Bridge Inspection and Maintenance Engineer

Introduction

Are you looking for an opportunity to make an impact on Wisconsin's infrastructure? Join the Bureau of Structures as a Bridge Inspection and Maintenance Engineer to aid in the inspection and maintenance of bridges and transportation related structures throughout the state of Wisconsin!

The WI Department of Transportation (WisDOT), Division of Transportation System Development (DTSD) is seeking interested and qualified individuals to fill two Structural Engineer Transportation Entry, Senior, or Advanced positions in the Bureau of Structures!

These full-time positions are headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

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 $39/month for single plans and $97/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.

Position Summary

These position are engineering positions in the inspection, maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement of major/complex/operational bridges and other bridges and transportation related structures for the Bureau of Structures – Inspection and Maintenance Unit B located in the Southeast Regional office in Waukesha. The engineering responsibilities may require continually high-level contacts with public and private officials and engineers/engineering consultants on highly sensitive and progressively complex engineering reviews.

These positions conduct bridge inspections; prepare bridge inspection reports; scope bridge rehabilitation work for let projects; and recommend maintenance needs and repairs for preventative maintenance and emergency repair due to accidents. These positions may work directly with county staff and private contractor forces to ensure structure maintenance and repairs are performed satisfactorily.

Salary Information

The Entry level is in schedule-range 14-14 with an annual salary of $61,360 to $72,384, plus excellent benefits.

A $2000 sign-on bonus applies to Entry level candidates who do not have any prior permanent full-time state service in the last five years and agree to remain in the position for one year. The $2000 will be paid on the first paycheck.

The Senior level is in schedule-range 14-13 with an annual salary of $81,203 to $99,424, plus excellent benefits.

The Advanced level is in schedule-range 14-13 with an annual salary of $94,494 to $106,808, plus excellent benefits. Plus, an additional $2,080 per year for a Professional Engineer License.

A twelve month probationary period is required. Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan.

Job Details

Travel Requirement

This position requires frequent travel on an independent basis for specific job duties, meetings, and/or trainings.

Bridge Inspector Requirement

• Certified Bridge Inspector per WisDOT Structure Inspection Manual. This is not required at the time of hire; BOS will ensure that employees are able to attend training to obtain certification in the timeframe required.
• Ability to frequently travel on an independent basis, such as traveling 3 to 5 days a week to multiple locations in one day.
• Ability to work outdoors in conditions of heat, cold, humidity, dust, and to walk over rough terrain.
• Ability to lift and carry objects, such as tools or materials.
• Ability to work outside of normal working hours.
• Ability to work in high volume traffic conditions.
• Ability to work in or near water, including safely working from a boat. 
• Bridge inspection requires a level of physical agility and strength, plus the ability to work at heights up to several hundred feet above ground level safely.  Access to inspection areas is gained by entering small access hatches and climbing or descending ladders and also requires crawling on beams and piers.  Safety equipment including harnesses and special self-contained breathing equipment may be required.  Some inspections require entering and riding in a special bucket suspended underneath the structure from a hydraulic boom on special bridge inspection machines known as a "Snooper" and "Reach-All".

WisDOT does not sponsor work visas.  Any appointment made will be contingent on the applicant being able to prove valid status to work in the United States. WisDOT is not an E-verify employer.

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.

Certain positions within this Department may allow remote/work from home flexibility for a portion of their work schedule, depending on the needs of the position and the work unit. This topic and any remote work flexibility that may be available will be discussed in more detail in the interview process. For permanent positions that allow remote work flexibility, it is not anticipated that working outside of Wisconsin (or bordering cities) will be allowed because positions may need to report to office locations in Wisconsin on short notice.

Qualifications

Minimum requirement: Upon application, candidate must have graduated from an ABET accredited program with a 4-year degree (or master's or PhD) in Civil Engineering or a related engineering field, OR possess an Engineer in Training (EIT) credential, OR possess a Professional Engineer (PE) credential, OR have documentation from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services that deems the individual a professional engineer and qualified to engage in professional engineering practices.

A minimally qualified candidate will have a background that includes at least four courses that cover structures principles and concepts.  All applicants should list at least 4 structures courses along with a brief description of each course in their application materials (letter of qualifications, resume).

In addition to the above:

To be eligible at the Senior level, candidates must have:

• At least 3.5 years of professional engineering experience.
  • With at least 1 year of professional experience in design, construction, maintenance, and/or inspection of transportation structures (structures are defined as bridges, culverts, sound walls, retaining walls or sign bridges).

To be eligible at the Advanced level, candidates must have a valid Professional Engineering (PE) registration and the ability to obtain a Wisconsin PE registration within 3 months if PE registration is from another state.

How To Apply

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.

Your application materials are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. For instructions on how to develop and what should be included in these materials, click here. For more information on the basics of the selection process and how the State of WI ensures fair and equitable treatment of all applicants, click here. The vast majority of applicants are able to outline their background and experience in their resume in 1-3 pages. Any resumes submitted with more than 10 pages will not be considered after page 10. If this job posting requires a letter of qualifications, the same limit applies.

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.

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. Questions related to the job and how to apply can be directed to Allie Strullmyer at allison.strullmyer@dot.wi.gov or (608) 267-7946. For general wisc.jobs user information and technical assistance, please see the wisc.jobs Frequently Asked Questions page.

Deadline to Apply

Applications will be reviewed on a bi-weekly basis until the positions are filled. The first application review deadline is on Monday, May 20th at 11:59pm.