Traffic Engineer/ Senior Civil Engineer (Traffic) - apply by Thursday, October 17, 2024, for first consideration. (20547521)

Traffic Engineer / Senior Civil Engineer (Traffic)

$9,796 - $ 11,907 per month /

$11,344 – 13,789 per month

Plus excellent benefits

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Apply by Thursday, October 17, 2024, for first consideration

THE CITY is focused on enhancing our community members’ quality of life through well-designed services and a positive workplace culture.  San Rafael is the economic and cultural heart of Marin County, and its high quality of life is centered on its commercial districts, engaged neighborhoods, active lifestyle, and natural environment. San Rafael, with a population of approximately 60,000, is a full-service city with a City Council/City Manager form of government with 12 departments, more than 400 employees, and an annual budget of $172 million.  The City’s vision is to be a vibrant economic and cultural center reflective of its diversity. The City Council is engaged and seeks to strengthen the urban and commercial areas as well as sustain the beautiful natural environment. 

San Rafael’s Organizational culture framework is an initiative called “Together San Rafael.” City employees are our greatest asset, and we seek talented individuals with diverse backgrounds who are creative, curious, and excited about a challenge. We are a results-driven team focused on the needs of community members. The Together San Rafael initiative is focused on modernizing City services and increasing the engagement of employees. This initiative recognizes the interconnectedness of the customer and employee experience. 

THE DEPARTMENT:

The Department of Public Works (PW) is committed to providing the highest standards of service delivery to its citizens as it works to build, maintain, and update the City’s civic infrastructure. PW is comprised of approximately 50 employees with a general budget of $15 million and a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget that ranges between $10–$40 million depending on the City’s annual infrastructure needs. Its mission is to ensure San Rafael’s infrastructure meets the needs of a vibrant and growing city through careful management of major improvements and the maintenance of the City’s assets. By hiring highly trained, dedicated, responsive, and service-oriented personnel, the DPW is actively making its mission a reality. 

Recently, the Department underwent a process of restructuring as management of all City engineers was placed under the Assistant Director for enhanced oversight, communication, and workflow. The City has recently championed the Dean Allison Award internship program, which shepherds talented young graduates into local government and encourages engagement with the public sector of California. PW is also currently completing several exciting initiatives to improve transformation, accessibility, and maintenance of the City’s infrastructure while also adding recreation spaces for the public to enjoy. For an overview of the City of San Rafael’s upcoming Capital Improvement Projects, see this page for active and upcoming CIP projects. 

THE POSITION:

There is one vacant position, and the successful applicant will be offered one of the following positions based on qualifications and experience: Traffic Engineer or Senior Civil Engineer. The Senior Civil Engineer position will have an emphasis in the traffic division. The position will perform the following essential job duties:

• Manage City-wide traffic system.
• Oversee City's traffic signal system and maintenance contracts and directs necessary changes to modify the system.
• Issue work orders to make changes to existing roadway system to improve safety and capacity.
• Perform traffic signal timing and operation.
• Conduct transportation modeling to assess the City's future traffic conditions and subsequently assist to develop policies to evaluate proposed developments.
• Participate in Traffic Coordinating Committee to address complaints, requests for changes, and neighborhood calming techniques and studies.
• Analyze transportation impact studies, recommends mitigation, and recommends project conditions of approval.
• Meet with other department staff to address traffic engineering issues.
• Develop project designs, applies for grant funding, obtains permits from Caltrans and other agencies. Coordinate with other public and private agencies.
• Conduct transportation planning referrals and review.
• Perform accident reconstruction to determine primary collision factor. Determines changes needed in roadway.
• Prepare technical reports for use by City attorneys and advise attorneys on traffic engineering matters.
• Prepare reports and technical applications for grants from Federal and State sources. Make presentations to selection committees.
• Perform complex and detailed analysis of roadway network using sophisticated computer software programs and methodologies.
• Perform related duties as required.

