Engineer Trainee/Assistant Engineer

Duties Description
At the time of appointment and continuously thereafter, possession of a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State is required or the ability to meet the travel requirements of the position must otherwise be demonstrated.

Specific job duties will be discussed at the interview.

Under the direction and supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer, incumbents perform a variety of duties depending on assignment. Engineer Trainees/Assistant Engineers are found throughout DOT in a variety of programs.

When assigned to Construction, typical duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Function as Chief Inspector or Engineer-in-Charge on Department construction projects.
• Ensure work performed by contractors meets contract specifications or engineering standards and is performed safely.
• Supervise project inspection forces.
• Review design, consultant and contractor plans, shop drawings, estimates, etc.
• Initiate design changes and orders-on-contract. Complete daily work reports. Prepare final documents and record plans.
• Act as an office engineer. Checks computations on DWRs, keeps job records in accordance with MURK and prepares monthly estimates for payment to the contractor.
• Engage in use of CADD, highway design software and GPS systems.
• Overnight stays, night work, and weekend work may be required for field assignments.

When assigned to Design, typical duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Under the direction and supervision of a licensed professional engineer, the incumbents would perform a variety of duties depending on assignment. Engineer Trainee's typical duties may include but are not limited

to: design of capital roadway or bridge projects including site investigations, preparation of engineering drawings utilizing 2D/3D CADD applications, and preparation of estimates, or may fill the role of an assistant team leader for a bridge/culvert inspection crew. Assistant Engineer's will perform the aforementioned duties, as well as draft project reports, supervise and review the work of engineering technicians, perform quality control review of project documents prepared by others for consistency with Department standards and for constructability, and assist in public outreach, and provide construction support.

When assigned to Traffic, typical duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct operational studies pertaining to various traffic control devices, including signs, traffic signals, ITS devices, and pavement markings.
• Perform speed studies for the purposes of establishing speed limits.
• Review crash histories and roadway characteristics for Highway Safety Investigations.
• Design and review Work Zone Traffic Control plans for Capital Projects and Highway Work Permit projects.
• Perform design review of Capital Project & Highway Work Permit plans for content related to signs, signals, pavement markings, access management, etc. for compliance with NYSDOT & Federal standards.
• Evaluate and modify traffic signal timing plans and programs, perform and conduct traffic signal designs, conduct traffic signal warrant analyses, review Traffic Impact Studies, provide oversight and guidance to regional signal crews.

When assigned to Maintenance, typical duties will include, but are not limited to:

The Assistant Resident Engineer will work under the direction of the Resident Engineer and support the management of their maintenance organization by helping develop and track the annual work plan, investigating service requests, overseeing maintenance crew work, managing maintenance contract work, supervising highway supervisors, overseeing snow and ice operations, managing salt use and inventories, processing highway work permits, coordinating equipment use, procuring goods and services, and enforcing departmental policies. A significant amount of contact with the public is required.

Assistants to the Resident Engineers are also directly involved with workforce management, employee and facility safety, inventory control, petroleum bulk storage administration, environmental regulatory compliance administration, herbicide programs, asset condition assessments, preparing specifications and details for maintenance contract work, and various other tasks that may be assigned by the Resident Engineer.

This position may require work to be performed outside the core hours including nights, weekends, and holidays. Specific duties of this position will be discussed at the interview.

Responsibilities may include serving a role within the Incident Command System to support the department's response to regional and statewide emergency situations.

Minimum Qualifications
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*

Engineer Trainee
To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55 b/c, candidates must meet the open competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications are:

Either 1. a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or engineering technology as listed below;

Or 2. proof of passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FE) AND one year of full-time engineering experience as listed below.

As an Engineer Trainee, you will serve a 24-month traineeship that leads to Assistant Engineer, Grade 20. To advance to Assistant Engineer, you must have obtained proof of passing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FE) and successfully completed the requirements of the traineeship to the satisfaction of the appointing authority. At the discretion of the appointing authority, early advancement to the Assistant Engineer is possible if you have obtained your FE and have successfully completed twelve months of the traineeship. It is your responsibility to notify the appointing authority's personnel office upon obtaining proof of passing the FE. You may receive an increase in salary upon obtaining your FE. Information about this increase will be provided by the appointing authority.

Assistant Engineer
Either 1. proof of passing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FE) AND a qualifying bachelor's degree or higher as listed below;

Or 2. proof of passing the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Fundamentals of Engineering Examination (FE) AND one year of full-time qualifying engineering experience as listed below.

Qualifying degrees: Civil Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering Management, Construction Engineering Management Technology, Geological Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydraulics Engineering, Materials Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Transportation Planning and Engineering, or Engineering Science with a recognized concentration in any of the above listed engineering degrees.

Qualifying experience: One year of full-time engineering experience with transportation projects related to highways/roadways, railroads, bridges, airports, waterways, building structures, or traffic management and safety systems.

Candidates may also be qualified for permanent appointment if reachable from the appropriate Civil Service eligible list or eligible for reassignment or transfer in accordance with Civil Service Law

Additional Comments

• For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

At a future date, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in an NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Your required educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at:

The starting salary for an Engineer Trainee position is $66,951.

The starting salary for an Assistant Engineer is $81,193. This amount is comprised of the base salary of $74,193 with an additional geographic pay differential of $7,000, specific to this title and location.

The maximum compensation for this position is $101,121. This amount is comprised of the standard job rate of $94,121 with an additional geographic pay differential of $7,000, specific to this title and location.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

The New York State Department of Transportation is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, minority group members, disabled persons and Veterans are encouraged to apply. Upon request, reasonable accommodations will be provided for the disabled.

In compliance with Public Law 99-603, candidates selected for appointment must provide an original document to prove their citizenship and/or legal right to work in the United States.