Exam Bulletin - Principal Transportation Engineer, Caltrans

CA High Speed Rail Authority

Exam Code: EX-2161

Examination Plans Included:

  • PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS: $14,527.00 - $16,501.00 per Month

View the PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS classification specification.

Application Instructions

This is not a timed examination. If you request a Reasonable Accommodation, your account will be locked and you will not be able to proceed with the examination until the request is processed.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

    2161

For PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 6 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-02161

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00103152 - PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

Possession of a valid certificate of registration as a civil, electrical, or mechanical engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. And

Either 1

Experience: One year of transportation engineering experience as a Supervising level engineer in the California state service; or four years of transportation engineering experience as a Senior level engineer.

Or 2

Experience: One year of managerial experience in the California state service equivalent in level to a Supervising Transportation Planner, or four years of supervisory or managerial experience equivalent in level to a Senior Transportation Planner. and

Experience: Two years of civil engineering work at the Associate engineer level or higher in the California state service.

Or 3

Experience: Broad and extensive (more than five years) transportation engineering experience equivalent in responsibility to a Senior or higher level engineer in the California state service.

Position Description

00103152 - PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

In the capacity of a District Director of Transportation or Deputy to the District Director of Transportation, recommends District program objectives and resource allocations; organizes activities and directs personnel; makes recommendations on changes in policy and procedures, and effects such changes; makes final decisions on matters referred by subordinates; appears before and represents the Department of Transportation in negotiations with public bodies; represents the Department of Transportation in fostering and coordinating balanced transportation planning in cooperation with regional transportation planning agencies. In the capacity of Chief of a Headquarters' division or office, confers and coordinates with Division Chiefs on difficult technical and administrative matters; assigns work, gives instructions, and handles difficult technical and administrative problems in connection with the direction of the staff of a division or office; proposes procedural guidelines and standards for work performed in transportation districts; and speaks before public bodies on transportation matters.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for optimal performance when accessing the examination.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1CalHR Online ExamN/A100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:
  1. Transportation economics and financing
  2. Various phases of transportation systems planning and engineering work
  3. Factors which influence the impact of transportation facilities on the environment, the community, and the economy
  4. State and Federal laws regulating the activities of the Department of Transportation
  5. Principles and techniques of personnel management and supervision
  6. The Department's equal employment opportunity and labor relations objectives
  7. A manager's role in safety, health, equal employment opportunity, and labor relations and the processes available to meet these program objectives
Ability to:
  1. Administer an engineering program
  2. Plan and direct the work of a large engineering staff
  3. Analyze situations accurately and take effective action
  4. Address an audience effectively
  5. Present comprehensive reports and prepare correspondence
  6. Communicate effectively
  7. Effectively contribute to the Department's safety, health, equal employment opportunity, and labor relations objectives

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS Classification will be established for:

  • CA High Speed Rail Authority

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Principal Transportation Engineer, Caltrans Training and Experience Examination Preview

Instructions:
Rate your experience performing specific job-related tasks.

Respond to each of the following statements by indicating how the statement applies to you. You are required to respond to every question and provide relevant examples. Also, indicate the references who can verify the information provided.

In responding to each statement, you will refer to your WORK EXPERIENCE whether paid or volunteer.

PLEASE NOTE: This examination is designed to gain an overall assessment of your experience as it directly relates to the duties and the knowledge, skills and abilities required for this position. All components of this examination have been carefully validated by tying them directly to job requirements and documenting their relevance to the position.

Tasks
  1. Managing and directing the planning, design, construction, operations, or maintenance of transportation systems.
  2. Managing the performance of contractors, consultants, or service providers.
  3. Negotiating contract terms and conditions with contractors, consultants or service providers.
  4. Resolving transportation issues involving conflicting priorities to keep a project on time, within scope and budget.
  5. Developing and managing the budget for the work unit or program.
  6. Serving as a private/public agency representative in dealing with various stakeholders to establish relationships and resolve or address problems/issues related to transportation projects.
  7. Participating in the development and implementation of a multi-modal transportation network.
  8. Managing or directing the preparation of reports summarizing the findings and conclusions of a study or a program analysis.
  9. Leading the work activities of an integrated team comprised of private and public agency staff.

Testing Departments

  • CA High Speed Rail Authority

Contact Information

Technical questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Department of Human Resources
CalCareer Service Center
1810 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (866) 844-8671
CalCareer@calhr.ca.gov

Administrative questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

CA High Speed Rail Authority
Human Resources
770 L Street, Suite 620, MS 4
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 669-6606

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

CA High Speed Rail Authority reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.
Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)