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Posted: March 27, 2026 (1 day ago)

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Design Technician

State of Iowa

645 Iowa Department of Transportation

Fresh

Location

Salary

$25.38 - $38.56

per hour

Closes

April 7, 2026

Job Description

Summary

This job involves using computer software to create plans for acquiring land needed for highway projects, including researching property ownership and preparing documents for buying or appraising parcels.

A good fit would be someone detail-oriented with experience in drafting or surveying who enjoys working on technical tasks in a supportive team environment with flexible hours.

It's ideal for those interested in transportation infrastructure and willing to handle some research and travel.

Key Requirements

  • Proficiency in Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) software, especially MicroStation
  • Ability to interpret legal descriptions, title abstracts, and property ownership records
  • Experience reviewing construction plans to develop right-of-way layouts
  • Skills in preparing documentation for property appraisals and acquisitions
  • Familiarity with researching liens, encumbrances, and ownership via county records
  • Capability to draft plot plans, strip maps, and exhibits with area calculations
  • General supervision for simple to moderately complex projects; some travel required

Full Job Description

Are you a motivated person interested in a career with great benefits, flexible work hours, and a family-friendly attitude? If so, then this is a position for you.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is looking for a Design Technician within the ROW-Design section in the Right-of-Way Bureau.

You will be utilizing Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) programs.

This position will lay out and generate the right-of-way plans and exhibits to establish the required right-of-way for highway construction projects.

The Design Technician is expected to be able to develop plans for simple to moderately complex projects under general supervision.

Typical work responsibilities: Developing proposed right-of-way limits; preparing documentation used in the appraisal and acquisition of property; ordering the report of ownership and liens from county abstractors; performing additional ownership research from various county assessors' websites; determining what property rights need to be acquired.

Essential Functions:

  • Conduct title abstract review and interpret complex legal descriptions to identify property ownership.
  • Review title documents to determine the impact of possible encumbrances.
  • Interprets construction plans to determine construction needs and develop right-of-way layout plans using computer-aided design software.
  • Prepare the final right-of-way design plans and documents in accordance with project-specific demands.
  • Draft individual plot plans with area calculation used for parcel appraisals and acquisitions.
  • Develop strip maps for the general management of required right-of-way ownership.
Reference materials used: Typical reference materials include, but are not limited to: land survey information, county assessor ownership records, report of liens by county abstractors, construction plans, and cross-sections.

Software and other systems: MicroStation, ProjectWise, Excel, and Masterworks.

Typical Work Hours: Monday through Friday; 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (40 hours per week)
Flexible work locations and hours available upon supervisor approval; some travel will be required

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Mission is Making Lives Better Through Transportation.

To accomplish our Mission, the person selected for this position will demonstrate actions and behaviors guided by the Iowa Department of Transportation’s five CORE values: Safety First, People Matter, Customer Focused, Servant Leadership, and Integrity Without Exception.

As a State of Iowa employee, you will be eligible for the following benefits:

  • Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance
  • Insurance benefits start the first month following 30 days of employment, and costs can be reviewed here.
  • Opportunities for professional growth and development.
  • Paid time off effective immediately - biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year.
  • Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match
  • Optional 401A plan with employer contributions.
  • Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling; legal, financial).

We encourage you to learn more about the State of Iowa Employee benefits and costs at the State of Iowa Employee Benefits Website!

You have the freedom to flourish in Iowa – Apply now!

The Iowa Department of Transportation is an equal-opportunity employer.

If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing any screening, interviewing, pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please direct your request to the Affirmative Action & Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) Officer at: aa-eeo@iowadot.us.

Reasonable accommodation, such as an interpreter, translator, written materials, modified equipment/devices, ADA access, etc. This does not include scheduling needs.

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States.

The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization.

For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit

Qualifications

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1) Graduation from high school (or GED equivalent), and experience equal to six years of full-time work in design drafting, cartography, photogrammetry, engineering survey, soils survey, land survey, or construction inspection.

2) All of the following (a and b):

a. Four years of full-time work experience in design drafting, cartography, photogrammetry, engineering survey, soils survey, land survey, or construction inspection; and
b. A total of two years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience.

3) All of the following (a and b):

a. Four years of full-time work experience in design drafting, cartography, photogrammetry, engineering survey, soils survey, land survey, or construction inspection; and
b. A total of two years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one), where thirty semester hours of an accredited vocational program in engineering technology, design drafting, engineering survey, soils survey, land survey, construction inspection, or cartography equals two years of full-time experience.

4) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work as a Design Technician Associate.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

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Posted on NEOGOV: 3/27/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 3/28/2026

Source: NEOGOV | ID: neogov-iowa-5287747