Engineer Trainee/Assistant Engineer (Civil)

Duties Description

As an Assistant Engineer (Civil/Transportation) in the Utility and Energy Management Bureau (UEMB), the selected candidate in this position will work under the direction of the Bureau Director.

The UEMB is seeking an energetic candidate, with excellent attention to detail to support this new Bureau with administering the statewide program. The successful candidate would preferably have some experience or familiarity with highway work permits and/or use and occupancy permits, and will work with NYSDOT’s eleven Regions to review the uses and occupancies for new and expanding technologies by utilities and energy developers, while ensuring compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies. This position requires a high level of organization and the ability to manage critical and time sensitive tasks in order to ensure timely responses from the Department.

The selected candidate will assist with engineering reviews related to all types of traffic engineering and mobility; design engineering analysis, traffic safety program management, site inspection, permit application reviews and approvals, as well as compliance oversight, including those of high degree of complexity. The current focus will be on PERM75/Fiber Optics applications, and identifying best practices for the establishment of processes for the installation of Solar Energy, Electric Vehicle Charging, Transmission Corridors, and Small Cell Towers to expand 5G coverage.

The position also requires assistance with the day-to-day operation of Bureau activities including, but not limited to:

• Working in consultation with Legal Affairs and other internal program areas to coordinate the analysis, development, implementation and updating of the Department’s utility and energy management policies, forms, and guidance in accordance with applicable federal, and state laws, rules, regulations, policies, grant programs, and incentives, which are continuously and rapidly evolving in all these areas.
• Support of the implementation of the internal PermiTrack and ROW Track systems Highway Work Permit and Use and Occupancy Permit processing for these technologies.
• Promoting strategic planning in furtherance of policy goals in compliance with the above, while balancing the primary transportation purpose of the right-of-way.
• Assisting with the review, approval, processing, and actual issuance of permits (including both the Use and Occupancy and Highway Work permit aspects) for the subject technologies.
• Working closely with internal stakeholders in the regional and main office Operations, Right-of-Way, Planning, Design and Legal Affairs to coordinate all utility and energy activities in the right of way.
• Providing technical assistance and training to staff, as well as other internal and external stakeholders.
• Centralizing and improving the permit approval process to the extent possible and practicable, while still ensuring site and regions specific conditions and issues are considered for the subject technologies.
• Leveraging technology, consultant resources, workflow, and process improvements, including cross-divisional coordination.

Responsibilities may include serving a role within the Incident Command System to support the department’s response to regional and statewide emergency situations.

Additional Comments