Job Posting: Senior Project Manager

Department of Transportation

JC-517957
-
Senior Project Manager
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST III

$9,507.00 - $12,740.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 6/15/2026

Job Description and Duties

Under the administrative direction of the Information Technology Manager II (ITM II), Enterprise Portfolio Services, within the Project and Business Management Division (PBMD), the Information Technology Specialist Ill (ITS III) serves as a Senior Project Manager in the Enterprise Portfolio Management office. The ITS III is a horizontal role demonstrating strategic technical leadership, influence, and expertise to support and deliver best practice solutions to Caltrans. The incumbent is an expert level advisor and is a critical part of the Portfolio Management team, participating in portfolio and project management. The incumbent will direct the most critical/complex projects where the consequences of error may have a serious detrimental effect on operating efficiency of Caltrans. This position represents the highest level of expertise available in state service working to support the systems and services of the IT project management domain.

The position's duties and activities are performed primarily within the IT Project Management technical domain. The position provides enterprise project management for the Department's most sensitive and complex information technology projects, as well as management and oversight for the Enterprise Technology Portfolio. The incumbent must adhere to all Information Technology and Project Management Governance Policies and Standards as set by the Division Chief, Chief Information Officer, State Administrative Manual (SAM) and State Information Management Manual (SIMM).

Domain: IT Project Management

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans’s evolving telework policy. Caltrans supports telework, recognizing that in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksites with minimum notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate will be required to commute to the headquartered location as needed to meet operational needs. Business travel may be required and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquartered location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-517957
Position #(s):
900-170-1415-018
Working Title:
Senior Project Manager
Classification:
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST III
$9,507.00 - $12,740.00
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
3
Work Location:
Sacramento County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

Caltrans Mission: Improving lives and communities through transportation.

Caltrans Vision: A thriving and connected California.

The Caltrans workforce is made up of diverse and unique individuals who contribute to our organizational success.

Caltrans Director’s EEO Policy and EEO Policy Statement:
https://dot.ca.gov/programs/equal-employment-opportunity

Please Note: Main communication for this position will be through email. Please ensure to include a valid email address on your application.

Special Requirements

Pursuant to California Code of Regulations § 549.90, this position will be filled via the California Department of Transportation Managerial Selection Program (MSP) process. 

This process provides for examination and job-selection specific to each position and consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the classification.

Please read the entire job posting before applying for this position.

This is an Open Examination. 

All applicants must meet the minimum qualifications by the final filing date to participate in the examination.

Minimum Qualifications:

One year of experience as an Information Technology Specialist II; or

Six years of information technology experience, two years of which shall include performance of highly specialized work in a lead or expert capacity on highly complex or specialized information technology systems or services in one or more of the major six domains or a closely related or emerging information technology field.

A master's or doctorate degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for four years of the required general information technology experience. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university may substitute for three years of the required general information technology experience. An associate's degree from an accredited college may substitute for one year of the required general information technology experience. Only one degree may be used for substitution.

When using education to meet minimum qualifications, education must include 15 semester units (or 22.5 quarter units) of information technology or closely related course work.

Examination Information:

This examination will utilize an evaluation of each candidate’s experience and education (E&E) compared to a standard developed from the class specification. For this reason, it is especially important that each candidate take special care in accurately and completely filling out his or her State application (STD. 678).  List all experience relevant to the “Minimum Qualifications” that are listed in the Class Specifications above. 

This process provides for examination and job-selection specific to each position and consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the classification.  All applicants must meet the minimum requirement for this examination by the final filing date.

This examination will not establish a civil service list; therefore, candidates will not have the ability to transfer their eligibility to other departments. Candidates will be notified in writing of their examination results.

Note: If using Out of Class (OOC) experience, you must submit a copy of your signed and approved Out of Class documentation. Failure to do so may result in your Out of Class experience not being considered during the evaluation process of this examination.

Education: If using your college education to meet the minimum qualifications, college transcripts must be submitted with your application and SOQ. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for entrance into the examination, however, official transcripts may be required prior to appointment.

Application Instructions

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: 6/15/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Department of Transportation
MSP
Attn: Katie Wong (26MSP044)
Managerial Selection Process (MSP) MS-86
1727 30th Street, 6th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Transportation
MSP
Katie Wong (26MSP044)
Managerial Selection Process (MSP) MS-86
1727 30th Street, 6th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95816-8036
Please place in examination unit drop box in the lobby
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

  • Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
  • Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
  • Statement of Qualifications -
    Candidates must provide detailed and specific examples from their professional education, experience, and training that directly answer each of the SOQ questions. Each question will be scored individually, therefore, candidates must provide specific examples to each question. Responses to the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted on the Department of Transportation's MSP Statement of Qualifications Form (PM-0504).

    Submit your competed PM-0504 in the “Additional Documents” section. Select “Other” from the drop-down menu for Type of Document and enter SOQ for the Description. Upload your completed PM-0504, then Save & Review Application.

    - 26MSP044 PM-0504
Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefits

Statement of Qualifications

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required and must be submitted along with your State application. The SOQ is a discussion of how an applicant’s education and experience meet the evaluation criteria below and qualify them for the position.

Responses to the SOQ must be submitted on the Department of Transportation's MSP Statement of Qualifications Form (PM-0504). Any SOQ responses that are not submitted on the PM-0504 will not be scored. Each box provided for your response has been limited to 2000 characters.

Each question will be scored individually, therefore, candidates must provide detailed and specific examples, from their professional experience, education, and training, that directly answer each of the SOQ questions. The SOQ will be utilized as screening criteria for the hiring interview only and will not be used for the purposes of examination. Additional documents to supplement the PM-0504 will not be reviewed during the SOQ scoring. To learn about the Statement of Qualifications form (PM-0504) and screening process, click here: https://youtu.be/Wi1RbhBY0Ao

The PM-0504 SOQ Form can be found in the Required Application Package Documents section of this advertisement. If you have difficulty opening the form, please try using Mozilla Firefox. Please make sure the number of SOQs on the Form are the same as the number of SOQs below.

The Statement of Qualifications must address the applicant’s qualifications relative to the following:

1. Describe your broad and comprehensive experience in Information Technology (IT) project management. Include your specific experience including the project approval processes (PAL/PDL), project management, and portfolio management.

2. Provide work examples that demonstrate your experience engaging stakeholders on large information technology projects or initiatives, including how you addressed issues related to scope, cost, and/or schedule.

3. Describe your experience working and communicating collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, subject matter experts, and control agencies to gain buy in, manage resistance, build strong partnerships, and navigate organizational dynamics.

4. List two large projects for which you have had the overall and direct project management role and responsibility. Clearly indicate: budget, average number of staff, number of contracts (vendors) and vendor staff engaged, and ultimate project outcome.

5. Caltrans is quite large and project teams can include personnel from many disciplines across the state. What is the largest team you have managed, and how did you effectively and efficiently manage the team to complete the project?

Additional Information

Please include MSP# 26MSP044 and the title of the position you are applying for on the STD. 678 application form.

Please take this 1-minute Caltrans Recruitment Survey to tell us how you found out about this job!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HMQ7LDR

Veterans’ Preference will be granted for this examination. In accordance with Government Codes 18973.1 and 18973.5, whenever any veteran, or widow or widower of a veteran achieves a passing score on an open examination, he or she shall be ranked in the top rank of the resulting eligible list.  Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR).  Instructions on how to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference for Examinations form (CalHR 1093).

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.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free 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.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job