District Estimating Engineer

CIVIL ENGINEER IV – DISTRICT ESTIMATING ENGINEER - IPR#47348 Agency : Department of Transportation 
Closing Date/Time: 06/06/2024 
Salary:  $6,098 - $9,507 MONTHLY
Anticipated Salary Range: $6,098 - $7,598 MONTHLY
Job Type: Salaried 
County:  Madison
Number of Vacancies: 1
Plan/BU:  NR916 TEAMSTERS 
This position is a union position; therefore, provisions of the relevant collective bargaining agreement/labor contract apply to the filling of this position. All applicants who want to be considered for this position MUST apply electronically through the illinois.jobs2web.com website. State of Illinois employees should click the link near the top left to apply through the SuccessFactors employee career portal. Applications submitted via email or any paper manner (mail, fax, hand delivery) will not be considered. Agency Mission Statement The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking to hire a District Estimating Engineer.
The IDOT team works diligently to provide safe, cost-effective transportation for Illinois in ways that enhance quality of life, promote economic prosperity and protect our environment. We are problem solvers and leaders, constantly searching for innovations and improvements in support of our commitment to providing the best multimodal transportation system for Illinois.
Our team fosters a culture of inclusivity. We value diversity and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards as we work together for a common purpose. Team members frequently collaborate with colleagues and others outside the department to best meet customer needs. 
The department offers extensive training and career advancement opportunities.  Employees also receive a robust benefit package including:
Monday-Friday work schedule Flexible work schedules are available in many program areas. Health, Life, Vision, and Dental Insurance Pension Plan (10) Weeks paid Maternity/Paternity Leave Deferred Compensation Program and other pre-tax benefit programs (Medical/Daycare) Employees earn (12) paid Sick Days annually. New Employees earn (10) paid Vacation Days their first year of service and can earn up to (25) paid Vacation Days annually. Employees earn (3) paid Personal Days annually. (13-14) paid holidays annually (based on start date) Tuition Reimbursement Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources We invite qualified applicants to apply to become part of our team. We are confident that you will take pride in serving Illinois and its residents and visitors.
Job Responsibilities This position is accountable for providing preliminary and final cost estimates which are the basis for the Location Studies and Design programs along with the final costs utilized to determine if contractor's bids are reasonable and for providing programming data to determine federal funding.
Number of projects estimated: 160 annually
Value of projects: $500 million - $900 million annually
Preliminary estimates: 300 annually
This position reports to the Programming Engineer. Reporting to this position is the Senior CADD Operator.

This position is accountable for providing cost estimates and programming of all projects within a district that is composed of a highly urbanized area experiencing rapid growth in the residential and commercial sector. Two thirds of the district is comprised of rural areas. The district has a large economically depressed area that may require the breaking down of large projects into small sub-projects in order to make these projects available to minority contractors to bid. The entire country continually faces drastic economic changes affecting costs in the construction industry which requires constant observation in order to evaluate the impact on construction costs within the district. The incumbent should maintain state-of-the-art knowledge in material and labor costs which have been escalating in a rapid and unpredictable manner. The incumbent is utilized as a resource agent to provide preliminary costs on projects having no set plans but a general concept of what the project will entail. Often the incumbent must provide costs on various possible methods used for constructing the same project. To provide actual preliminary costs, the incumbent should have an in-depth knowledge of the construction technique that would be utilized in the project. The incumbent should have knowledge of urban limits and the Federal Program Manual to determine costs for urban, rural, and railroad participation limits. The incumbent should be knowledgeable of all facets of construction, traffic control, land utilization, environmental issues, and all related policy procedures.

