PRINCIPAL DRAFTING TECHNICIAN (State)
In New Jersey, Principal Drafting Technician is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
Qualifying takes a high school diploma and 3 years of relevant experience. The FY 2027 range lands between $53,282 and $77,371, and state payroll lists a single employee in the title, at Motor Vehicle Commission.
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
Principal Drafting Technician appears on the State payroll at one department, Motor Vehicle Commission.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Commission | 1 |
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 $76,768. The agencies employing the most are:
- Motor Vehicle Commission (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 an Engineer or other supevisor in a state department or agency, supervises the activities of a small drafting unit and personally performs the more difficult and complex 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, assigns and instructs Drafting Technicians in the performance of their work.
- 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 disciplinning of employees.
- Takes the lead in the preparation of drawings, plans, maps, alignments, tracing, charts and graphs of varying complexity.
- Supervises and when needed makes the field trips necessary to obtain needed data.
- Supervises and performs the more complex mathematical computations and checks those made by the drafting staff.
- Reviews drawings submitted by outside architects and/or engineers.
- Assists in the preparation of work plans and the formulation of operating procedures to implement and facilitate the work of the program or unit.
- Reviews shop drawings submitted by contractors.
- Prepares estimates of time and special materials for all work requests.
- Supervises the lettering of maps, charts, diagrams and other visual presentations of data.
- Supervises the making of paper tracings of maps in reduced scale, the assembling of certified copies of contracts, charts, maps and other materials, the plotting of field data, and the making of the required mathematical computations and calculations.
- Supervises the requisitioning, storing, issuing, recording and proper use and maintenance of unit drafting equipment, materials, tools and supplies.
- Informs supervisor of all outstanding and anticipated work details and jointly establishes work priorities.
- Prepares factual reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
- Supervises the establishment and maintenance of essential records and files.
- May be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by this agency, office or related units.
Education
Completion of technical high school or vocational courses in mechanical drawing, trigonometry and geometry.
Experience
Three (3) years of experience in drafting work, such as the preparation of drawings, tracings and maps.
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 problems and techniques involved in the plotting and tracing of maps and diagrams and other drawings and in indicating thereon varied types of data.
- Knowledge of the accurate presentation of data in visual form including charts, maps, graphs, sketches, drawings and plans.
- Knowledge of the methods, procedures, techniques, tools, equipment and materials used in the preparation, reducing and enlarging of maps and other drawings and the pantographing of paper tracings.
- Knowledge of the proper use, adjustment, care and maintenance of drafting equipment, tools, materials and supplies.
- Ability to organize assigned supervisory drafting and other related work and develop effective work methods.
- Ability to understand, remember and carry out oral and written directions.
- Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of accurate, neat and complete maps, drawings, diagrams, charts and plans.
- Ability to plot alignments from construction plans and to show needed information accurately in visual form.
- Ability to prepare pantographs and paper tracings from aerial photographs, to finish plans prepared by designers, and to ink titles on maps, plans and other drawings.
- Ability to letter quickly and neatly both free hand and with lettering templates.
- Ability to assign and instruct Drafting Technicians and Senior Drafting Technicians, and supervise the performance of their work.
- Ability to requisition, store, safeguard, record and supervise the proper use of drafting equipment, materials, tools and supplies.
- Ability to prepare factual reports.
- Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of 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 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.
- CODES: R16- DDC 03/29/94 R18-