Job Description

About the Organization:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for Michigan’s 9,669-mile state highway system, comprised of all M, I, and US routes. MDOT also administers other state and federal transportation programs for aviation, intercity passenger services, rail freight, local public transit services, grant programs, and others.

Position Description:

This position functions as the statewide specialist for the development of local agency state and federal-aid programs in the rural areas of the state and in the enhancement and bridge programs area. This position has total responsibility for developing the financing strategies and defining the engineering parameters for projects in all rural areas of the state and in the enhancement and bridge programs area. This position serves as a technical resource for the development of innovative and new funding programs within the unit (e.g., federal earmark, Emergency Response, Carbon Reduction, Community Redevelopment Program, and Rural Surface Transportation grants). This includes directing the public involvement processes and certifying local agency compliance with federal and state laws and policies. The person in this position operates independently with limited guidance.

Responsibilities:

• Analyze new federal and state laws and program requirements that deal with new or rarely used federal funding. Develop and implement guidance documents related to funding strategies and design requirements for local agencies or their consultants to follow in order to meet Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements of various new or expanded federal fund programs in order to obligate funding for projects.
• Prepare and present the guidance documents that explain requirements for federally funded programs at conferences and workshops (e.g., the annual County Engineer’s Workshop, the annual unit workshop, and the quarterly County Road Association engineering committee meetings), as well as developing and presenting targeted webinars and prerecorded presentations.
• Work with various federal and state agencies as well as internally within MDOT to verify that the local agency’s program is in compliance with conditions and requirements of the federal funding programs and, if not in compliance, work with those local agencies to obtain corrected documents that demonstrate that the agency is in compliance.
• Certify to the FHWA and to state agencies that MDOT has reviewed all aspects of the project and it is in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
• Represent the FHWA on projects exempt from federal review (e.g., projects of non-divisional interest (PODI)) and issue project approval on their behalf.
• Provide expert witness testimony and deposition statements on litigation as required for local projects. This occurs when there are disputes between a local agency and its engineering consultant, etc.
• Represent the area, department, and FHWA at meetings with local agencies and/or their consultants regarding the development of funding programs, available funding resources, scheduling, and any issues connected with the development of local projects.
• Identify all projects within the rural, bridge and enhancement areas that are on the Transportation Improvement Program and approved Economic Development projects for each fiscal year.
• As projects are identified, prepare and update a monitoring system to track the status of projects as those projects progress to requiring fund obligation for all area engineers within the rural, enhancement and bridge areas.
• Meet with local agencies, consultants and staff engineers to establish the sequences necessary for the development of major projects such as those resulting from the Emergency Response program and the federally funded earmark program. Provide guidance and direction for developing the project sequences and scheduling.
• Monitor the work program and make needed adjustments to assure that projects proceed to the construction phase in a timely manner.

This position is an essential part of MDOT’s commitment to improving quality of the plan/proposal packages for use by contractors in the bidding process.

Basic Requirements for Skills, Experience, Education and Credentials:

• 
  Bachelor’s degree in engineering (preferably civil engineering).
  
• Five years of professional experience equivalent to a transportation engineer, including three years equivalent to a transportation engineer P11, two years equivalent to a transportation engineer 12 or transportation engineer licensed 12, or one year equivalent to a transportation engineering licensed specialist 13 or transportation engineering specialist 13.
• Possession of a registered professional engineering license as required by the State of Michigan.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license.

Ability to:

• Organize and make decisions.
• Conduct meetings and seminars with local agencies, consultants, and federal and state agencies.
• Handle media and political representative inquiries.
• Communicate effectively.
• Travel throughout the state for extensive periods of time.

Knowledge of:

• Federal and state-aid transportation programs and process for programming and making funds available for local projects.
• Environmental and public involvement process and in availability of local, state and federal financial resources for implementing transportation improvements.
• The electronic programming processes and willingness to learn additional processes.
• Managing obligation authority.

How to Apply

Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 80,000 - 100,000.

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