PROJECT ENGINEER, RESEARCH
Project Engineer, Research sits in the competitive class of New Jersey's state civil service, so reaching it runs through testing and an eligible list instead of a straight hire.
The requirements come down to a master's degree and 4 years of relevant experience. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $95,955 to $141,386, and state payroll lists a single employee in the title, at Transportation.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Project Engineer, Research appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Transportation. It is also used at one independent authority, New Jersey Water Supply Authority.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | 1 |
Independent authorities
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| New Jersey Water Supply Authority | 2 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 1 person working under this title. The median actual salary is $119,047. The agencies employing the most are:
- Transportation (1)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
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 the direction of a Bureau Chief or other supervisor in the Division of Research and Development, Department of Transportation, supervises the performance of scientific research and development; performs duties assigned as a result of special, urgent, or occasional assignments, which are functions of this Division; does related work as required.
Examples of work
- Under direction, gives appropriate assignments and professional guidance to assigned staff, supervises the performance of their work, and is responsible for their activities.
- Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees.
- Confers with personnel from other divisions of the Department concerning problems related to the continued scientific objective of providing better transportation systems and recommends new research and development efforts.
- Provides technical assistance to National and Departmental Committees in the areas of experimental design, evaluation methodology, state-of-the-art appraisals, and data analysis.
- Develops methods for the accomplishment of new research and development undertakings.
- Reviews and interprets available research and other materials prepared by other which pertain to the assigned areas of research.
- Assists in the preparation of the annual budget, maintains appropriate controls of expenditures and schedules on projects assigned, and maintains essential records pertaining to the administration and operation of all assigned projects.
- Within guidelines, develops work plans, studies, and verifies the appropriateness of associated time, cost and manpower estimates.
- Assumes responsibility for the preparation and review of detailed engineering reports to ensure the validity of their findings, conclusions, recommendations, and to ensure report conformance to established standards.
- Prepares clear, scientifically sound, accurate and informative reports and correspondence related to assigned research studies.
- Makes appropriate recommendations based on research results, actively promotes their implementation, and is responsible for the coordination of authorized implementation efforts.
- Resolves conflicts between competing (for example, environmental versus traffic growth) needs in negotiation and advisory efforts with new or expanded State and Federal agencies, with local municipalities, and with the public at interest.
- Resolves conflicts between State and Federal procedures, where usually no precedent for such resolution has been established.
- Makes engineering determination that take into account the details of diversified factors of consideration which include social, economic, safety and environmental aspects.
- Keeps supervisors apprised of status of assigned studies and is responsible for the preparation of related progress reports. For assigned professional staff, develops performance standards, evaluates performance, and recommends training.
Education
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's in engineering.
Experience
Four (4) years of experience in the various modes of transportation engineering and/or engineering research or engineering research analysis applicable to transportation engineering, one (1) year of which shall have included supervisory responsibilities.
License
Appointee will 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 the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of the problems pertaining to the transportation of people and goods.
- Knowledge of management practices, principles, and ability to apply them to work situations.
- Knowledge of and facility in advanced mathematics and physics.
- Knowledge of the procedures and application of computer programming.
- Knowledge of the social, economic, environmental and safety engineering considerations.
- Knowledge of the proposes, policies, procedures, standards, responsibilities, and programs of the Department.
- Knowledge of the varied types of problems which arise in the planning, design, construction, inspection, maintenance, operation, traffic control of highways, highway appurtenances, and other modern transportation systems.
- Knowledge of related State and Federal policies and procedures.
- Ability to organize assigned research, analyze problems in the assigned area, and develops appropriate work procedures.
- Ability to review and evaluate the published findings of others for possible application to Department problems.
- Ability to study and evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of comparable transportation facilities and regulations.
- Ability to stimulate and guide the application of creative thought into practical and useful channels.
- Ability to originate basic research toward the solution of complex transportation problems.
- Ability to recognize and identify troublesome transportation problems.
- Ability to recognize the possible application of accepted mathematical, chemical, physical, electrical and other scientific laws to solution of transportation problems.
- Ability to develop practical and original theories for the solution of State transportation problems. Ability to direct the preparation of scaled models illustrating complex principles.
- Ability to write reports of scientific research findings in a thorough, conclusive, practical and informative manner in order to interest administrator and others in the particular field of endeavor.
- Ability to illustrate graphically the findings and conclusions of complex research studies.
- Ability to assign, instruct, and lay out work for subordinate employees and supervise the performance of their work.
- Ability to confer with outside research workers on common problems and progress being made toward their solution.
- Ability to prepare correspondence in the course of official duties.
- Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate and informative report of research containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
- Ability to maintain the essential records and files.
- 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 communications.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. 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 valid license as a Professional Engineer issued by the New Jersey State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree in engineering.
Applicants may substitute a Master's degree in Highway or Transportation engineering for one year of the required non-supervisory experience.