Lead Hydraulic Engineer(Hydraulics and Drainage Section)

Introduction

Do you want to be part of a great team of engineers that is shaping the future of transportation in Connecticut? If so, read below and apply today!

The State of Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is now accepting applications for a Lead Hydraulic Engineer (Transportation Engineer 3 (Engineering)) opportunity within the Hydraulics and Drainage section in the Division of Bridges at our Headquarters in Newington, CT.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• Competitive starting salary *MOU, page 21*
  
• Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company - 'Forbes': State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees
• We offer the convenience of an on-site, low-cost fitness center, on-site cafeteria, and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging at our Newington, CT, Headquarters facility.
• All DOT facilities have ample free parking with easy access from major highways or by public transportation.
  
• Join an award winning agency! CTDOT has been recently awarded the Employer of the Year award by the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) and named the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) CT Employer of the Year for 2024!
  

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS

• Monday - Friday
• Full-time (40 hours per week)
• First shift
• Location: Newington, CT
• Hybrid (in-office/telework) and alternate work schedules may be available.

THE ROLE

The DOT has a challenging opening for a lead engineer involved in all aspects of hydraulic engineering and water resource matters related to transportation facilities and projects.

Engineers in the Hydraulics and Drainage (H&D) section:

• Provide specialized engineering, technical support and policy advice on all storm water and water resource management issues related to the planning, permitting, design, construction, and maintenance of transportation facilities;
• Perform hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, hydraulic design and/or review of storm drainage systems, culverts, highway or railroad bridges over waterways, detention facilities, dams and related hydraulic structures;
• Perform bridge scour analysis, prepare revetment and scour countermeasure design and assist with bridge scour monitoring;
• Prepare flood management certifications and other permit documentation;
• Provide design support and technical advice to other Department units on hydraulic and drainage activities associated with the design and/or maintenance of transportation facilities;
• Review commercial development proposals brought before the Office of State Traffic administration and district permit offices.

APPLICATION DETAILS

Applicants must be available to travel for training, conferences, meetings, field reviews, etc. both within and outside of normal working hours, when necessary, and must possess and retain a valid driver’s license.

Please list your Driver's license number, expiration date, and issuing State, Professional Engineer (PE) license number and expiration date, if applicable, and any other job-relevant licenses or certifications you hold in the Licenses and Professional Certifications section of your application.

ABOUT US

As one of Connecticut's largest State agencies, DOT employs approximately 3,300 individuals statewide in five bureaus. It is the DOT's mission to improve quality of life through transportation. We have a significant transportation infrastructure system that is essential to maintaining mobility for Connecticut residents and businesses and supporting economic and community development while preserving environmental and cultural resources. The Department of Transportation is committed to cultivating a diverse staff that is representative of the communities we serve. Applications from individuals having diverse backgrounds and life experiences are strongly encouraged.

Learn more about our mission, vision, and values by clicking here!

Watch the video below to see what it's like to be a State of Connecticut employee!

Selection Plan

• For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.

To Apply:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
• Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
• In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the Talent Acquisition Professional listed on this job posting.
  
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

• Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply.

Important Information After You Apply:

• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
• Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.

Connect With Us:

Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Frank DeCusati at frank.decusati@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In the Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Airport Authority this class is accountable for acting as a working lead who assists a supervisor in supervising a designated group of employees and/or for performing the most complex engineering or related tasks in one or more aspects of engineering projects or studies in the areas of administration, bridge design, design, drainage, electrical, foundations, hydraulics, maintenance, operations, pavement management, regulation compliance, rehabilitation, research, traffic or utilities.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

As a Lead Hydraulic Engineer (Transportation Engineer 3 (Engineering)) in Hydraulics and Drainage, you may be assigned working lead responsibility for lower-level engineers and may perform advanced hydraulic and drainage engineering work. Duties may include:

