• Recommend need for test, alterations, revision of replacement of equipment associated with highway lighting, traffic lights, drawbridges, and highway buildings.
• Act as consultant to district forces and other state agencies.
• Oversee consultant engineers in the preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates of bridges and structural improvement, construction and reconstruction of highways and construction or reconstruction of transportation facilities.
• Recommend treatment of alignment, grade, surface and drainage features.
• Make project reports and analyze comparative routes for economy, feasibility and utility.
• Oversee activities of engineers and technical assistants engaged in review and processing of major traffic generator studies, highway traffic engineering investigations, surveys, design and research.
• Review reports from investigators and subordinates.
• Prepare final reports and recommendations applying to traffic signs, signals, markings, control devices, illumination, channelization, detour and route designations.
• Represent department in state, town, public meetings.
• Oversee and review plans, specifications and cost estimates for adjustment of relocation of public utilities in conflict with design and layout of construction for purpose of establishing their engineering adequacy.
• Determine extent to which state shall reimburse utility companies for costs incurred.
• Prepare and review agreements governing terms involved.
• Represent state in negotiations with Federal Highway Administration for reimbursement of funds to state.
• Confer with consulting, engineers, corporate, municipal planners, departmental personnel and others involved in coordinating utility adjustments with highway reconstruction work.
• Advise departmental auditors on acceptability of credits offered or claims for payment made.
• Conduct field and office investigations of engineering, technical or other problems and prepare reports for higher level employees.
• Analyze problems and recommend effective solutions.
• Assist in establishment of policy, procedures and methods.
• Represent department in legislative matters.
• Assist in development and review of department contracts.
• Distribute, prioritize, oversee and review unit work.
• Provide staff training and assistance.
• Conduct or assist in conducting performance evaluations.
• Act as liaison with operating units, agencies, consultant staffs and other outside officials regarding unit policies and procedures.
• Recommend policies and standards.
• Prepare reports and correspondence.
• Perform related duties as required.

Benefits

• Professional growth and development opportunities
• Healthy work/life balance
• On-site, low-cost fitness center
• On-site cafeteria
• Electric Vehicle (EV) charging at Headquarters facility
• Ample free parking with easy access from major highways and by public transportation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level