Engineer Trainee/Assistant Engineer

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

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:

Engineer Trainee:
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.

Duties Description Construction -

An Engineer Trainee (ET) (Civil/Transportation) in the Construction group can be assigned to work in the Regional Construction Office, in field assignments on construction projects and in the Regional Technical Services group.

When assigned to work in the Regional Construction Office, typical duties may include but are not limited to:
• Reviewing contractor submissions and shop drawings;
• Reviewing design estimates, plans and specifications;
• Reviewing and processing consultant estimates;
• Reviewing and processing subcontractor approvals;
• Performing or assisting MURK reviews;
• Reviewing contract change orders.

When assigned to work in a field assignment on a construction project, typical duties may include but are not limited to:
• Functioning as an Engineer-In-Charge (Assistant Engineer or AE), inspector or office engineer;
• Ensure work performed by contractors meets contract specifications, engineering standards and is performed safely;
• Review consultant and contractor estimates, plans and submissions;
• Complete daily work reports, prepare change orders, final documents and record plans.
When assigned to work in the Regional Technical Services group, typical duties may include but are not limited to:
• Functioning as the Laboratory Supervisor (AE), Laboratory IAST Coordinator (AE) or Plant Quality Assurance Technician.
• Testing or inspecting various materials incorporated into our construction projects.

Overnight stay, night work, weekend work or extended shifts may be required for all field assignments.
In addition, based on operational needs, ET’s may be assigned to various program areas throughout their employment duration to support capital program delivery or other critical department initiatives. Successful candidates will be expected to attend and successfully complete any required training.

At the time of appointment, and continuously thereafter, candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to meet the travel requirements of the position by maintaining a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State and/or having access to reliable transportation.

Design -

Duties may include but are not limited to:
•Prepare Plans, Specifications & Estimate (PS&E) for highway related projects in accordance with NYSDOT procedures
•Assist and coordinate in the production of all related studies, reports, and drawings for highway projects
•Plans include typical sections, profiles, work zone traffic control plans, general plans, utility and drainage plans, traffic control plans, pavement marking plans, erosion and sediment control plans, guide sign layouts, etc.
•Perform engineering calculations for highway design projects including alignments, inlet capacity, drainage, sign posts, cuts & fill volumes, etc.
•Prepare preliminary cost estimates, construction quantities, price analysis, and final cost estimates
•Collect field data and perform field inspection
•Handle inquiries and requests regarding projects or safety issues and concerns from other internal departments and state agencies, and also the public
•Liaison activities with third party entities occupying the state right of way and impacted by highway projects
•Assist with structures inspections and related tasks

Traffic Safety & Mobility -

Signal Crew Supervisor
Duties may include but are not limited to:
•Supervise Traffic Signal Crews and Lighting Foreman. Approve timesheets, prepare employee evaluation reports, perform meetings and administer counseling sessions.
•Coordinate with the Claims Unit and process FOIL requests.
•Issue Work Orders (WO) for extra work on signalized intersections, manage the WO database, and coordinate with the Engineer-in-Charge (EIC) to track progress.
•Manage signal shop warehouse inventory. Send/receive signal equipment deliveries, update inventory, and coordinate with the Main office (Albany) signal shop.
•Update signal activity, equipment inventory, and other activities related to signal operation on AgileAssets platform.
•Conduct field inspections for traffic case investigations and final acceptance.
•Investigate & prepare Accident Damage Recovery (ADR) estimates.
•Purchases traffic signal equipment when needed. Review and verify all transactions on purchase account.
•Coordinate with Permit group and Main office to update and manage information related to permit signals.

Traffic Control
Under the direction of a Professional Engineer 1/Senior Transportation Analyst, the candidate will work in a section of the Regional Traffic Engineering and Safety Group.
Duties may include but are not limited to:
•Conduct traffic operations and safety studies in response to inquiries from the public, elected officials, or as requested by the Regional Traffic Engineer. These studies are conducted to address safety, operational and capital program needs within different geographic areas in Long Island.
•Collect traffic data and review data collected by consultants.
•Conduct reviews of permit applications, project plans, traffic engineering and safety studies.
•Develop recommendations for traffic operations and/or safety improvements.
•Prepare draft letters for the Regional Traffic Engineer’s, Regional Director’s, or Commissioner’s signature.
•Prepare technical correspondence for written and oral presentations.
•Review construction projects from a traffic perspective (signs, markings, etc) and develop a punch list if required for resolution before contract acceptance.
•Perform studies as requested by your supervisor.

Preferred candidates should possess good written and oral communication skills as well as proficiency in computer programs such as Microsoft Office and other.

Transportation Maintenance – Bridge Maintenance -
Duties will be discussed in detail at the interview. In general, the incumbent will perform a variety of duties as an Assistant Regional Bridge Maintenance Engineer under the direction and supervision of a licensed, professional engineer. Duties will include, but will not be limited to the following: Bridge Maintenance Work Program development; supervise Bridge Maintenance field crews; oversee performance evaluation program for field personnel; plan and coordinate execution of Bridge Maintenance Work Program; provide engineering and technical assistance to field crews and supervise bridge flag resolution, respond to bridge and other transportation system emergencies, coordinate Accident Damage Recovery cases, coordinate facilities repair and maintenance program.

Transportation Maintenance – Residency 10-3 (Riverhead, NY) -
Duties include but are not limited to:
Under the direction of the Resident Engineer, the selected candidate will function as the Permits Engineer providing technical support and making recommendations to the Resident Engineer on a variety of tasks. The Permits Engineer will be the Residency’s point of contact for all highway work permits. A significant amount of contact with the public is required. The selected candidate will need to communicate effectively through oral and written communication and be proficient in the use of various computer software programs and databases. The Permits Engineer will meet with applicants and provide the proper application forms, will review applications for completeness and recommends to the RTME whether the proposed project will have any non-compliant aspects. The Permits Engineer will inspect the projects as they are being constructed to verify compliance with the terms and specifications in the permit and will determine when a project has been completed in compliance with the approved permit. The Permits Engineer will also act as an Assistant Resident Engineer as needed, and will assist the Resident Engineer and support in the management of the Residency by helping develop and track the annual work plan; investigating service requests; overseeing maintenance crew work; managing and inspecting maintenance contract work; supervising residency staff; overseeing snow and ice operations; managing salt use and inventories; reviewing, processing, and inspecting highway work permits; coordinating equipment use; procuring goods and services; and enforcing Department policies. Assistants to the Resident Engineers are also directly involved with workforce management, facility management, employee and facility safety, inventory control, petroleum bulk storage administration, environmental regulatory compliance administration, 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. Duties for this position will be completed in both office and field settings. At the time of appointment and continuously thereafter candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to meet the travel requirements of the position by maintaining a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State and/or having access to reliable transportation.

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