Transportation Engineers (Multiple Positions)

Job Description:

Transportation Engineers (Multiple Positions)

Description

Description

Do you have great attention to detail?

Are you a skilled communicator, collaborator and problem solver?

Are you creative, persistent and passionate about safe and sustainable streets?

Are you wonkish on complete streets guidance and transportation engineering?

The City of Palo Alto invites talented, forward-thinking engineers with strong skills in transportation engineering to support the Office of Transportation as Project Engineer and Associate Engineer. In this role, you will serve the public and make a measurable impact through projects that improve safety, mobility, and sustainability for all who live, work, and travel in Palo Alto. From signal optimization to grade separations and Safe Routes to School design, your work will keep the community connected and thriving.

Why Palo Alto Office of Transportation?

The City of Palo Alto is a progressive, cutting-edge city that innovates in all areas of civic service and technology. Transportation is part of the secret sauce that makes Palo Alto such a vibrant, beautiful and accessible place to live, work and visit. The City is known nation-wide as a leader in the areas of bike boulevards and safe routes to school. The Office of Transportation supports cutting edge work to create a city where a majority of students safely walk and roll to school, seniors stay active and engaged, visitors linger in vibrant Downtown and neighborhood districts, neighbors enjoy tree-lined streets, and commuters have multiple options in how to reach their destinations safely and efficiently including access to a Caltrain baby bullet station.

As a full-service city, we manage our own utilities, parks, libraries, and transportation network-offering a unique opportunity for engineers to see their work directly improve the community. Our Transportation Engineering team designs and implements solutions to reduce collisions and enhance mobility for all users. Efforts includes:

• Advancing major capital projects including multiple rail grade separations;
• Designing and supporting the construction of complete streets projects;
• Maintaining and upgrading Citywide traffic signal operations and coordination;
• Implementing neighborhood traffic calming and school access safety improvement;
• Developing signage, striping and curb management work orders;
• Reviewing traffic control plans for City projects and private developments; and
• Responding to community requests and inquiries on transportation infrastructure.

Benefits:

The City offers a fantastic benefits package including:

• Schedule: Option of a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off
• Hybrid work: Ability to work remotely and onsite (current policy allows for 2 days/week remote and 3 days/week on-site)
• Professional development: Tuition reimbursement, leadership training, and career growth opportunities
• Education benefits: Potential enrollment for dependents in the Palo Alto Unified School District (pilot program, subject to change)
• Childcare support: $10,000 in childcare subsidies (pilot program, subject to change)
• Commute benefits: Free all-agency BayPass (MTC pilot, subject to change) and incentives for walking, biking and taking transit to work
• Defined-Benefit Retirement Plan: with competitive pension benefits

To learn more about benefits click HERE.

The Opportunities

Project Engineer

Salary Range: $160,451 - $196,560 annually

As a Project Engineer, you will lead high-profile transportation projects that advance the City’s Grade Separation and Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP) initiatives. You will oversee design, consultant coordination, and project delivery for major infrastructure efforts that align with Palo Alto’s Safety Action Plan and sustainability goals.

Key Tasks:

• Lead design and implementation of Grade Separation and Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan / Safety Action Plan projects;
• Review traffic calming analyses and designs particularly for Safe Routes to School;
• Prepare grant applications from Federal, State and regional sources, and manage grant administration for grant-funded capital projects;
• Supervise and participate in investigating traffic-related citizen service requests;
• Prepare reports, memos and correspondence on transportation issues;
• Manage consultant contracts for transportation capital projects and analyses;
• Participate in team training and process improvement initiatives; and
• Performs field review of construction work requiring traffic engineering knowledge.

Essential Skills:

• Professional Engineer (PE) license in California (or ability to obtain within a year);
• Complete Streets design experience and expertise; and
• Strong project management experience including consultant oversight and capital project delivery.

Helpful Skills:

• Signal operations and traffic control systems knowledge;
• Familiarity with federally funded projects and E-76 processes; and/or
• Traffic Engineer (TE) certification.

Full job description available here.


Associate Engineer

Salary Range: $132,683 - $162,489 annually

As an Associate Engineer, you will play a key role in maintaining and improving the City’s traffic signal network and operations. You will lead signal capital projects, optimize timing for safety and flow, and collaborate across departments to enhance daily travel for residents, commuters, and visitors.

Key Tasks:

• Lead capital improvement projects focused on safety, complete streets implementation and efficiency at signalized intersections;
• Manage traffic signal operations including conducting signal timing evaluations, upgrades, and optimization;
• Advance upgrades to the City’s centralized traffic operations center;
• Provide technical input on development reviews;
• Performs field review of construction work requiring traffic engineering knowledge.
• Review and respond to citizen inquiries on traffic engineering requests (311s); and
• Participate in team training and process improvement initiatives.

Essential Skills:

• Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification; and
• Traffic signal operations and timing expertise.

Helpful Skills:

• Professional Engineer (PE) license;
• Knowledge of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and signal communication technologies; and
• Familiarity with Complete Streets principles and/or asset management tools.

Full job description available here.

Supplemental Information

The Selection Process:

• Applicants will receive recruitment status notifications via email. Governmentjobs.com account also has notification status updates.
  
• Applicants will be screened throughout the posting process and highly qualified candidates may be invited to interview at any time after the posting closes.
  
• The screening process for this position typically may include a virtual recorded interview and/or panel interviews preceding final interviews with the hiring manager or their designee.
  
  

Our online application system is provided by NeoGov . If you have problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday.

This position is represented by Service Employee International Union (SEIU).

Compensation (SEIU) : Comprehensive compensation plan, to learn more click HERE.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

See our Benefits at a Glance Bookletfor more details.
Learn more about our Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) between the City and its bargaining units, by clicking HERE.

Closing Date/Time: 12/3/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$160,451.20 - $196,560.00 Annually