Geotechnical Engineer

Job Description and Duties

The Division of Engineering Services (DES), Geotechnical Services (GS) is looking to hire Transportation Engineers Civil (TE Civil) in the Office of Geotechnical Design Policy and Practice (OGDPP).

Under the direction of a Senior Transportation Engineer, the TE Civil, is expected to:

Perform quality review and provide technical support to Geotechnical Design offices. Develop and update geotechnical design related standards, and guidelines for the Geotechnical Manual. Develop geotechnical design and analysis tools.

Perform geotechnical investigation and engineering for projects. Work on projects, including planning, design, construction, and

operation phases of the State Transportation System, which may require traveling to the Districts and job sites for periods of

several days to weeks.

Participate in Geotechnical Services (GS) technical teams and Division of Engineering Service's technical committees.

Candidates are required to review the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for this classification. If you meet MQs under Pattern II and require the TE Civil in-person written hurdle exam, DO NOT TAKE the TE Civil online exam prior to passing the written hurdle. Candidates who take the TE Civil online exam prior to passing the written hurdle may negatively impact their hiring eligibility. Please contact the exam unit at View email address on calcareers.ca.gov for additional information prior to taking the online examination.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Position located at: 5900 Folsom Blvd Sacramento, Sacramento county CA

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

The Caltrans Transportation Engineer (Civil) Rotation Program is a mandatory 24 month to 33 months rotation assignment for all permanent, full-time Transportation Engineer (Civil) employees that have completed their probationary period hired by Caltrans Districts after June 22, 2018, or an earlier date as determined by the Districts. The purpose of Rotation Program is to provide opportunities for employees and Caltrans to benefit by participating in a standardized process that systematically engages newly hired engineers. Participants will develop well-rounded project delivery knowledge, skills, and abilities by rotating through diverse project delivery functional units. The Rotation Program includes mandatory core assignments in Design and Construction units, as well as a mandatory elective assignment. Each rotation assignment is typically between 6 to 12 months and will be based on workload needs and the employee’s goals. Assignments may involve long term travel and can be located throughout the state.

In addition to the Caltrans Transportation Engineer (Civil) Rotation Program, an incumbent may be required to go on loan to another project delivery function when there are temporary or peak staffing needs in those areas.

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Transportation Engineer Civil exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions. To apply for the exam, please click and search by typing in the classification title.

Special Requirements

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) serves as documentation of each applicant's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. Please follow the instructions below; failure to include and complete the SOQ as instructed may result in the SOQ not being considered and in disqualification from the interview. Resumes and cover letters will not take the place of the SOQ. The SOQ must be typed, no more than two pages in length, and 12-point Arial font.

Candidates are required to review the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for this classification. If you meet MQs under Pattern II and require the TE Civil in-person written hurdle exam, DO NOT TAKE the TE Civil online exam prior to passing the written hurdle. Candidates who take the TE Civil online exam prior to passing the written hurdle may negatively impact their hiring eligibility. Please contact the exam unit at View email address on calcareers.ca.gov for additional information prior to taking the online examination.

For clarification on the education requirement of the minimum qualifications, please reach out to the Human Resources Contact prior to taking the online Training and Experience Evaluation. For a list of ABET accredited schools, please refer to this link: .

Appointment to Range D requires a valid Professional Engineering License (Civil) issued by the California Board of Registration for Professional Engineers.”  For all other ranges, a PE license is not required.  

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification. Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment. Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent. Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: or . Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Knowledge of soil mechanics principles; soil and rock classification; laboratory and in-situ soil and rock test principles, and methods; geotechnical investigation. Experience of geotechnical engineering, including deep and shallow foundations, earth retaining systems, slope stability, ground movement and settlement, geosynthetics, ground modification, and tunneling. Experience of performing geotechnical analysis and design in an effective and efficient manner; diagnose potential geotechnical problems and evaluate their probable effects on design options and constructability, and provide viable geotechnical recommendations.

Knowledge of earthwork and geotechnical construction methods, specifications, and quality assurance and quality control practices.

Advanced course work on geotechnical engineering and soil mechanics.

Knowledge of Caltrans project development process, design and construction standards, and maintenance practices.

The ability to acquire additional and new knowledge of geotechnical engineering through additional course work or self-study; produce concise, organized, logical, and effective reports and presentations; communicate effectively, both in written and oral form; and work in teams and interact with individuals and groups from the Department, governmental agencies, and private consulting firms.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Please take this 1-minute Caltrans Recruitment survey to tell us how you found out about this job. 

Apply today to join our team!  We especially encourage applicants to check out our tool!  The is a tool to assist and help candidates understand and succeed in applying to Caltrans positions.

Important Application Instructions:

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts.  Confidential information that should be  excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age.  The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position.  Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  A Statement of Qualification (SOQ), resume and application are required.

  1. Demonstrated course work in mechanics of materials, including stress-strain behavior, elasticity, and plasticity of materials. Include verifiable documents in the SOQ that support your statement.

  2. Demonstrated course work in advanced soil mechanics, including laboratory test, effective stress, stress path, and consolidation. Include verifiable documents in the SOQ that support your statement.

  3. Demonstrated course work in geotechnical engineering, including retaining wall design, slope stability analysis, deep foundation design. Include verifiable documents in the SOQ that support your statement.

  4. Demonstrated experience in geotechnical engineering, including geotechnical investigation, laboratory test, retaining wall design, slope stability analysis, deep foundation design, and preparing geotechnical reports. Include verifiable documents or references in the SOQ that support your statement.