• Oversee work of lower-level engineers;
• Perform complex design work;
• Make field inspection of bridge sites to obtain information necessary for design of structures;
• Oversee state and consultant engineers in review of storm sewer and culvert designs and computations prepared by Design division and contracting engineers;
• Provide technical advice on pollution control measures and storm sewer and culvert designs;
• Prepare computations for storm sewer and culvert designs;
• Analyze problems, read plans, and interpret reports related to hydraulics, bridge scour, drainage, flooding, flood management and recommend effective solutions as a retrofit or as part of a proposed project design;
• Develop regulatory floodplain/floodway models to ensure proposed designs comply with state flood management and NFIP regulations;
• Conduct bridge scour evaluations, prepare scour estimates/calculations, NBI ratings, slope protection (revetment) and scour countermeasure designs and scour reports;
• Attend field reviews on all new designs for highway projects;
• Recommend revisions to improve drainage design;
• Oversee analyses, computations, preparation of plans and data relating to hydraulic problems encountered in planning and design of highways;
• Perform hydrographic analysis and flood routing for retention basin designs;
• Serve as expert witness in court cases;
• Review drainage design on major permit applications for shopping centers and housing developments;
• Assist in preparation and updating of Drainage Manual;
• Recommend treatment of alignment, grade, surface and drainage features;
• Conduct field and office investigations of engineering, technical, or other problems and prepare reports for higher level employees;
• Analyze problems and recommend effective solutions;
• Assist in establishment of policy, procedures, and methods;
• Represent department in legislative matters;
• Assist in development and review of department contracts;
• Distribute, prioritize, oversee, and review unit work;
• Provide staff training and assistance;
• Conduct or assist in conducting performance evaluations;
• Act as liaison with operating units, agencies, consultant staffs, and other outside officials regarding unit policies and procedures;
• Recommend policies and standards;
• Prepare reports and correspondence;
• Perform related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of
  • principles and practices involved in transportation engineering such as bridge design, foundations, highway design, transportation facilities design, transportation planning, maintenance, drainage or hydraulics, research, pavement design, pavement management and traffic; 
  • operational methodologies and established policies;
• Knowledge of administrative and financial controls with respect to transportation engineering plans, contracts, projects and reports; 
• Considerable
  • analytical, problem solving and technical report development skills; 
  • interpersonal skills; 
  • oral and written communication skills; 
• Considerable ability to interpret and apply principles of information systems and technologies; 
• Ability to analyze plans and estimates; 
• Supervisory ability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

A Bachelor’s degree in engineering and three (3) years of experience in transportation engineering.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been at the working level in a professional transportation engineering capacity. 

NOTE: For state employees this experience is interpreted at the level of a Transportation Engineer 2 (Engineering).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED

• Possession of Professional Engineer (PE) licensure from the Department of Consumer Protection State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors consistent with C.G.S.§20-302 may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree requirement.
• Possession of Engineer-In-Training (EIT) licensure from the Department of Consumer Protection State Board of Examiners for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors consistent with C.G.S.§20-302 may be substituted for the Bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A Master’s degree in engineering may be substituted for one (1) year of the General Experience.
• Current incumbents in the class of Transportation Engineer 2 (Engineering) who do not possess the degree or certification/licensure qualifications as detailed on this class specification may be considered for promotion to Transportation Engineer 3 (Engineering) upon having three (3) years of experience in transportation engineering. One (1) of the three (3) years' must have been as a Transportation Engineer 2 (Engineering).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Possession of an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree in Civil Engineering with course work relevant to the field of hydraulic and/or water resources engineering
• Engineer-In-Training (EIT) and/or Professional Engineer (P.E.) license
• Experience utilizing knowledge of hydrologic and hydraulic engineering as it applies to transportation projects
• Experience applying the latest techniques and procedures employed in the field of hydraulic engineering, including hands-on experience in watershed and hydraulic modeling using state-of-the-art computer software
• Experience performing bridge scour evaluations, preparing scour estimates/calculations, NBI ratings, slope protection (revetment) and scour countermeasure designs and scour reports
• Experience analyzing problems, reading plans, and interpreting reports related to hydraulics, bridge scour, drainage, flooding, flood management and recommending effective solutions as a retrofit or as part of a proposed project design
• Experience showcasing knowledge and understanding of the Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) and Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies relating to Flood Management Certification and other water resource permitting administered by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP)
• Hands-on experience working with FEMA Flood Insurance Studies (FIS), mapping and technical data for the development of regulatory floodplain/floodway models for compliance with state flood management and NFIP regulations
• Experience preparing technical memoranda, letters, reports, and other documents
• Experience supervising, evaluating, and developing improved performance of junior engineers
• Experience using Office365, Bentley MicroStation or Openroads, Microsoft SharePoint and COMPASS

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator’s license.
• Incumbents may be required to travel.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some danger of injury or physical harm from highway or construction environments and a moderate degree of discomfort from exposure to year round weather conditions.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.