Job Posting: Branch Chief, Project Initiation

Department of Transportation

JC-525114
-
Branch Chief, Project Initiation
SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

$11,437.00 - $14,315.00 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: 7/31/2026

Job Description and Duties

Under the direction of the Office Chief of Project Initiation and Local Assistance, the Senior Transportation Engineer supervises engineers, planners, and others engaged in transportation development activities; assigns and supervises the preparation, formulation, coordination, and review of transportation related engineering studies and reports. The incumbent gives direction, provides technical support, and manages project schedules and Project Initiation Document Workplans. The incumbent also participates, as needed, in District and Statewide initiatives related to programming, engineering, project development, and planning activities.


PARF# 12-26-0157  / JC-525114

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions.  To apply for the exam, please click here and search by typing in the classification title.

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

 

https://forms.office.com/g/RyK102ty4G

 

https://youtu.be/oC9wIp8QalI

Apply today to join our team!  We especially encourage applicants to check out our Caltrans Career Compass tool!  The Caltrans Career Compass is a tool to assist and help candidates understand and succeed in applying to Caltrans positions.

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

Working Conditions

Position located at 1750 E 4th St, Santa Ana, CA, Orange County.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

The work environment is typically a climate-controlled office. The incumbent may sit for long periods of time while using a keyboard and video display terminal. There are elevators that can transport the incumbent to all floors of the office complex. Occasional travel may be required. The incumbent will be required to attend meetings or training in other State facilities. The incumbent may be part of a two or more person team to perform field inspections during K-Phase and will be exposed to fastmoving traffic, dirt, noise, uneven surfaces, and extreme hot or cold weather.


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-525114
Position #(s):
912-840-3161-002
Working Title:
Branch Chief, Project Initiation
Classification:
SENIOR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS
$11,437.00 - $14,315.00 A
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
Multiple
Work Location:
Orange 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.

Department Website: www.dot.ca.gov 

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

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

Special Requirements

  • Possession of a Professional Engineer (PE) License.

  • Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a State owned or leased vehicle.

Candidates must complete a standard State application (Examination/Employment Application STD 678) and Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). Only those candidates who submit all required documents by the postmarked date will be considered for appointment. Your SOQ is considered the first phase of the interview process for this position. The SOQ is requested to elicit information regarding each applicant's interest and experience in relation to this position. A notation or reference to other materials such as resumes or the application will not be considered. Incomplete or missing responses to the information requested may negatively affect the assessment of your qualifications.

Your SOQ must answer in order the following questions:

1. The Project Initiation Branch interacts with local partners in advancing those Capital Improvement Projects impacting Caltrans facilities through our Oversight program. Briefly describe any past experiences you have in coordinating project with local agencies.

2. The Project Initiation Branch has successfully achieved its Annual Delivery Plan for the past 17 years. How will your experience in project delivery ensure continued success of the PID program?

3. Briefly describe your leadership skills in terms of innovative measures in managing and directing a high-performance team.

4. Provide specific examples of your previous work experience that exemplifies your ability to successfully resolve project delivery challenges while maintaining a professional environment.

5. Demonstrate how your technical expertise can integrate safe, sustainable, and innovative transportation solutions among cross-functional disciplines in achieving the goals of the Department’s long-term planning documents.


Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment.  If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification.  Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment.  Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent.  Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: https://www.naces.org/members or https://aice-eval.org.  Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

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: 7/31/2026

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. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

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
California Department of Transportation
Attn: Caltrans DHR Contact - JC-525114
1750 E. 4th Street, 1st Floor
Santa Ana, CA 92705

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

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

Department of Transportation
California Department of Transportation
Caltrans DHR Contact - JC-525114
1750 E. 4th Street, 1st Floor
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Closed on weekends and State holidays.
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 -

    Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Please see the Special Requirements section for SOQ instructions.

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

Click HERE  to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Human Resources Contact:
Guadalupe MartinezRoberts
(279) 234-2325
Lupe.Martinez-Roberts@dot.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
Phat Nguyen
(805) 732-9823
Phat.T.Nguyen@dot.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Caltrans EEO Office
(844) 368-3367
Ask.eeo@dot.ca.gov
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.

Important Application Instructions:

The State application (STD. 678) is required, and each section must be filled out completely and thoroughly. For mailed or hand delivered applications to be considered for this position, the Job Control number (JC-525114), PARF# 12-26-0157 and title of the position (Senior Transportation Engineer, Caltrans) must be included on the STD. 678 form.

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position. Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

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