PRINCIPAL ENGINEER
Exam openExam status, as of November 4, 2026. Our captured announcement shows a promotional examination for HUNTERDON COUNTY (symbol PC4207H) accepting applications until November 23, 2026. Confirm current status with CSC. Only employees with permanent status in the unit it names may file. Exam schedule
Provisional hiring can precede the examination. See the provisional route
Rules that apply to this title
A guide to the rules, not legal advice.
New Jersey treats Principal Engineer as a competitive-class job, so the gate is an examination and the ranked list it produces rather than a direct offer.
The minimum is a bachelor's degree and 3 years of relevant experience.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Examination announcements for this title
Promotional announcements
A promotional announcement for this title is accepting applications as of November 3, 2026. A promotional examination produces its own eligible list and is open only to people who already hold permanent status in a qualifying title within the department named on the row, not across that employer generally; filing without eligibility means an ineligible determination and no refund of the fee.
| Title | Symbol | State or local, and unit who may file | Closes | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRINCIPAL ENGINEER$96,426 to $106,000 a yearPromoted from: Senior Engineer | PC4207H | LocalHunterdon CountyPublic Works | November 23, 2026 | Open | Announcement |
Previously announced, and no longer listed by the Commission
The Commission removes an announcement once it has closed and republishes nothing, so this examination is no longer on any of its own lists. We keep what we have read, here covering 2026. It cannot be filed for now; a title announced once is often announced again, so this is the record of whether that has happened.
| Title | Symbol | State or local, and unit | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal EngineerOpen competitive | C1065H | LocalOcean County | October 21, 2026 |
Every row is CSC's own; see the full announcement calendar.
This title at the Civil Service Commission
The Civil Service Commission's minutes record 1 matter naming it since January 16, 2019: discipline (1).
- In the Matter of Syed Tariq-Shuaib, Hudson County, Department of Parks, Engineering and Planning CSC Docket No. 2020-1655 · December 21, 2022 · Discipline · Penalty upheld
Promotion paths the Commission has published
Titles the Commission accepted as feeders for this one
Holders of the title below were eligible to compete in a promotional examination for PRINCIPAL ENGINEER.
- SENIOR ENGINEERstated by 1 employer
Each line comes from a promotional examination announcement, which sets its own eligibility for that employer and that examination — so this records what the Commission has accepted before, not a rule about who qualifies now. Most of these paths have been stated by a single employer, and the count beside each says how many. A promotional examination is also closed to anyone without permanent status in the unit the announcement names. How promotional eligibility works.
Salaries stated in examination announcements
One Civil Service Commission examination announcement has stated a salary for this title. Local pay is set by each employer under its own ordinance or contract, so this is one employer's figure for one position rather than a rate for the title.
| Employer | Salary as published | Basis | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunterdon CountyPublic Works | $96,426.00 ~ $106,000.00 | A year | November 2026 |
Each figure is quoted as the Civil Service Commission printed it in that employer's announcement on the date shown. It is evidence of what was advertised then, not a statement of what the position pays now, and an announcement does not say whether a post is full or part time. No average, range or comparison is given across employers, because each sets its own pay and nothing here establishes that two of these positions are alike. Where an employer has announced the title more than once for the same department, only its most recent figure is shown. How this data is sourced.
Who employs this title
Principal Engineer is used at one independent authority, New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority.
Independent authorities
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority | 1 |
Where this title is used
Principal Engineer is a local service title. It is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, not by State departments. Those employers set pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule, which is why most local titles carry no salary range here.
Check whether an employer is a civil service jurisdiction · How local civil service works
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction, in one or more branches of engineering, takes the lead and performs highly responsible field and office engineering work involved in the review, design, maintenance, and construction of structures and/or systems; in some jurisdictions, may supervise a staff conducting field and office engineering work; does related work as required.
Examples of work
- Performs highly responsible field and office engineering work involved in the review, design, maintenance, and construction of highways, roads, streets, bridges, culverts, storm drainage systems, sanitary sewer systems, waste water treatment facilities, buildings, public grounds, mechanical systems, heating systems, cooling systems, electrical power delivery systems, electrical power generation systems, traffic control systems, interior/exterior lighting and wiring systems, water distribution/management or supply systems, environmental remediation systems and processes, and/or some other branch of engineering.
- Takes the lead in field and/or offices engineering work, assigns suitable work and gives professional guidance to subordinate staff in the performance of their work.
- Conducts investigations of conditions of facilities, structures and equipment as required.
- Estimates the quantities of required materials and costs of specific maintenance projects.
- Assigns and prioritizes various engineering projects.
- Takes the lead in the design/development, repair and maintenance of water management equipment and systems.
- Assists with flood control projects and maps out drainage systems for dealing with water flow.
- Devises solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution control and remediation.
- Maintains plant operation and improvement projects.
- May supervise work operations and/or functional programs and have responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
- May conduct field inspections of all outside public works and public utilities construction such as curbs, roads, culverts, water lines, sanitary sewer lines, sidewalks, and storm drain lines, pole lines, electric power lines, substations and generating stations.
- May prepare annual budget requests.
- Prepares clear, sound, accurate and informative reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
- Drafts correspondence pertaining to engineering programs and activities.
- Maintains essential records and files.
- Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording information systems used by the agency, office or relate unit.
Requirements
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical or Electrical Engineering.
Experience
Three (3) years of related experience in civil, electrical, chemical or mechanical engineering.
License
Appointees may be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the principles of engineering and the procedures involved in planning and designing engineering projects.
- Knowledge of engineering problems involved in the design, maintenance, and construction of structures and/or systems.
- Knowledge of engineering mathematics such as trigonometry and calculus.
- Ability to take the lead and give suitable assignments and guidance to subordinate employees. Ability to accurately estimate quantities and project costs.
- Ability to organize assigned technical engineering work and develop effective work methods.
- Ability to inspect materials, workmanship, and construction and installation of various public works and/or utility facilities may be required.
- Ability to apply federal, state and local ordinances, resolutions, and codes relating to public works and/or public utilities to specific cases may be required.
- Ability to supervise work operations and/or functional programs and effectively recommend the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees may be required.
- Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate and informative reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
- Ability to maintain essential records and files.
- Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental and physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.
A Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology (BSET) in a field related to Civil, Mechanical, Chemical or Electrical Engineering from an accredited college or university having a curriculum approved by the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology (ABET) may substitute for the above education requirement.
Possession of a Professional Engineers (PE) License issued by the New Jersey State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors may be substituted for the above education requirement.
A Master's degree in Civil, Electrical, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, or a Master of Science in Engineering Technology (MSET) in a field related to Civil, Electrical, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering may be substituted for one (1) year of experience.
Appointees may be required to possess a valid Professional Engineering (PE) license issued by the NJ State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, particularly for positions assuming 'responsible charge' over staff as defined by NJAC 13:40-1.3.