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California State Personnel Board

PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

Department of Transportation

JC-518697

Last Chance Grade Tunnel Program Manager
PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

$15,263.00 - $17,336.00 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: 6/9/2026

Application Methods:

Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)

By Mail

Drop-off

Job Description and Duties

Under the general direction of the District 1 Director, the incumbent is responsible for the management and implementation of all aspects of the Last Chance Grade tunnel project on the Highway 101 corridor in Del Norte County. The incumbent will be the focal point for Caltrans with legislators, local agencies, permitting agencies, and other partners and stakeholders pertaining to the project. The project will incorporate all phases of project development from design through construction, including overall project quality assurance activities.

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.

Position Details

Job Code #:

JC-518697

Position #(s):

901-200-3152-XXX

Working Title:

Last Chance Grade Tunnel Program Manager

Classification:

PRINCIPAL TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER, CALTRANS

$15,263.00 - $17,336.00

New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions:

Work Location:

Humboldt 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

Email will be the primary form of communication for this position. Please ensure you have 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 a Caltrans Open examination.

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

Minimum Qualifications:

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 I

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 II

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 III

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.

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”.

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 of their examination results.

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

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: 6/9/2026

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: Stephanie Reifschneider (26MSP045)

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

Stephanie Reifschneider (26MSP045)

Managerial Selection Process (MSP) MS-86

1727 30th Street, 6th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

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.
- 26MSP045 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

Contact Information

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

Human Resources Contact:
Stephanie Reifschneider
(279) 234-2420
Stephanie.Reifschneider@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.

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.

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 level of experience and ability to work collaboratively with, and strengthen coordination among, Caltrans’ internal and external partners - especially elected officials; other programs and districts; city, county, and regional agency staff and officials; the Federal Highway Administration; other state agencies; Regional Transportation Planning Agencies; industry advocacy groups; and the business community. Provide an example of how you tailored your message to address concerns, build trust, and move a project forward.

2. Describe your depth of experience in leadership and supervision. Include specific examples that demonstrate your ability to lead teams, manage performance, and foster a productive work environment while ensuring the successful delivery of projects in alignment with department goals and district commitments.

3. Provide examples of your previous work experience that demonstrate your ability to analyze and resolve highly complex and/or politically sensitive issues impacting transportation projects, and interagency and public relations issues with successful application of managerial motivation and negotiating skills.

Additional Information

Please include MSP#26MSP045 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.

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