Transportation Engineer 2 (In-Training)

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. They are seeking a Transportation Engineer 2 to support highway construction projects, ensuring compliance with specifications and enhancing the safety and efficiency of the state's transportation system. Responsibilities - Independently develop and execute traffic models for regional transportation projects using engineering software such as Highway Capacity Software (HCS), Synchro/SimTraffic, and VISSIM - Perform detailed highway and work-zone capacity analyses to evaluate impacts to the traveling public and maintain system performance during construction - Develop and evaluate design alternatives for lane configurations, intersection control types, and traffic operations to optimize safety, efficiency, and long-term performance - Conduct capacity and operational analyses to support design life assessments and inform data-driven alternative selection and project recommendations - Prepare clear, professional engineering correspondence and technical documentation, including letters, reports, Intersection Control Evaluations, and calibration summaries, using standard office and engineering software - Develop and present supporting materials such as spreadsheets, graphs, charts, data visualizations, and public-facing presentations to effectively communicate technical findings to internal teams, external partners, and the public - Perform traffic model calibration checks and traffic volume balancing to ensure analytical accuracy and consistency across regional and project-level analyses - Review and evaluate traffic impact studies for private developments affecting state highways, including validation of electronic model files, methodologies, and assumptions - Assess transportation elements of planning and environmental documents prepared by consultants, cities, and counties for consistency with state standards and system performance goals - Develop and recommend mitigation strategies to address development-related traffic impacts and support safe, efficient operation of the state highway system Skills - Transportation Engineer 2 (TE2) Level - Engineering Knowledge: Comprehensive knowledge and practical understanding of engineering principles, methods, and practices relevant to transportation projects. This includes experience in design development, construction techniques, material testing procedures, and/or contract administration; Experience preparing construction contract documents or working for a Design Builder in an engineering capacity - Transportation Engineer 1 (TE1) Level - Engineering Fundamentals: Foundational knowledge of basic engineering and mathematical principles to solve routine engineering problems, typically gained through education, experience, training, or certification (EIT or LSIT). Ability to apply this knowledge to design, construction, and inspection tasks - Analytical and Technical Review: Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex transportation and traffic analysis elements, identify issues, and develop effective alternative solutions. Experience reviewing and applying traffic design and transportation engineering principles to support data-driven decision-making and project delivery - Technology Proficiency: Proficient in operating Windows-based computers and MS Office applications, including Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint, and Word, as well as databases and computer-aided engineering software - Communication Skills: Skills to communicate technical non-technical information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, both virtually and in person, using a range of electronic communication methods such as email, telephone, text, video conferencing, and computer based collaboration tools - Collaboration & Adaptability: Skills to work productively both independently and as part of a team environment, prioritizing workload and handling multiple assignments, producing accurate and consistent results - Service-Oriented: Demonstrates a willingness to take action to meet the needs of others - Growth Mindset: Actively demonstrates a commitment to learning and growth - Technical Traffic Analysis Competency: Experience preparing and/or reviewing traffic studies, including traffic impact analyses, transportation discipline reports for environmental documentation, and intersection control evaluations. Demonstrated understanding of highway and traffic analysis principles, methodologies, and operational concepts - Traffic Analysis Software Competency: Proficiency with industry-standard traffic analysis and modeling software such as Highway Capacity Software (HCS), Synchro/SimTraffic, SIDRA, TransModeler, and VISSIM, or similar tools used to evaluate and simulate transportation system performance Benefits - Work-Life Balance – We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals’ lifestyle. - Paid Leave – In addition to 12 paid holidays, full-time employees may earn up to 25 paid vacation days per year! - Tuition Assistance – Permanent employees have several options for assistance with education expenses, including tuition reimbursement programs, government discounts at participating colleges throughout the state, and eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness. - Plan For Your Future – WSDOT offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a variety of healthcare options. Employees also have a choice of state retirement programs, and much more. - Insurance Benefits - Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state. - Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses. - The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees. - Retirement And Deferred Compensation - State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. - Public Service Loan Forgiveness - If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. - Holidays - Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year. - Sick Leave - Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. - Vacation (Annual Leave) - Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). - Military Leave - Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year. - Bereavement Leave - Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. Company Overview - Washington state public employees help to create a working Washington built on education and innovation, where all Washingtonians thrive. It was founded in 1889, and is headquartered in Olympia, Washington, USA, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is http://access.wa.gov/.