Assistant Traffic Operations Engineer

Full Job Description

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is looking for a dedicated engineer to lead our traffic mobility efforts in the Traffic Operations Center control room. In this role, you won’t just react to problems; you will own the daily flow of traffic, making real-time decisions that keep our state moving safely and efficiently.

Your work has a direct impact on the public. By focusing on the big picture, you will:

• Speed up our response to traffic delays and system errors.
• Better connect our traffic operations and signal engineering teams.
• Ensure that our traffic management is proactive and high-quality every single day.

This is a unique dual-reporting role. You will work under the Traffic Operations Engineer for daily leadership and incident management, while also coordinating with the Signal Operations Team to ensure your technical work meets our statewide standards. This ensures you are always in the loop and fully supported.

Key Responsibilities
You will be the eyes and ears of our traffic operations, bridging the gap between high-level engineering and real-time management.

• Provide daily leadership in the traffic control room. You’ll maintain "situational awareness," ensuring we always know exactly what is happening on our roads.
• Take charge during major incidents and severe weather. You’ll coordinate between different teams, share vital information, and make real time system changes, including signal timing to improve mobility.
• Don’t wait for a complaint to fix a problem. You’ll proactively monitor signal timing and system performance to find ways to make the commute smoother.
• When you see a way to improve a signal or a system, you’ll help implement those changes directly, making our network more responsive.
• Work closely with statewide and region signal engineers and others, to ensure each signal is performing as optimal as possible.
• Help coordinate and train operators in system performance
• Bring ideas for traffic improvements to regions

Minimum Qualifications
To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in Utah.
• Must have at least two (2) years of engineering experience following your PE licensure.

This job can be emotionally difficult and you must have the ability to work in an environment that has a high risk impact to the mental and emotional state.

You must be able to stay calm and do your job even when you are seeing or hearing upsetting things. See "Supplemental Information” section for more information.


Supplemental Information
Here is some important information:
• Work Environment
  • Work activities impacting the mental and emotional state : High Risk: Incumbents will frequently be exposed to visual images and descriptions of highway crashes and incidents that may have serious injuries or fatalities present.
  • Working Conditions - Risks found in the typical office setting, which is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated, e.g., safe use of office equipment, avoiding trips and falls, observing fire regulations, etc.
  • Physical Requirements - Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the work; however, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying light items; driving an automobile, etc. Special physical demands are not required to perform the work.
• Note: Employee may be reassigned to a different location as deemed necessary by the Region Director/Group Leader.

Why Should You Join Our Team?

The work we do matters. If you want to make a positive difference doing meaningful work, this is the right place for you.

Our mission statement is, “Enhance quality of life through transportation.” We define quality of life through a framework of Good Health, Connected Communities, Better Mobility, and Strong Economy.

We help the State of Utah and its traveling public to get to where they want, when they want, in the way they want -- and we make sure they can do it safely.




You will become part of a team with an internal culture of Trust, Teamwork, and Flexibility. Our organization lives by the values of Respect, Integrity, and Caring. If these are your values too, you'll be a great fit.




Aside from working for a cause-driven, cutting edge agency that is leading all other transportation departments in the nation, you will receive great health and retirement benefits.

Working for the State of Utah provides a positive work-life balance. Click here to view a summary of the benefits we offer.


The Agency

UDOT is a strengths-based organization, which means its approach is based on identifying and developing individual and organizational strengths.

Our philosophy is to address challenges by bringing our strengths to each situation and create the best solutions.

Candidates are encouraged to be familiar with their strengths and consider how they may potentially be of benefit to the roles for which they are applying.

UDOT uses the Clifton Strengths Assessment, but there are multiple strengths assessment tools available online, and no formal assessment is required.




For more information on the Utah Department of Transportation please click here.