HIGHWAY PROJECT MANAGER, RPE

Posting number: 2026-01420

Department: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Job classification: HIGHWAY PROJECT MANAGER, RPE

Posting type: Open Competitive

Categories: Engineering

Summary

Positions available in Carson City and Las Vegas within the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Project Management Division. Under administrative direction, incumbent manages and delivers major, complex, and regionally significant highway projects using traditional (Design-Bid-Build) and innovative (Design-Build, Design-Build-Finance, Construction Manager at Risk) project delivery methods; performs professional engineering work in coordinating, planning, directing, and managing activities as a Highway Project Manager for NDOT. This includes responsibility for the scope, budget, quality, and timely completion of multi-year transportation projects; oversees activities between consultants and contractors; coordinates activities between various functional divisions within NDOT, other State and federal agencies, and local transportation officials; resolves extensive planning, environmental, right-of-way, design, construction, and maintenance issues associated with the highway projects as well as intensive coordination and communication with federal officials to ensure appropriate use of federal funds.

Under administrative direction, Highway Project Managers perform professional engineering work in coordinating, planning, directing and managing activities as a highway project engineer for the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). Work is distinguished from lower level highway construction project managers by the level of complexity of the projects assigned. Examples of projects managed at this level include the Project NEON, the Tropicana Interchange, and the Reno Spaghetti Bowl projects. This includes responsibility for the scope, budget, and timely completion of multi-year projects.

Examples of duties

Current licensure as a Registered Professional Engineer and demonstrated supervisory or responsible project charge experience in designing, constructing or coordinating major highway or transportation projects.

Qualifications

Engineering functions at this level require analysis involving the application of advanced principles and abstract concepts in the development of unique solutions to difficult problems that impact the administration and management of major, broad organizational services and long and short-range goals.  Duties require decisions that have direct and significant impact on project progress and resources. 

Communication with executives, officials and regulatory representatives is also required for the purpose of negotiating solutions to major issues involving the influence of policy and procedure changes. Work is performed independently within the framework of department policies and all applicable laws, regulations and statutory requirements; project management includes determining work priorities, standards, techniques and guidelines; when standards and techniques are not adequate or applicable, judgment and ingenuity must be exercised. 

Incumbents coordinate activities between consultants, contractors, various functional divisions within NDOT, other State and federal agencies, and local transportation officials, and resolve extensive environmental, right-of-way, hydraulic, safety, and construction materials issues associated with the largest highway projects as well as intensive coordination and communication with federal officials to ensure appropriate use of federal funds.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES: Prepare the project scope of work and approve changes when necessary including the project description and all design requirements; meet with federal and local officials and participate in public hearings to ensure the project scope meets all necessary requirements; ensure the project is properly programmed into the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP); continually identify major right-of-way and design options and bring them to senior management for timely decisions; prepare and submit necessary design exceptions to the Federal Highway Administration. 

Consult with various NDOT divisions to develop a realistic project schedule; consider schedules for each aspect of the project including initial studies, environmental studies, and right-of-way acquisition; ensure the project schedule is maintained and problems are resolved expeditiously; conduct periodic meetings involving various participants to review project status and identify issues to avoid project delays, and alert senior management to issues which may cause unanticipated delays; consider the availability of agency construction inspectors and need for consultant inspection. 

Develop and periodically review t