Senior Transportation Engineer

Career Opportunity
The Region of Waterloo is currently recruiting for a:
Senior Transportation Engineer

Job Number: 1914
Job Type: Full-Time
Location: Hybrid, 150 Frederick St – Regional Admin Headquarters
Job Category: Transportation
Number of Positions: 1
Department: Transportation Engineering
Division: Transportation Services
Hours of Work: 35
Grade: Management/Management Support Grade 08
Salary Range: $109,855.20 - $137,319.00 annually
Posting Date: November 5, 2024

About Us!

The Region of Waterloo is a thriving, diverse community committed to fostering opportunities for current and future generations. Home to over 674,000 residents and expected to grow to nearly one million by 2051. Guided by our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, “Growing with Care,” we focus on equity, inclusion, and sustainability. Our mission is to provide essential services that enhance the quality of life for all residents, while our core values emphasize caring for people and the land we share. Join us and be part of a team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in our community.

The Role

Provides engineering services for Transportation Engineering, including the review and approval of transportation engineering design drawings (e.g., traffic signals, traffic and road signage, pavement markings), and managing the design and installation of illumination on regional roads. Works with the Manager to develop policy direction for Transportation Engineering, including road safety, to achieve strategic goals. Leads the development of procedures, guidelines, standards and policy documents, and provides professional expertise and leadership for consistent adoption and application by technical program areas.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Contributes to the development and implementation of Transportation Engineering policy direction as it relates to road safety, signals and signage, and illumination. Undertakes research and evaluation studies for engineering innovations to support strategic goals.
• Leads the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), guidelines, standards, and policy documents for Transportation Engineering. Provides guidance, direction and technical expertise to program supervisors to support consistent application and adoption.
• Project manages high profile/complex road safety and transportation engineering projects with a broad focus on road safety. Establishes project scope and requirements. Takes full responsibility for projects from conception to completion.
• Reviews and approves traffic control signage drawings and signage and pavement marking drawings along regional roadways, at roundabouts, and at intersections. Provides direction to technical staff and program supervisors.
• Reviews and approves the design and installation of illumination on regional roads. Administers operating budget for illumination installation and procurement. Develops contracts, manages and negotiates work plans, and approves invoices. Prepares budget forecasts and monitors expenditures.
• Assumes professional responsibility for the integrity of the design of traffic control signals, pavement markings, and signage plans, by application of a professional seal and signature.
• Works with the Manager to ensure continuous improvement and evolution of corridor designs and signalized intersection designs to achieve strategic goals.
• Provides input to capital projects led by Design and Construction (or by external designers) to inform transportation corridor and intersection designs.
• Contributes to and informs transportation capital projects, focusing on active transportation, as well as road and transit projects. With Manager, determines studies and projects for inclusion into the 10-year Transportation Capital Expansion Program.
• Works to ensure transportation engineering decisions align with short- and long-term transportation planning goals, including improvements to active transportation and transit modes to help achieve modal shifts.
• Provides broad technical subject matter expertise.
• Visits construction sites to perform engineering reviews, audits, and assess quality of work and progress.
• Reviews complex/politically contentious development applications and transportation impact studies, analyzes transportation engineering implications, and provides professional recommendations to the Region’s position on significant transportation engineering issues.
• Represents the Region in highly political dealings (e.g., negotiations, agreements, cost-sharing, approvals, tribunals) with stakeholders including area municipalities, elected officials, utility companies, federal and provincial Ministries, the media, and public.
• Chairs/conducts public meetings and consultations as a project lead. Responds to public complaints regarding high profile/complex/politically sensitive projects.
• Provides input into the development and prioritizing of the annual budget and work program, including the 10 Year Transportation Capital Forecast.
• Contacts provincial and federal government agencies, area municipalities, consultants and contractors, developers, the media, and utility companies to provide professional engineering services, information, and recommendations. Represents the Region at open houses.
• Collaborates with regional staff, including IT, Legal Services, Planning, and Finance to deliver projects and resolve issues.
• Writes Committees and Council reports for Manager review and presents reports to Committee and Council.
• Supervises technical staff as assigned. Assigns, evaluates, and provides direction to technical staff.
• Backs up the manager and program supervisors as required.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a degree in a related field, such as transportation/traffic or civil engineering, plus progressively responsible related experience.
• Must be licensed and in good standing as a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, or be a member in good standing holding a Limited License in the area of practice(s), issued by the PEO. For those trained outside of Canada, equivalency will be determined by the PEO. Participates in activities to maintain professional license.
• Knowledge of traffic engineering; highway and urban road design principles, practices, and theories; signal timing principles and practices; and illumination design principles and practices.
• Knowledge of industry standards, best practices, and innovations in the field of transportation engineering including road safety.
• Knowledge of project management principles, methods, and practices. Judgement, organizational, research, analytical, and problem-solving skills to manage contracts and multiple projects, and prepare and analyze technical reports.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, collective agreements, related legislation (e.g., Highway Traffic Act, Highway and Transportation Improvement Act, Construction Lien Act, Municipal Act, Planning Act, Environmental Assessment Act, Transport Canada Railway Safety Act, accessibility, Environmental Protection Act, Ontario Drainage Act, Regional Official Policies Plan, health and safety), manuals and standards (e.g., Ontario Provincial Standards, Canadian Standards, Canadian Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Ontario Traffic Manuals), and Ministry guidelines, contract law, and standards for engineering.
• Ability to work independently on concurrent projects; review decisions/problems with regional/ political sensitivity with management; explore project alternatives; and provide expertise and recommendations on improvements to support innovative and evolving policy directions for transportation engineering.
• Leadership skills to provide technical expertise and direction to transportation engineering staff.
• Communication and human relation skills to direct and guide consultants and staff; coordinate and negotiate project requirements; prepare and present written and visual materials for public drop-in centres, open houses and formal public meetings; conduct presentations to Committees, area municipalities and Councils; hold open houses and formal meetings for the media and public; respond to public inquiries; and participate as an effective team member.
• Computer skills with ability to use software such as Microsoft Office, computer aided design, specialized systems, and computer models.
• Ability to write project correspondence, reports, contracts, agreements and project definition reports for consultants, committees, regional and area municipal councils, staff, media and the public where applicable. Ability to read and interpret policy and procedure manuals, engineering and technical journals, design specifications, contracts, reports, legal documents, and memos.
• Ability to travel within Waterloo Region.
• Ability to adjust hours to attend open houses and deal with emergencies.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.

We invite applicants to apply online by following the link: https://careers.regionofwaterloo.ca/job-invite/1914/

The Region of Waterloo is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection process. The Region of Waterloo invites applications from all qualified individuals. We are strongly committed to employment equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourage applications from Black, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ persons.

The Region of Waterloo is committed to providing accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require an accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs. Alternate formats of this document are available upon request. Please contact the Service First Contact Centre at phone number (519) 575-4400, TTY number (519-575-4608) to request an alternate format.

Please note: candidates will be provided an update on their application. Please check your spam or junk folder occasionally as some candidates have noticed our emails in those folders (Gmail and Hotmail in particular).