Engineer - III; Highway Construction Project Engineer

*** $2,500 Hiring Incentive!
*** Current Department of Transportation Employees and Those from Other State Agencies Do Not Qualify Former Department of Transportation Employees Must Have a Minimum of 1-Year Break in Employment to be Eligible for the Hiring Incentive

Job

Agency:
Department of Transportation / Division of Operations

Location:

Mitchell

Salary: $32.06 - $44.34 hour, depending on experience

Pay Grade: E1 - E3

Closing Date: 02/05/2026

This is a full-time position with the Department of Transportation. For more information on the Department of Transportation, please visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). .

Ready for a rewarding career that provides exciting and meaningful work? Looking for a place that values innovation and teamwork? In need of schedules and benefits that make it possible to both support and enjoy your family?

The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has a perfect opportunity for you as a Highway Construction Project Engineer!

Our Mitchell Area Office oversees over 900 miles of roads and bridges, including 125 miles of Interstate 90, in east-central South Dakota. We're looking for a Highway Construction Project Engineer who exemplifies our core values and is willing to develop skills in asphalt paving, concrete paving, bridge construction, and more.

You’ll have opportunities to work both independently and in team settings, both in the office and in the field. Our team dynamics are supportive and goal-oriented, and we have mentoring opportunities for new employees to develop skills and abilities on the job. Team members at SDDOT are purpose-driven and know the difference their work makes.

• Growth mindset
• Vision and creativity
• Team-oriented attitude
• Confident, action-oriented personality
• Attention to detail and a passion for organization
• Commitment to fostering high ethical standards

• Health insurance (low and high deductible plans which include a $0 premium employee-only coverage plan)
• Well-being program
• Employee assistance program
• Dental and Vision
• Health savings account
• Free basic life insurance policy
• Membership in the South Dakota Retirement System with partial state match
• Paid leave (15 vacation days per year)
liSick leave (14 days per year)
• Paid family leave (12 weeks for birth and adoption of child, equivalent to 40 hours per week)
• Military leave (15 days per year)
• 11 paid holidays
• Longevity pay
• Semimonthly pay periods
• Eligibility for meal per diems

All position responsibilities are tightly related to the SDDOT mission to efficiently provide a safe and effective public transportation system These duties include:

• perform contract administration, reports, estimates, construction change orders;
• perform project design work and plans;
• inspect, test, and sample materials (Portland cement concrete, asphalt, gravel and soil);
• inspect roadways, concrete and asphalt paving, and structures (bridges, box culverts, pipe culverts, and installations);
• perform field surveys;
• inspect temporary traffic controls through and around work zones;
• regular 40-hour work weeks, mid-November through March;
• some extended work hours and weekends, April through mid-November.

Work assignments are frequently performed outside in all weather conditions and around highway traffic.

• civil engineering highway and bridge construction theories, principles, and design practices;
• basic practices and terminology of computer operations and computer aided design and drafting practices (preferred but not required);
• construction materials (preferred but not required);
• manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (preferred but not required);
• Department of Transportation policies and procedures (preferred but not required);
• Experience with various types of engineering survey equipment (preferred but not required).

• communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing;
• operate computers, use Microsoft software, and other related software;
• operate survey equipment and perform the necessary calculations.

• work cooperatively in a team atmosphere;
• create an environment that fosters high ethical standards;
• manage…