PRINCIPAL DRAFTING TECHNICIAN (ELECTRICAL DESIGN)
Career Family: PRINCIPAL DRAFTING TECHNICIAN
Principal Drafting Technician (electrical Design) is a state title in New Jersey's competitive civil service, which means the way in is an open exam rather than a direct appointment.
Pay on the FY2026 schedule runs $56,253 to $81,897.
How to get hired
- Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Principal Drafting Technician (electrical Design) on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
- Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
- Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
- When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.
Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.
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.
Definition
Under the direction of the Head Drafting Technician (Electrical Design), Bureau of Electrical Operations, Department of Transportation, may supervise a small group of Senior Drafting Technicians (Electrical Design) in making detailed drawings and final reproducible tracings of electrical facilities from designer's notes, sketches, and verbal instructions and in making and checking mathematical computations; or performs the highly complex and technically difficult drafting assignments; does related work as required.
Examples of work
Organizes assigned supervisory drafting work, analyzes drafting assignments and problems and develops effective work methods. Supervises or may take the lead in the drawings of various electrical installations to be constructed either by State forces or by contract, from designing engineers notes layouts and sketches. Plots and interprets data from field surveys and other special surveys, including the plotting of isolux charts of highway lighting luminaries from data obtained in the field. Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for employee evaluations and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees. Supervises the preparation of asbuilt tracings from field notes received from electrical inspectors and consultant engineering firms of electrical facilities completed by N.J.D.O.T., Bureau of Maintenance and Construction and by private consultants and contractors, in a concise and accurate form so that they may be used as legal documents in court proceedings. Supervises and conducts topographical field surveys of various job sites and electrical facilities including roadway and traffic signal intersections, moveable bridges, highway lighting areas, roadway rest areas and traffic signal computer control center buildings to obtain needed data. Assists engineering staff and records data on traffic signal and highway lighting tests and surveys. Supervises and takes the lead in the preparation of detail drawings of traffic signals, hardware and lighting facilities from verbal instructions and sketches. Supervises a group of Drafting Technicians in the drawing of plan sheets of various scales and complexity in connection with the installation of all electrical facilities from designing engineers notes, layouts, sketches and verbal instructions. Assists the Head Drafting Technician in the preparation of quarterly and annual reports required by the division staff and other D.O.T. units and personnel. In the absence of the Head Drafting Technician, takes charge and performs all duties of the Head Drafting Technician. May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units. REQUIREMENTS: Education Completion of technical high school or vocational courses in mechanical drawing, trigonometry and geometry. Experience Three years of experience in drafting work, such as the preparation of drawings, tracings and maps, two years of which shall have been in electrical drafting work. 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. Knowledges and Abilities Wide knowledge of preparing scale drawings of electrical facilities and schematic wiring diagrams from the electrical designer's notes and design sketches. Wide knowledge of the methods and techniques used in making pencil and ink tracings and in correcting tracings after errors have been located during the checking procedure. Basic knowledge of computer aided drafting for the purpose of completing routine drafting assignments. Wide knowledge of the methods used in preparing estimate of quantities of contract wiring, foundations, junction boxes, lighting units, and traffic signal materials used in the construction of electrical facilities. Ability to organize assigned supervisory drafting and other related work including field surveys, analyze problems arising therein and develop effective work methods. Ability to prepare complex as-built tracings. Ability to interpret field notes. Ability to check shop drawings. Ability to make detailed drawing and pencil and ink tracings and to correct errors. Ability to assist engineers in conducting field investigations and lighting tests. Ability to prepare charts and plot graphs including isolux charts of lighting units. Ability to prepare estimate of bid quantities. Ability to prepare factual reports. 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 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. Code: R18- jmr 7-28-87 This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range
Note
SC4017N/AR18-SC3517N/AR16- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. MCK 02/01/2006