UPCOMING PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES:

• Citywide Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update
• Annual Road Safety Implementation Program, including developing a Vision Zero Action Plan
• Annual Traffic Signal and Street Lighting Program
• Smart city implementation, including long-term planning for the City’s traffic signal network
• Bikeshare Program Coordinator
• Liaison for coordinating with other agencies, such as TAM, MTC, Caltrans, transit agencies, etc.
• Downtown traffic circulation assessment
• Serve as City representative on the transit agency led Bettini Transit Center project
• General Plan implementation
• Review impacts resulting from private development
• Signal priority and preemption planning/management
• Develop traffic-related policies for development projects
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) liaison or co-liaison

IDEAL CANDIDATE:

The successful candidate will possess a blend of technical expertise in traffic engineering principles and have strong organizational, planning, communication, and leadership skills that allow them to effectively manage different aspects of the department’s Traffic Division. They will also have a strong sense of customer service, tactfulness, and the ability to help find solutions to complex service issues for the public. They will use their communication skills and strengths to advocate for various modes of transportation including bicycle, pedestrian, transit and vehicular. They will be flexible, with the ability to adjust priorities at short notice and respond to emergencies. They will be able to think analytically but also be very decisive when needed.

Prior supervisory and/or municipal engineering experience is desired. The successful candidate will lead by example to foster a positive, creative, and productive work environment for all staff. The ideal candidate will use their interpersonal skills and technical engineering expertise to motivate the team to meet the goals and objectives of the department and City. The successful candidate will be customer service minded, an interdepartmental collaborator, an excellent project manager and a mentor to our future leaders.

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Principles and laws of municipal traffic engineering.
• Traffic Signal System and Operation.
• Traffic Safety.
• Transportation principles and Parking and neighborhood traffic issues.
• Design traffic signal systems.
• Traffic modeling.

ABILITY TO:

Communicate effectively, orally and in writing. Analyze complex problems and develop solutions. Direct studies and design proposed solutions. Maintain traffic signal system. Find innovative traffic safety solutions. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with others. Manage and update traffic system. Develop policies for neighborhood traffic issues, parking & development. Supervise others. Work independently.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

Any combination of education and experience that demonstrates possession of the requisite knowledges, skill and abilities. A typical way to obtain these would be:

Traffic Engineer

• BS in Civil Engineering. Five years municipal engineering including two in traffic engineering.

Senior Civil Engineer

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. 
• Five (5) years of increasingly responsible post degree engineering experience managing complex construction, maintenance, and/or traffic projects and consultants. 
• A master’s degree may substitute for 1 year of post degree engineering experience.

CERTIFICATES/LICENSES/REGISTRATIONS

Traffic Engineer

• California Professional Traffic Engineer License must be possessed or obtained within two (2) years of appointment as a condition of employment.
• Valid Driver’s License

Senior Civil Engineer

• Registration as a Civil Engineer in the State of California.
• If position is serving within the Traffic Engineering Division, candidate must also possess a California Professional Traffic Engineer License.
• Valid drivers’ license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.  The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to video display and regularly works in inside environmental conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to outdoors weather conditions. The employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and occasionally works with use of personal vehicle. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS:

City of San Rafael application is required.  Resumes do not substitute for the City application.  Candidates should detail related education and experience on the application since this information will be used to determine who will be invited to participate in the next phase of the examination process. The examination process may include any or all of the following:  Application appraisal, oral board examination, and written examination. The passing point for the oral and/or written examination final score will be 70%.  Prior to appointment, candidate must pass a background check, DMV check, pre-employment physical/drug screen, and fingerprinting.  To file an application, go to www.calopps.org.  Select “Member Agencies”.  Select “City of San Rafael”.  For more information on the City of San Rafael, go to www.cityofsanrafael.org.  Follow this link to submit your application:  https://www.calopps.org/san-rafael/job-20547521. 

This position is open until filled with a first review date of Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Preliminary interviews will be held the week of November 4, 2024.  It is recommended that you plan your calendar accordingly,