PRINCIPAL ENGINEER, PLANNING

Code: 12694 State Competitive Range: R26 (FY 2027)

Salary: $83,582.01 - $122,831.91/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

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 of a Project Engineer, Planning or other supervisor in the Department of Transportation, supervises and/or performs complex data collection surveys, analyses, projections, and estimates of future conditions; does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Reviews and recommends agency approval or disapproval of engineering plans, specifications, and layout plans submitted to the department.
• Reviews the content and substance of engineering-related documents, plans, and data produced within the department so as to maintain high standards for division engineering work.
• Participates in the screening of projects and provides screening in the maintenance of good engineering practice.
• Provides coordination of unit activities with other planning being done by state, county, and urban agencies in transportation, land use, economic development, and resource use.
• Conducts studies to minimize environmental problems such as noise, zoning, and land use.
• Performs and/or supervises the performance of complex data collection surveys, analyses, projections, and estimates of future conditions.
• May supervise stateside traffic counting field forces engaged in visual counts and may have charge of electronic traffic counting program.
• May supervise the compilation of traffic count data by office personnel.
• Compiles and/or supervises the compiling of road life and mileage statistics, road types inventories, and special studies.
• Performs and/or supervises the performance of complex analyses and the projection of trends for urban planning development and transportation planning including computer traffic simulation.
• Prepares and/or supervises the preparation of highway classifications of all roads, streets, and highways.
• May give appropriate assignments and instructions to assigned technical, professional, and other employees, and supervise the performance of their work.
• Prepares and/or supervises the preparation of schedules, manuals, and other material necessary to conduct the data collection phase of the various transportation studies of land development, population and employment, travel, goods movement, and other related phases.
• Performs and/or supervises the performance of difficult engineering analysis, computation, and report preparation incidental to route location and the conduct of public hearings.
• Cooperates with consulting engineers and the representatives of public agencies and others.
• Is responsible for the preparation of technically sound, accurate, and informative statistical and other related reports containing recommendations for plans for comprehensive urban planning in the development of regional urban areas.
• Maintains essential records and files.
• Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering.

Experience

Three (3) years of experience in traffic and/or transportation engineering work which shall have included the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data in connection with the field of planning.

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 conduct of transportation studies including traffic counting and loadameter surveys.
• Knowledge of surveys of road inventory and route location studies.
• Knowledge of the classification of road and bridge characteristics for use in road inventory.
• Knowledge of road life and mileage statistics for use in transportation planning.
• Knowledge of the principles of regional and statewide planning as they affect transportation.
• Ability to coordinate transportation planning activities with county and local urban agencies, particularly in the fields of land use, economic development, and resource use.
• Ability to analyze technical developments in the field of transportation planning and evaluate their effect on industry in New Jersey.
• Ability to utilize statistical techniques and devices in furthering a complex transportation planning program.
• Ability to organize assigned technical and supervisory work, analyze transportation planning data in preparing master plans, and develop appropriate work methods.
• Ability to supervise the assembly and summarization of data collected for regional and statewide transportation studies and to prepare comprehensive reports thereon.
• Ability to supervise the preparation of planning maps.
• Ability to conduct loadometer studies and traffic counting programs and compile the results into meaningful statistics.
• Ability to conduct route analysis and prepare cost estimates in route location planning.
• Ability to perform projects of traffic data for transportation planning.
• Ability to give appropriate assignments and instruction to assigned technical and engineering staff and supervise the performance of their work.
• Ability to perform statistical work of moderate complexity.
• Ability to review surveys findings and suggest recommendations for the preparation of transportation master plans.
• Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of technically accurate and comprehensive statistical and other related reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Ability to maintain essential records and files.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and 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 or physical disabilities are eligible as long as 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.
• <b>NOTE: FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY</b>
• Employees hired by the Department of Transportation on or before July 1, 1999, who do not possess the Bachelor's degree listed above, may substitute education and experience as indicated below to meet the education requirements:
• EDUCATION:
• An Associate's degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology.
• OR
• Completion of forty-five (45) semester hour credits of specialized college level/non-remedial engineering education from an accredited college in an engineering or engineering technology program. Acceptable specialized education must include a minimum of 24 credits in Engineering/Engineering Science and a minimum of 21 credits in general science and higher-level math courses. Information regarding acceptable courses may be obtained from DOT/Human Resources.
• You must attach a copy of your transcript(s) to your application. Foreign degrees/transcripts must be evaluated by a recognized evaluation service. Failure to do so will result in rejection from the examination process.
• AND
• Three and one half (3 1/2) years of full time experience in engineering related work.
• Applicants who have more than the required forty-five (45) engineering related credits may substitute additional credits for the required experience on a pro-rated basis, thirty (30) credits equaling one (1) year of experience, up to a maximum of two and one-half (2 1/2) years.
• CODES: 25/R26 - MER 7/18/09

Note

The definition and 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 engineering from an accredited college having a curriculum approved by the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology (ABET) meets the above education requirement.

Possession of a valid Professional Engineer's license issued by the New Jersey State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors may be substituted for the Bachelor's degree in Engineering.

A Master's degree in Transportation Planning or Engineering may be substituted for one (1) year of the indicated experience