Principal Traffic Engineer

To plan, organize, direct, manage, and participate in the development, review, and approval of complex engineering and transportation planning, traffic engineering activities including, but not limited to, all aspects of the development of  infrastructure/capital improvements and special projects, permitting, and conditioning new development and overseeing the administration of infrastructure systems; to provide complex and advanced level professional engineering support involving research, planning, design, and construction of  engineering projects; and to perform related work.

Manage, supervise and organize the work of staff typically assigned to the Engineering Department's traffic engineering division; provide complex and advanced level professional engineering support involving research, planning, design, and construction of various engineering issues and projects.

 

Manage a particular major phase of project development or operations within traffic engineering.

 

Provide an advanced level professional engineering support for a wide variety of engineering related issues and complex problems; research, prepare and/or review proposed project environmental documents and highly complex technical engineering reports.

 

Manage and oversee the operation and activities of the Transportation Management Center and all related traffic programs/projects/systems including, but not limited to, Congestion and Incident Management, Traffic Surveillance, System Maintenance and Upgrades, Database Management, and Inter-Agency Coordination.

 

Manage, direct, supervise, coordinate, and prioritize the work of multi-disciplinary staff in the traffic engineering systems operations sections to ensure that all traffic related systems, programs, and projects are adequately developed, implemented, updated, operated, and maintained.

 

Manage, direct, and prioritize review of traffic control plans, speed zone surveys, traffic safety investigations and parking related issues.

 

Manage, direct, and prioritize the work activities of field staff in the traffic signal and street lighting sections.

 

Evaluate and determine the need for traffic facilities such as street networks, street widening, pedestrian and non-motorized improvements to the circulation system.

 

Review and approve traffic signal plans, electrical calculations for large street lighting projects, and traffic control plans for difficult projects and permits.

 

Lead the long-range planning effort for addressing the development of the City's Adaptive Traffic Signal expansion.

 

Coordinate pilot projects as needed to integrate Smart Transportation devices and other emerging Smart City related elements into the existing network.

 

Participate and coordinate with SANDAG, Caltrans, and other agencies in integrating the City Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) with the region.

 

Manage and supervise contract work involved in the deployment of ITS and traffic related infrastructure and communication system upgrades and ensure that systems and components being deployed are sustainable and secure utilizing current technology standards.

 

Forecast, analyze, and manage traffic budgets from Federal, State grants and local funding sources such as Developer Impact Fee programs, General Fund, Traffic Signal Fee, Transnet, and Gas Tax.

 

Provide staff support for the City Council, Growth Management Oversight Commission, Planning Commission and Traffic Safety Commission.

 

Meet with the public, elected officials, and other stakeholders to resolve difficult traffic issues. 

 

Act as Expert Witness for the City on traffic-related legal issues.

 

Manage and prepare the annual Growth Management Oversight Commission report on the Traffic Monitoring Program with recommended infrastructure improvement projects in order to maintain acceptable levels of service on the arterial and collector roadway network. Maintain various engineering reference documents for public information including official maps and plans; review project development and construction plans.

Prepare and review status reports to review and ensure cost and quality controls in all project activities; evaluate and prepare reports on operations and activities of assigned division/branch,

 

Participate in city budget preparation process including the preparation of cost estimates; administer, monitor, and control the division/branch's operational and project budgets.

 

Provide an advanced level professional engineering support for a wide variety of engineering related issues and complex problems; research, prepare and/or review proposed project environmental documents and other highly complex technical engineering and administrative reports, and written correspondence and provide written responses.

 

Participate in the long range planning of public works facilities maintenance and construction projects; review development and construction plans; prepare cost estimates; conduct and participate in value engineering analyses; evaluate the constructability and maintainability of private development and construction projects; make recommendations to the Engineering or Development Services project manager.

 

Conduct/attend regular meetings with staff and project teams to review progress on assigned tasks and report on any changes that may affect the budget, schedule or scope of deliverables.

 

Supervise, assign, review, and evaluate the work performance of assigned staff; participate in application evaluations and employee hiring panels; prepare and conduct employee performance evaluations; develop employee performance improvement plans to correct deficiencies; develop and approve employee training plans; and implement discipline procedures for employee misconduct or performance issues and confer with Human Resources and legal staff as needed.

 

Propose and implement improvements and modifications to operational process including policy and procedure development; ensure division/branch workflow and assignments progress in an efficient and timely manner to meet completion date.

 

Confer and coordinate with representatives from other City departments, public and private agencies, elected officials, and the public regarding project development, operations, and maintenance of public works facilities, City buildings, parks, other infrastructure and private developer projects; Coordinate reviews to ensure that all development plans and specifications are in compliance with all State and local regulations.

 

Maintain various engineering reference documents for public information including official maps and plans; review project development and construction plans.

 

Respond to requests for information from the public; investigate complaints and recommend corrective action as necessary to resolve complaints; meet and confer with developers, contractors, engineers, and the general public relative to City policies, regulations, and procedures; assist and confer with City legal staff on various engineering-related issues as needed, including claims negotiations and resolution; provide expert witness testimony on depositions and court hearings;

 

Oversee and direct processes for the acquisition of rights of way for public works facilities including compliance with regulations governing the eminent domain process when necessary.

Review and monitor various inter-agency and third party agreements.

 

Prepare and present information memos and agenda items to the City Council and various commissions; represent the department or the City on various committees, task forces, steering committees, policy and  advisory groups or other community and professional organizations.

