Specification Engineer (Civil)

Job Description and Duties

Under the direction of the District Office Engineer Branch Chief, a Senior Transportation Engineer, the incumbent will prepare specifications, special provisions and non-standard special provisions; perform quality assurance (QA) review of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E); participate in "pre-P&E to DOE" (M300) activities and prepare and process complete PS&E package, complete various forms and enter database information for submittal to the Division of Engineering Service Office Engineer (DES-OE).

Incumbent will train new staff in the Office Engineer process and perform support duties involved with the preparation of various engineering reports, cost estimates and value analysis reviews. Incumbent must work independently and as a team member during the project development process.

PARF# 03-26-0070 / JC- 525628

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: .
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Working Conditions

Position located at 703 B Street, Marysville, Yuba County. 

While at their base of operation in an office setting, incumbent will work in a climate-controlled office under artificial light except for occasional field trips to project sites where the incumbent will be exposed to traffic, dirt, noise, water, uneven surfaces, and  extreme heat or cold. Travel to local or out-of-town locations to attend meetings, project sites, training or workshops may be required. Periodic overtime and overnight travel may be required. Travel may require the use of State supplied vehicles that vary in size.

While at their base of operation in an office setting, incumbent will work in a climate-controlled office under artificial light except for occasional field trips  to project sites where the incumbent will be exposed to traffic, dirt, noise, water, uneven surfaces, and extreme heat or cold.

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans’s evolving telework policy. Caltrans supports telework, recognizing that in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksites with minimum notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate will be required to commute to the headquartered location as needed to meet operational needs. Business travel may be required, and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquartered location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

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.

New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Special Requirements

• Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a state owned or leased vehicle.

• 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.  

Please provide a Statement of Qualifications of no more than two (2) pages demonstrating how your education, training, experience, knowledge, and skills meet the criteria below and qualifies you for the position.

Please address each item below.

1) Do you have a current California Professional Civil Engineer License?

2) Describe your "experience" and "quantify" the number of years for each of the following items below.

Please indicate if any of the experience is related to transportation highway projects.

a) Preparing contract plans and estimates

b) Preparing specifications

c) Applying the requirements of the Plans Preparation Manual, Best Bid Standards Guide and/or Construction Contract Development Guide

d) Performing Quality Control/Quality Assurance and/or constructability reviews on project plans, specs & estimates

e) Preparing responses to bidder inquiries

Interested individuals must submit a Statement of Qualification (SOQ) along with a state application (form STD 678). The SOQ must specifically address the questions, be numbered in the same order as listed, 2 pages maximum and in 12-point font. A resume will not be accepted in lieu of the SOQ. Failure to include and complete the SOQ may result in disqualification for interview.

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:

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. 

Benefits

Click HERE to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

Important Application Instructions

The State application (STD. 678) is required, and each section must be filled out completely and thoroughly. For mailed or hand delivered applications to be considered for this position, the Job Control number JC-525628, PARF# 03-27-0070 and title of the position Transportation Engineer (Civil) must be included on the STD. 678 form.

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 - See Special Requirements.