Project Development Design Project Leader

Make a positive impact on Wisconsin’s infrastructure and join the North Central Region today as a project leader on transportation improvement projects!
The WI Department of Transportation (WisDOT), Division of Transportation System Development (DTSD) is seeking interested and qualified individuals to fill two P roject Development Design Project Leader (Transportation Specialist Advanced) positions in the North Central Region!

These full-time positions will be headquartered in Wisconsin Rapids or Rhinelander .

These positions offer a hybridized work schedule. The positions will be headquartered at and required to work from one of the DTSD North Central Region office buildings at least 2 days per week. All employees working a hybrid work schedule are generally expected to telework from within the State of Wisconsin. This topic will be discussed more at the time of the interview.

WisDOT is a great place to work! In addition to meaningful and rewarding work, we offer a competitive benefits package featuring:

Substantial leave time including at least 3.5 weeks of paid leave time to start, 9 paid holidays, and 130 hours of sick time that roll over each year.

Excellent and affordable health, vision, and dental benefits (health plan options start at just $49/month for single plans and $122/month for family plans after two months of employment)

A casual office atmosphere, flexible work schedules, and telework options depending on the position’s requirements

An exceptional pension plan with employer match and lifetime retirement payment, plus an optional tax advantaged 457 retirement savings plan

Well Wisconsin Wellness Program

A free and confidential employee assistance program that offers employees and their immediate family dependents a variety of tools, resources, and professional consultation services to support their health, goals, and overall well-being

Use this Total Rewards Calculator to see the total value of our competitive benefits package!

In addition to our generous employee benefits, we strive for inclusivity and celebrate different religious holidays and cultural observances and provide flexibility for utilizing paid time off for such celebrations. For more information on WisDOT you can visit our website by clicking here.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is an organization dedicated to creating transportation solutions through innovation and exceptional service. We are committed to fostering an environment rooted in  Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, and Accountability . Click here to learn more about how we apply these values in our work.

Every day, WisDOT’s Division of Transportation System Development plays the leading role in the upkeep and improvement of nearly 12,000 miles of state highways and bridges used by millions of people. You’ll find that behind every barrel is a dedicated team from a wide array of backgrounds including engineering, planning, environmental services, public outreach, real estate, finance and many more. It can be a challenging job, but we think you’ll find it’s an awfully rewarding one, too.

We’re looking for detail-oriented critical thinkers to help deliver a quality program to build, improve and maintain transportation infrastructure throughout the state. We encourage anyone at any point in any career to take a look at WisDOT opportunities and give some thought to how your skills and resume line up. Having a good attitude, a willingness to learn and a passion for creating lasting, impactful work will go a long way here. It’s a big system with lots of opportunity and responsibilities.

Are you up for it? At WisDOT, you can Build the Future – NOW.

This position functions as part of the Project Development Section (PDS) cross-functional team in the North Central Region. The position performs complex professional work in the design phase of highway improvement projects. This position serves as the sole coordinator for assigned projects and requires advanced knowledge of highway design and construction principles and methods and the associated automation, surveying, and testing. This position serves as the Consultant Project Coordinator on multiple small to complex size projects, and may also assist project managers on majorly complex projects. Assignments involve high levels of public involvement, policy, standards, procedure development, program evaluation, budget, and program administration. Work assignments are broad in scope and require independent judgment in decision-making resulting in a high consequence of error.

To view the full position description, email Benjamin Harwell at View email address on us.fitly.work 

This position is in schedule-range 14-13 with an annual salary of $68,640-$93,600, plus excellent benefits. A twelve-month probationary period is required. Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan.

This position requires the ability to travel independently throughout region to meet project needs as well as statewide to attend statewide meetings and required training.

In this position, fieldwork is required. This fieldwork can include working in all seasons, including adverse weather conditions, and working in high volume traffic conditions, bending on a limited basis, and lifting approximately 70 lbs. and carrying this load approximately 50 feet over varying terrain.

This state agency does not sponsor work visas. This state agency is not enrolled in USCIS E-Verify and is not eligible to employ international F-1 students seeking STEM-OPT extension. Any appointment made will be contingent on the applicant being able to prove valid status to work in the United States.

Prior to any appointments for position(s) filled from this announcement, candidates may be subject to a comprehensive criminal background check which may include FBI fingerprinting.

Qualified applicants will have experience with all of the following: 

Experience managing multiple project schedules to ensure timely project completion.

Activities may include tracking project progress, establishing work/project schedules for staff, attending production or critical project meetings, identifying and addressing problems to keep projects on schedule, performing field inspections, and attending meetings to monitor progress of construction activities.

Reading and interpreting design or construction plans and/or contract documents

Activities may include overseeing consultant contracts or reading/interpreting construction plans and specifications on transportation projects

Engineering principles utilized in highway design and construction.

Activities may include writing/reviewing environmental documents, writing/reviewing traffic management plans, writing/reviewing design study reports, or developing/reviewing project Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) documents.

Apply online! To apply, click “Apply for Job” to start the application process. Then, you will access your existing account or to create a new account if you don’t have an account. Once you are logged in, click “Apply for Job.” Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application.

This application requires you to submit a resume and letter of qualifications. Within your resume and letter of qualifications, you should describe your education, training, and experience as it relates to items listed in the “Qualifications” section of the job announcement.  Your application materials are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your eligibility for the position. For instructions on how to develop and what should be included in these materials, please view the Resume and Letter of Qualifications Tips document. Please view the ensuring a fair and equitable hiring process document to find out more information on the State of WI selection process. The vast majority of applicants are able to outline their background and experience in their resume within 1-3 pages. Any resumes or letters of qualifications submitted with more than 3 pages will not be considered after page 3.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer or voluntary demotion) should complete the application process as described above by the stated deadline.

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employmentpage and review method 2 for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment program.

Submitted materials will be evaluated by a panel of job experts and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. For general wisc.jobs user information and if you are experiencing issues and need technical assistance, please see the wisc.jobs Frequently Asked Questionspage. Questions related to obtaining the job description and details about this specific job posting can be directed to Benjamin Harwell at View email address on us.fitly.work or View phone number on us.fitly.work.

The deadline to apply is 11:59 PM CT on Thursday, October 15th, 2026.