Deputy Transportation and Engineering Director
Apply NowCompany: City of Tumwater, WA
Location: Tumwater, WA 98511
Description:
Salary : $125,316.00 - $167,940.00 Annually
Location : Tumwater, WA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2025-21
Department: Transportation and Engineering
Opening Date: 04/10/2025
Closing Date: Continuous
General Statement of Duties/Supervision
Tumwater is a vibrant community, rich in history, community, and opportunity.
Nestled into the base of Puget Sound, Tumwater is the southern gateway to the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area. It's just a little over an hour from the Pacific Ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier with beautiful landscapes of prairie, river, estuary, and lush green trees. With its central location, Tumwater is a picturesque Northwest community with convenient access to arts, cultural and outdoor recreation.
Our vision is to create a future that is highly livable with diverse and engaged residents, a strong economy, and a healthy natural environment. Safe neighborhoods, quality schools, and a sense of community pride make Tumwater a great place to live, work, and play.
The Opportunity
The City is seeking a dynamic and experienced transportation professional to serve as the Assistant Director of Transportation and Engineering. This leadership role is responsible for the strategic planning, operation, and maintenance of the City's multi-modal transportation system, ensuring safe and efficient mobility for all users.
As a key member of the Transportation and Engineering Department, you will oversee the City's transportation infrastructure programs while leading a team of skilled professionals. Your expertise will shape policies, enhance service delivery, and optimize operational efficiencies. Additionally, you will play a critical role in budgeting, community engagement, grant acquisition, and representing the City in intergovernmental transportation matters.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary leader with a strong background in transportation planning and engineering. If you are ready to make a lasting impact on the City's transportation network, we encourage you to apply.
Application Requirements: A resume and cover letter must be submitted for consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Essential Job Duties
Manages technical and administrative aspects of municipal multi-modal transportation infrastructure programs, including development, maintenance, and repair projects such as streets, trails, sidewalks, and coordinated public facilities and utilities. Recommends changes in work methods, policies, and procedures to improve levels of service delivery and improve overall operating efficiencies. Manages Transportation Division staff and directly or indirectly, sets the scope of work, schedules work, assigns work, monitors budgets and results, evaluates performance, disciplines, trains and recommends personnel actions such as promotions, transfers, pay, discipline, and reclassification. Assures that the Division regularly performs at high levels that meet the City's standards for technical skills, interpersonal behaviors, and customer contacts. Assists Department's management team with the development of goals, priorities, and work program for the Division. Monitors daily operations; anticipates and troubleshoots problems as needed, assures timely and appropriate responses to citizen inquiries and service requests. Assists with the preparation of the Transportation and Engineering Department budget. As determined by the Transportation & Engineering Director, represents the division and/or the City before the City Council and its committees, commissions, boards, public meetings, inter-jurisdictional bodies, and inter-local transportation committees and studies. Responds to citizen inquiries regarding transportation and roadway issues such as speeding, safety, signs, traffic volumes, signals, illumination, roadway geometry, crosswalks, bike lanes, parking and use of right-of-way. Manages cross-functional traffic team and implements neighborhood traffic calming improvement program. Develop and implement Americans with Disability Act (ADA) transition plans. Reviews and comments on traffic studies and private development proposals. Manages the City's transportation impact fee and concurrency programs. Manages programs and databases for traffic volumes and collision histories. Manages the City's Pavement Management System including budget, program development, and implementation and reporting. Provides support as the lead staff to the Transportation Benefit District. Applies professional expertise and judgement in the application of traffic control devices including signs, lane markings, and signal timing. Responsible for the development and programming of the Transportation element of the City's Capital Facilities Plan as well as the Six Year Transportation Improvement Program. Assists the Engineering Services Division in specialized transportation elements in the design and operation of transportation capital improvements. Seeks out and prepares applications for grants and other funding opportunities for planned transportation projects. Serves as Acting Director when the Director is out of office focusing on planning, organizing, and directing all activities of the City's Transportation and Engineering Department. Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The knowledge, skills and abilities listed below are representative of those required. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
The position requires professional specialization in traffic engineering principles as applicable to a municipal setting. Knowledge of principles and practices of project management and contract administration. Knowledge of the modern methods and techniques used in the design, construction, and inspection of public works projects. Knowledge of grant preparation and administration. Knowledge of state and federal regulations governing public works projects. Knowledge of transportation modeling methods and techniques; familiarity with pavement management theory and application. Knowledge of organizational, fiscal, supervision and personnel management in the public sector. Technical and creative writing skills sufficient to prepare project specifications, requests-for-proposals, project reports, transportation related documents and plans, grant applications, community information and other communications suitable for external distribution. Ability to mediate conflicts, sort out issues, and manage change in relation to overall department and City goals. Ability to perform all the responsibilities and duties of the position including: communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. The ability to interpret, apply, and communicate complex rules, regulations, laws and ordinances. The ability to prepare, review, approve, interpret, inspect, and manage construction of engineering plans and specifications. Ability to use AutoCAD, GIS, and related technology to conduct mathematical computations and design Ability to organize and sequence work associated with the review of complex projects, converting them into approved action plans. Ability to absorb and analyze complex technical information, draw logical conclusions, and make decisions of significant scope with awareness of technical, legal, and financial consequences. Ability to work as a contributing member of a team, work productively and cooperatively with other teams and external customers, and convey a positive image of the City. Ability to communicate technical information effectively and respectfully to non-technical audiences, both orally and in writing. Maintain the physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, with or without accommodation. Ability to see the "big picture" for department activities. Strong interest, capability, and experience with speaking with elected officials and the general public.
