Work Zone Design Engineer
Salary
$79,601.60 - $122,428.80 Annually
Location
Ames - 50010 - Story County, IA
Job Type
Full-time
Job Number
26-01262
Agency
645 Iowa Department of Transportation
Opening Date
11/13/2025
Closing Date
11/30/2025 11:59 PM Central
LinkedIn Tag
#LI-POST
Point of Contact
Kent Nicholson, Kent.Nicholson@iowa.dot.us
Job Description
Does leading the design of complex work zone traffic control plans, being part of a team developing best practices for work zone traffic control, and becoming one of our agency’s experts in this engineering specialty interest you? Then this position might be for you. We are excited to hire a Work Zone Design Engineer (TE Specialist) who will be an essential member of the Design Bureau’s team, supporting the agency’s focus on safety. You will have the opportunity to work with a professional leadership team focused on providing outstanding engineering solutions to transportation challenges in service to the public. You will also work closely with members of our highway design teams to ensure optimal construction zone traffic control and construction staging, making field reviews of construction zones to assess traffic control performance, and representing the Design Bureau on various task forces and committees.
Location: Ames, Iowa – Design Bureau
Shift Requirements: Days, Monday through Friday. Flexible work hours available.
Our most successful candidate will have a thorough understanding of the highway development process, highway design, construction zone traffic control design, and assessment, as well as the capability to research evolving practices in construction zone traffic control advances to aid the agency in deploying the most current and effective measures.
In this position, you will contribute to the agency by working on a wide variety of construction zone traffic control designs that support complex highway improvement projects that will require you to:
- Advise engineers and designers on solutions to non-standard and highly complex challenges.
- Advance innovation in safety analysis, investment optimization, technologies, and methods related to construction zone traffic control.
- Work closely and effectively as part of our central highway design team, district design teams, and our consulting engineering partner teams to ensure that they are highly trained, adaptive, and efficient in the delivery of excellent transportation services that support our agency goals.
Additional Requirements:
- Licensed as a professional engineer, and the equivalent of four years of full-time licensed professional transportation or related civil engineering experience, one year of which must have included supervisory/managerial responsibility.
- Must have, or prior to appointment, must obtain an active Iowa professional engineering license through the Iowa Professional Licensing Bureau -Engineering and Land Surveying Examination Board.
- Must possess and maintain a Class C Driver’s License.
The Iowa Department of Transportation is proud to be a partner with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Through this partnership, DOT engineers are granted membership at a largely discounted price, as well as discounts for conferences and continuing education through the ASCE. We are excited to offer this benefit and to have you join this partnership with us! If you're interested in learning more about this benefit, please visit https://www.asce.org/membership.
The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Mission is Making Lives Better Through Transportation. To accomplish our Mission, the person selected for this position will demonstrate actions and behaviors guided by the Iowa Department of Transportation’s five CORE values: Safety First, People Matter, Customer Focused, Servant Leadership, and Integrity Without Exception.
As a State of Iowa employee, you will be eligible for the following benefits:
- Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance
- Insurance benefits start the first month following 30 days of employment, and costs can be reviewed here.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Paid time off effective immediately - biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year.
- Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match
- Optional 401A plan with employer contributions.
- Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling; legal, financial).
You have the freedom to flourish in Iowa – Apply today!
The Iowa Department of Transportation is an equal-opportunity employer. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing any screening, interviewing, pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please direct your request to the Affirmative Action & Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) Officer at: aa-eeo@iowadot.us.
Reasonable accommodation such as an interpreter, translator, written materials, modified equipment/devices, ADA access, etc. This does not include scheduling needs.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
1) All of the following (a and b):
a. Licensure as a professional engineer; and
b. Two years of full-time professional work experience in transportation engineering or civil engineering.
2) All of the following (a, b, and c):
a. Licensure as a professional engineer; and
b. One year of full-time professional work experience in transportation engineering or civil engineering; and
c. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in chemical, civil, construction, environmental, materials, structural, or transportation engineering; engineering management; or a field closely related to transportation engineering.
3) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full-time work as a Transportation Engineer.
For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description (Download PDF reader).
Additional Qualification Requirements
Prior to appointment, applicants must possess active licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering & Land Surveying Examining Board.