ASSISTANT ENGINEER, MATERIALS
Assistant Engineer, Materials is a competitive state title, the kind you test for: the exam result, not a hiring manager's pick, decides where you land in line.
It expects a bachelor's degree and 1 year of relevant experience. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $63,663 to $92,953, and state payroll currently lists 2 people in the title, most of them 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
Assistant Engineer, Materials appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Transportation.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Transportation | 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 2 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $79,905. The agencies employing the most are:
- Transportation (2)
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 close supervision of a supervising engineer or other supervisory official in the Department of Transportation, conducts engineering inspections and physical and chemical tests in the field or in the laboratory of the types of materials and products used in construction and maintenance of highways and public transportation facilities where the department is responsible for quality control; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Conducts detailed inspections of construction materials, products, and fabricated items.
- Evaluates acceptability of sources which fabricate construction and maintenance materials and products.
- Performs engineering and statistical analysis and design of sampling and field and laboratory procedures relating to paints and paint components, asphaltic oils and tars, emulsions, de-icing agents, and other miscellaneous materials.
- Reviews and interprets plans and materials specifications; participates in drafting materials specifications.
- Designs, performs, and reviews tests conducted at the source of supply or in the laboratory of various types of materials and products used in highway and public transportation construction and maintenance.
- Develops designs for the testing of concrete cylinders and cores, concrete and cinder blocks, reinforcing steel, iron, vitrified clay pipe, and other materials, and conducts and/or directs tests for compression, tensile strength, and cross-breaking of such samples.
- Develops sampling plans utilizing engineering and statistical procedures.
- Supervises the classification of, and grades physical properties of materials by using elutriation, wear, toughness, soundness, hardness, color metric, and other standard tests of materials intended for construction and maintenance of highways and public transportation facilities.
- Reviews criteria of mix designs to determine percentage of bitumen, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and mineral filler, and supervises the separation and grading aggregates by sieving.
- Conducts materials engineering tests and supervises preparation for physical or chemical testing of cements, paints, minerals, metals fertilizers, soils, and other construction and maintenance materials used in highways and public transportation facilities.
- Trains technical staff to procure samples and conduct tests at supply sources.
- Makes engineering computations.
- Prepares clear, sound, accurate, and informative engineering reports of tests, inspections, and analysis containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Maintains records and files.
- Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and 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
One (1) year of engineering experience involving the making, testing and/or inspecting of materials used in highway or building construction and maintenance.
License
Appointees 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 properties of various types of highway and other building materials, and of the field and laboratory tests used to measure these properties.
- Knowledge of the methods and procedures used to obtain samples, prepare them for testing, and to ensure proper degree of accuracy in conducting tests.
- Knowledge of the various types, proper use, and maintenance of field and laboratory apparatus and equipment used in physical and chemical testing of highway and other construction and maintenance materials.
- Knowledge of the problems that arise when tests are conducted in the field and/or at the point of manufacture.
- Knowledge of the precautions taken to prevent breakage, deterioration, and waste of testing equipment, materials, and supplies.
- Knowledge of the methods and techniques involved in testing and inspecting materials used in highway and other construction and maintenance.
- Knowledge of the specifications established for materials and products used in highway and other construction and maintenance.
- Knowledge of the form and content of construction plans and shop drawings.
- Ability to organize assigned field and office work, analyze physical and/or chemical testing problems, and develop effective work methods.
- Ability to conduct safety inspections and maintenance operations on the nuclear density gauge.
- Ability to conduct radiographic testing of steel and aluminum welds.
- Ability to interpret radiographs of steel and aluminum welds.
- Ability to follow closely prescribed testing procedures and to determine when minor testing deviations are warranted.
- Ability to collect samples and conduct field and laboratory tests.
- Ability to conduct inspections and investigations of materials used for transportation construction and maintenance.
- Ability to conduct physical inspections of work done by others.
- Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports of tests, inspections, and analyses containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Ability to learn how 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, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform 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 if they can perform the 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.
An Engineer-In-Training (EIT) certification issued by the Division of Consumer Affairs, New Jersey Office of the Attorney General may be substituted for the above education requirement. Applicants must submit proof of the EIT certification and the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam results.
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.