 

Develop and submit recommendations for revisions of standard plans and specifications, completed construction drawings, cost estimates and contract documents, tentative maps, parcel maps and final subdivision maps, reports and environmental documents, and preliminary plans and studies.

 

Write Request for Proposals (RFPs); interview prospective bidders and give recommendations for bid selection; and assist in the preparation of bid specifications, contracts, and budgets.

 

Attend training and act in assigned role on the City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Team.

 

Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other employees, and the public using principles of good customer service.

 

Perform other related duties as assigned.

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: five  (5) years of increasingly responsible experience in traffic engineering design, traffic engineering operations, transportation planning, civil engineering design, or a related field, including two years of supervisory responsibility and training equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in civil engineering or a related field. 

License or Certificate: Possession of a valid certificate of registration as a Traffic Engineer or Civil Engineer issued by the State of California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.

Knowledge of: principles and practices of civil and traffic engineering in depth as related to a wide variety of municipal public works activities associated with the area of responsibility; Engineering principles, analyses, programs, procedures, practices and techniques pertinent to the functions of the sections supervised; principles and practices of public works project development activities including but not limited to the preparation of initial assessment and scoping documents, environmental evaluations, design plans, specifications, cost estimates, traffic control practices and, procedures for analyzing traffic patterns and growth; the Subdivision Map Act and California's Land Use and Planning Law, Drainage Law, Law of Easements, Mitigation Fee Act, laws relating to California Common Interest Developments, Smart Growth, and Growth Management Principles; Engineering Permitting processes including, Encroachment Permits, Wireless Transmission Facilities, Grading permits, Construction Permits, Transportation Permits, and Utility Permits; land development entitlement process including, the preparation of Specific Plans, Public Facility Finance Plans, General Plan Amendments, Tentative Maps, Grading Plans, Final Maps, Parcel Maps, Improvement Plans, Subdivision Improvement Agreements, bonding and Lot Line Adjustments; the master planning processes for parks and streetscapes, including the integration of Complete Streets and park site design principles; smart lighting systems, advanced computer based access and control systems, and information technology based lighting program support applications or systems implementation within complex environments; the Clean Water Act, NPDES, Regional Water Quality Control Board requirements, California Environmental Quality Act, and the preparation of Environmental Impact Reports and Studies; pertinent local, State and Federal laws, ordinances, rules and funding practices; different construction delivery methods such as design/bid/build and design/build; current methods of building construction and related trade work; method of evaluating the need for building renovations or alterations; risk analysis methods, tools, and use; economics and financing mechanisms available for public works infrastructure and the city budgets including development impact fee processes; Continuous Improvement and Value Engineering methodologies; principles and practices of assigning, monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating the work of staff work; management and supervisory practices, including employee development and disciplinary procedures; principles, practices, policies, and procedures relate to workplace safety; Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; the National Incident Management System and the responsibilities of assigned role in the City's Emergency Operations Center; computer equipment, software, and other applications related to area of assignment; English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.  Ability to: effectively manage, direct, and supervise large, multi-disciplinary, inter-departmental project teams to meet strategic and general goals of the city; analyze budget and technical reports; interpret and evaluate staff reports; know laws, regulations and codes; observe performance and evaluate staff; problem solve  issues related to the area of assignment; remember various rules and procedures; and explain and interpret policy; effectively manage, organize, prioritize, assign, and monitor the project and operational activities related to work assignments; identify, analyze and act on complex and unique engineering and related management and administrative issues to manage associated risks; utilize extensive analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skills to develop strategic plans, resolve complex conflicts and, provide project direction; utilize Continuous Improvement principles and practices in a variety of operational settings and implement recommendations to attain city goals; review and interpret policy, procedures, manuals, plans, specifications, contracts, agreements, codes, and regulations pertaining to assigned area; travel to various sites for meetings; supervise, train, motivate, and evaluate assigned staff; prepare reports, specifications, and contract documents; coordinate work activities with the public and other departments; perform the most complex work in area of assignment; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, to all levels within the organization and across a variety of professions; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, including members of the public, developers, private and public entities, and elected officials; participate as a City representative in the regional planning processes; work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.

Physical demands may vary by assignment but generally consist of siting at desk for long periods of time, intermittently standing or walking for varying periods of time; stepping over exposed footing and climbing down slopes, rough terrain, or into open areas to perform inspections; intermittently twisting to reach equipment surrounding a desk and the back of a vehicle; performing simple grasping and fine manipulation; using a telephone; writing or using a keyboard to communicate through written means; and lifting or carrying weight of 15 pounds or less. Ability to see in the normal vision range with or without correction to read typical business documents, computer screens, blueprints, and drafting plans and hear in the normal range with or without correction is required.  Primary work is performed within an even-floored, carpeted, and air-conditioned office environment with fluorescent lighting and moderate noise level.  Some fieldwork is required with exposure to outside atmospheric conditions, traffic, noise, physical barriers, or around potentially hazardous construction conditions, substances and material.  Some movement is required from office to office and there is exposure to the external environment when going to outlying offices and meetings.  Work is frequently disrupted by the need to respond to in-person and telephone inquiries.

Unless otherwise noted, a passing score must be achieved at each step of the examination process in order to have your name placed on the eligibility list for hiring consideration. The eligibility list established as a result of this recruitment will be for a duration of six (6) months, unless otherwise extended.