Digital Systems Port Engineer - Washington State Ferries

About WSDOT

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. Our dedicated workforce plans, designs, builds, and operates an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 20,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT leads an award‑winning Active Transportation Plan, manages the world's longest floating bridge, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation!

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is an essential part of Washington's transportation network. Every year, we carry nearly 20 million passengers across Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands on more than 400 sailings a day. Our dedicated teams with over 2,100 people work together to serve our communities and shape the future of ferry travel.

WSF, a division of WSDOT, is currently seeking a skilled and motivated professional to help support safe, reliable, and efficient ferry operations across the Washington State Ferries system. This position plays a critical role in maintaining and supporting vessel propulsion control, power management, steering, HVAC, alarm & monitoring, and related onboard systems that are essential to daily operations and public service.

The successful candidate will make both tactical and strategic decisions that directly impact vessel performance, operational reliability, and passenger safety. By fostering a safe work environment and reinforcing WSF’s core values of Serve, Grow, Trust, Respect, and Navigate, this role supports agency goals and helps deliver dependable transportation services to the communities we serve.

As we navigate a once-in-a-generation transformation to decarbonize our system — guided by our core values Serve, Respect, Trust, Grow Navigate— and bold strategic priorities Service Excellence, Improved Communication and Empowered People — there’s never been a more meaningful time to come aboard at Washington State Ferries.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, you/the [Working Title] will:

• Develop and manage preventative maintenance plans and digital system infrastructure for vessel propulsion controls and related systems across the WSF fleet.
• Establish and monitor fleetwide digital system performance, reliability, and configuration standards.
• Maintain digital system software, programming tools, licenses, and revision histories for all fleet systems.
• Review and approve maintenance strategies, system modifications, and obsolescence planning efforts.
• Coordinate inventory, acquisition, and lifecycle support for digital systems with Warehouse, Maintenance, and Engineering teams.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for propulsion control and digital system casualties, troubleshooting and coordinating repairs to restore vessel service.
• Document casualty responses and maintain vendor and field service relationships for critical control systems.
• Support vessel modifications and new construction by reviewing specifications, inspections, vendor work, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Uphold WSF’s strategic priorities (Service Excellence, Improved Communication, and Empowered People) and values (Serve, Grow, Trust, Respect, and Navigate), ensuring they are embedded in WSF’s culture through leadership actions

To be considered for this opportunity, the following are required:

• Propulsion and Power Management Controls
  • Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair AC and DC propulsion systems including alternators, drive motors, and power management control systems. Proven ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair propulsion control and power management systems in an industrial, maritime, or equivalent complex technical environment. Ability to diagnose and resolve system failures under time‑critical conditions.
• Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Programming and Control Systems
  • Demonstrated ability to program, configure, and troubleshoot Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) in control applications, including Allen Bradley, GE, and Siemens platforms. Knowledge of control theory…