The incumbent's greatest challenge is estimating future construction costs at the early stages of design when plans and specifications are not available. The incumbent should be able to visualize proposed work, assume proper methods of construction stages and traffic control, etc. to obtain a reasonable cost that can be used for budgeting, programming, or selecting the best alternate before having a detailed design.
Job Responsibilities Continued The incumbent provides expertise to the Program Analysis Unit in the forms of methodology of construction and related cost factors involved to determine future programs. To properly prepare estimates, the incumbent monitors the economics of the area along with the trends and advancement in construction techniques to arrive at a reasonable cost factor. The incumbent applies these cost factors to completed design plans to arrive at the district proposed cost estimates of the project which is used as the decision criteria on whether to accept or reject bids from the contractors. The incumbent daily provides cost and engineering expertise to squad leaders that utilize this information to determine what the final design will entail. The incumbent performs field checks to determine construction techniques and related cost factors that will be utilized in the design of the project. The incumbent provides liaison to the Bureau of Project Implementation to substantiate cost estimates so that they can justify agreed unit price items required on various construction projects; in the review and approval of agreed unit price items required on various construction projects; and reviews proposed changes of design policies and practices as to their effects on contract plan preparation and cost. The incumbent prepares, assembles, and submits information to the central Bureau of Design and Environment for federal funding of engineering and construction costs of highway projects. The incumbent establishes and conducts Value Engineering Studies on numerous construction projects to determine alternative methods of construction that will either add value to the project or minimize costs while maintaining quality standards. The incumbent serves as chairman for the Value Engineering Group. The incumbent selects and obtains members to participate in Value Engineering; schedules projects and provides guidance and leadership of the committee during their review of the project; ensures that all elements of the project have been considered and in accordance to the established format of the Value Engineering process; reviews the final papers and presentation of the committee and provides a recommendation of the implementation of suggestions to the Regional Engineer or an appointee; and serves as a designated member of the Value Engineering Selection Committee. The incumbent trains, motivates, and evaluates subordinate personnel.
Job Responsibilities Continued Accountabilities are accomplished through the following staff:
Senior CADD Operator who is accountable for drafting and/or supporting of complex highway design plans utilizing sophisticated, state of the art computerized design and drafting equipment for performing the highway design work of a routine nature and for project file management duties.

The incumbent is given wide latitude to exercise discretion in ascertaining and justifying preliminary and final cost estimates. These decisions are based on experience, state-of-the-art knowledge, published labor rates, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and district policies and procedures, and procedures and standards of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The incumbent has daily internal contact with personnel in the central Bureau of Design and Environment, Organization and Management, district Program Implementation, district Local Roads and Streets, and district Studies and Plans. External contacts include area contractors, various area suppliers, engineering consultants, county highway department personnel, city engineers, and FHWA personnel.

Effectiveness is measured by the incumbent's ability to provide on schedule cost estimates with a maximum discrepancy of 5% from those published later by the central Bureau of Design and Environment. Effectiveness is also measured by the incumbent's ability to effectively conduct all Value Engineering Committee reviews to maximize the district construction program dollars while maintaining the proper quality and long-term life of said project. In addition, the incumbent is evaluated according to their ability to interface and direct the committee members of the Value Engineering Selection Committee.
Principal Accountabilities Provides cost estimating expertise to all district bureaus that require a cost foundation to establish programs. Provides final cost estimates on all state and local projects which are used for the decision-making criteria on whether to accept or reject contractor's bids. Provides engineering methodology and cost factors to the Studies and Plans Unit to determine the final design of the various components of a project. Maintains state-of-the-art knowledge of national and local economics and construction trends. Provides reviews and approval of all agreed unit price items in relation to the costs of the items, determines the reasons for these changes and/or additions, and provides feedback information to designers to improve plans preparation and avoid extra cost during construction. Provides all information necessary for obtaining federal funding for projects. Trains, motivates, and evaluates subordinate personnel. Prepares Pre-Letting Cost Estimates and Post Letting Summary for the regional engineer and staff. Performs duties in compliance with departmental safety rules. Performs all duties in a manner conducive to the fair and equitable treatment of all employees. Performs other duties as assigned. Qualifications Position Requirements Current registration as a Licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Illinois Four years of experience in civil engineering Successful completion of a background screening Position Desirables Knowledge of all facets of construction, traffic control, land utilization, and environmental issues In-depth knowledge of construction techniques Familiarity with construction materials and labor costs Work Hours: 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Monday - Friday
Work Location:  1102 Eastport Plaza Dr, Collinsville, Illinois, 62234
Office: Office of Highways Project Implementation/Region 5/District 8/Program Development/Programming
Agency Contact: Posting Group:  Transportation ; Leadership & Management; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS Use the "Apply" button at the top right or bottom right of this posting to begin the application process.
If you are not already signed in, you will be prompted to do so. 
State employees should sign in to the career portal for State of Illinois employees – a link is available at the top left of the  Illinois.jobs2web.com homepage in the blue ribbon. 
Non-State employees should log in on the using the "View Profile" link in the top right of the  Illinois.jobs2web.com homepage in the blue ribbon. If you have never before signed in, you will be prompted to create an account.
If you have questions about how to apply, please see the following resources:
State employees: Log in to the career portal for State employees and review the Internal Candidate Application Job Aid
Non-State employees: on Illinois.jobs2web.com – click "Application Procedures" in the footer of every page of the website.
Seasonal and temporary workers should use a personal e-mail address when applying for jobs. The main form of communication will be through email. Please check your "junk mail", "spam", or "other" folder for communication(s) regarding any submitted application(s). You may receive emails from the following addresses: