Trainee- Graduate Engineer
Job Classification: Trainee – Graduate Engineer
Employment Condition: Trainee, Full-time
Division/District/Office/Section: Workforce and Agency Services/Human Resources/Staffing-Career Pathways Programs
Job Duties:
This vacancy will be used to fill a Trainee-Graduate Engineer position on in the Bridge Office. This position provides a unique and rare opportunity for a Trainee to participate on the Blatnik Bridge Replacement Project Team, assisting with design and construction oversight of the replacement of the Blatnik Bridge.
Replacing the Blatnik Bridge is a top priority of MnDOT and WisDOT. The replacement of the bridge is MnDOT’s largest bridge project to date, with a total project cost estimated to be $1.8 billion. The project includes bridge-type alternatives of either a Tied Arch or Cable Stayed bridge for the main navigation span, and beam-type structures on the approach spans. The overall length of the new bridge is over 1.5 miles.
The bridge is located within the Duluth-Superior Harbor, which is recognized as the busiest port on the Great Lakes. More than 35 million tons of cargo move through the port each year. Deconstructing the existing bridge and building a new bridge, while minimizing impacts to navigation and maintaining safety, will be a major challenge for this project.
The project is being developed using the Design-Build project delivery method, and design oversight will likely occur during 2026 and the first parts of 2027. Your role will include participation on MnDOT’s oversight team, working on the review of design and construction submittals. Tasks may include assisting with the review of elements of the bridge design, including steel beams, prestressed concrete beams, and foundation designs, and select elements of the main span alternatives.
MnDOT staff will be co-located with the Design Build Contractor in a yet-to-be-determined location in the Metro area. The Trainee will make occasional trips to Duluth, MN, during the first year and be assigned to work in Duluth for the second year of the program, when the Trainee will be transitioned to the construction oversight team overseeing bridge removals, foundation construction, and bridge construction beginning in the summer of 2027.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation's Graduate Engineer Training Program is a 2-year rotation program. Trainees participate in the program for up to 2 years, gaining professional engineering experience by completing rotations in various functional areas. All Trainees are supported with structured mentorship, training opportunities, and a large support network of professional engineers engaged in the Trainee’s growth and development as an engineer.
The selected Trainee(s) may begin employment after all educational requirements have been met.
To successfully complete the program, a Trainee must:
- Complete 2 years of professional engineering experience
- Achieve a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
- Complete and demonstrate satisfactory performance in all rotations
- Complete 20 hours of recruitment outreach and/or public engagement service
After all criteria are met, the Trainee will be non-competitively converted to a permanent, probationary Engineer 2 Graduate position in the trainee’s permanent (home base) office.
All Trainees must become a registered Professional Engineer within 6 years of being appointed as a Trainee – NO EXCEPTIONS. Failure to do so will result in termination.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, Geoengineering, or Structural Engineering from an ABET-accredited college/university or equivalent as rated by EAC/NCEES by the date of hire. If the selected candidate does not possess a bachelor’s degree, all offers of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of this requirement
- GPA higher than 2.5
- A valid class D driver's license
Applicants will be evaluated for an interview based on the following: (1) applicant’s GPA; (2) an advanced degree in civil or structural engineering or a closely related field; (3) possession of the Fundamentals of Engineering certification or a Professional Engineers license; (4) engineering-related work experience; and (5) previous MnDOT experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- GPA higher than 3.0
- A passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
- Professional Engineer (PE) licensure
- A Master’s Degree in Civil/Construction Engineering (structural emphasis) or Structural Engineering
- Advanced coursework in structures
- Work experience in geotechnical engineering, foundation design, or retaining wall design
All applicants must submit the following information to Monica Schumacher at monica.schumacher@state.mn.us:
1) Your transcripts and identifying credentials, i.e., Proof of FE certification, Proof of PE licensure
2) If you have a degree from an international university and have not passed the FE in the state of Minnesota, you must provide proof that you are eligible to become licensed in the state of Minnesota once you meet the professional engineering experience requirement and any paperwork you have submitted that proves your degree is equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geoengineering or Structural Engineering
3) A list ranking the job locations you are interested in being permanently placed at the end of the two years
4) In the subject line of the email include your first and last name and the email content (First/Last Name – Transcripts and FE proof)
Questions?
Email Monica Schumacher at monica.schumacher@state.mn.us