Selection Criteria
Minimum Qualifications: Completion of accredited college course work resulting in a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering or closely related field, and five (5) years of professional experience, education and training in the management of complex projects, programs and activities related to transportation. Or a combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Preferred Qualifications: At least five (5) years of supervisory experience is preferred. Experience leading teams with a mix of professional engineering, private development, technical, labor/trades, and clerical staff is desired.
Training/Licenses/Certifications:
Registered as a Professional Engineer in the State of Washington. Possession of a valid Washington State Driver's License and a driving record acceptable to the City's insurance carrier may be required to successfully carry out the responsibilities of the position.
Other information (if any) specific to this position
Contacts: Other city staff and supervisors, the public, advisory/citizen groups, City Council, elected officials, contractors, vendors/manufacturers, and the media. The incumbent will have daily contact with assigned staff for the purpose of supervision, direction, work coordination, and information sharing/gathering.
Supervision: The Assistant Director/Transportation Manager operates under general guidance of the Transportation and Engineering Director in daily management activities of the division. Supervision of transportation engineering staff, administrative support staff, and operations and maintenance employees is required. Incumbents are expected to use independent judgement in completion of assignments.
Accountability: The Assistant Director/Transportation Manager is accountable for the successful completion of the assigned projects and tasks as well as the operational quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of the work of all assigned staff. They support other departments in design and construction of public facilities and infrastructure.
Working Conditions: Positions in this class perform work predominately in an office setting at City Hall, with opportunities for teleworking. Mobility is required for attendance at various meetings and touring public project work sites under various stages of construction. Reliable, punctual attendance is required. Extended work hours may be required to meet project and other division capacity constraints. Some work in evenings to attending meetings is required. The incumbent is subject to the stress of accommodating competing demands throughout the City.
Physical Requirements: Work is often performed in an office setting.
Specific physical requirements and typical working conditions for this position are on file in the Administrative Services Department.
The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.
The following is an overview of the benefits available to the regular-status, non-represented employees of the City of Tumwater (benefits for part-time employees will be pro-rated):
Vacation: Regular full-time City employees earn 96 hours of paid annual leave during their first year of employment. This rate is increased to a maximum of 184 hours per year, depending upon length of service.
Sick Leave: Sick leave is accrued by regular full-time City employees at the rate of 8 hours per month. Sick leave may be used only to ensure an employee's health, and for absences caused by death or illness of a member of the employee's immediate family.
Holidays: Most City employees receive 12 paid holidays (at 8 hours each) annually, one of which is a floating holiday.
Retirement:Eligible City employees are mandatory members of the State of Washington Public Employees Retirement System (PERS\LEOFF). Both the City and the employee contribute to the system. The state retirement system provides retirement benefits and also benefits for people who are disabled. Employees leaving City service prior to retirement may withdraw their total contribution with interest.
Deferred Compensation and Roth IRA programs offered through Mission Square: Employees may directly reduce their taxable income and defer this taxation until retirement or withdrawal of funds by participating in a deferred compensation plan. Deferred compensation allows an employee to defer up to $23,500 of their gross annual salary (more if over age 50). The employee chooses how to invest their deferred salary.
Employees may put up to $7,000 (more if over age 50) in a Roth IRA (after-tax program).
The City also offers a 401(a) plan and will match employee contributions up to 5%.
Insurance Plans: Each full-time City employee will receive a contribution of $2,227.00 per month toward the purchase of medical, vision and dental insurance. (Amount is pro-rated for part-time employees.) This monthly amount pays approximately 85% of the costs of a family of four. Full family medical, dental and vision coverage requires an employee contribution toward the cost of premiums. Employee's whose insurance needs are less than the monthly $2,227.00 contribution can purchase get 60% of the left over contribution money as cash on their paycheck. Employees are required to have City medical insurance. The City also offers medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, subject to eligibility requirements.
Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA): The City contributes a flat dollar amount per full-time employee to an HRA VEBA program for current and future health care out of pocket expenses. This monthly amount per full-time employee is $225.00.
Group Life Insurance: The City will purchase for each employee $50,000 worth of group term life insurance.*
Liberty Mutual Insurance: City employees are eligible for discounted auto and home insurance.
EMPLOYMENT
Hours of Work: The normal work week is forty (40) hours, Monday through Friday. Customized work schedules may be available at the discretion of the position supervisor. Some positions require weekend, evening, shift or holiday work or overtime.
Career Opportunities: The City encourages career development for its employees and frequently seeks to promote qualified employees from within the City service.
For further information about the position announced on this bulletin, please contact humanresources@ci.tumwater.wa.us.
The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.
The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.
01
Describe a transportation or infrastructure project you have led that involved multiple stakeholders (e.g., elected officials, staff, the public, or regional partners). What was your role, how did you navigate competing interests, and what was the outcome?
02
In this leadership position, you'll play a critical role in setting priorities and allocating limited resources. Describe your approach to developing and managing a transportation capital improvement plan. How do you balance technical needs, public input, and long-term community goals?
03
Securing grant funding is a vital component of advancing transportation projects in a city like Tumwater. Please describe your experience identifying, applying for, and managing transportation-related grants. What strategies have you used to align projects with funding opportunities, and how have you ensured compliance and successful implementation?
Required Question
Location : Tumwater, WA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 2025-21
Department: Transportation and Engineering
Opening Date: 04/10/2025
Closing Date: Continuous
General Statement of Duties/Supervision
Tumwater is a vibrant community, rich in history, community, and opportunity.
Nestled into the base of Puget Sound, Tumwater is the southern gateway to the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area. It's just a little over an hour from the Pacific Ocean beaches, the Olympic Peninsula, and Mount Rainier with beautiful landscapes of prairie, river, estuary, and lush green trees. With its central location, Tumwater is a picturesque Northwest community with convenient access to arts, cultural and outdoor recreation.
Our vision is to create a future that is highly livable with diverse and engaged residents, a strong economy, and a healthy natural environment. Safe neighborhoods, quality schools, and a sense of community pride make Tumwater a great place to live, work, and play.
The Opportunity
The City is seeking a dynamic and experienced transportation professional to serve as the Assistant Director of Transportation and Engineering. This leadership role is responsible for the strategic planning, operation, and maintenance of the City's multi-modal transportation system, ensuring safe and efficient mobility for all users.
As a key member of the Transportation and Engineering Department, you will oversee the City's transportation infrastructure programs while leading a team of skilled professionals. Your expertise will shape policies, enhance service delivery, and optimize operational efficiencies. Additionally, you will play a critical role in budgeting, community engagement, grant acquisition, and representing the City in intergovernmental transportation matters.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary leader with a strong background in transportation planning and engineering. If you are ready to make a lasting impact on the City's transportation network, we encourage you to apply.
Application Requirements: A resume and cover letter must be submitted for consideration. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Essential Job Duties
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily. The knowledge, skills and abilities listed below are representative of those required. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Selection Criteria
Minimum Qualifications: Completion of accredited college course work resulting in a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering or closely related field, and five (5) years of professional experience, education and training in the management of complex projects, programs and activities related to transportation. Or a combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Preferred Qualifications: At least five (5) years of supervisory experience is preferred. Experience leading teams with a mix of professional engineering, private development, technical, labor/trades, and clerical staff is desired.
Training/Licenses/Certifications:
Other information (if any) specific to this position
Contacts: Other city staff and supervisors, the public, advisory/citizen groups, City Council, elected officials, contractors, vendors/manufacturers, and the media. The incumbent will have daily contact with assigned staff for the purpose of supervision, direction, work coordination, and information sharing/gathering.
Supervision: The Assistant Director/Transportation Manager operates under general guidance of the Transportation and Engineering Director in daily management activities of the division. Supervision of transportation engineering staff, administrative support staff, and operations and maintenance employees is required. Incumbents are expected to use independent judgement in completion of assignments.
Accountability: The Assistant Director/Transportation Manager is accountable for the successful completion of the assigned projects and tasks as well as the operational quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of the work of all assigned staff. They support other departments in design and construction of public facilities and infrastructure.
Working Conditions: Positions in this class perform work predominately in an office setting at City Hall, with opportunities for teleworking. Mobility is required for attendance at various meetings and touring public project work sites under various stages of construction. Reliable, punctual attendance is required. Extended work hours may be required to meet project and other division capacity constraints. Some work in evenings to attending meetings is required. The incumbent is subject to the stress of accommodating competing demands throughout the City.
Physical Requirements: Work is often performed in an office setting.
Specific physical requirements and typical working conditions for this position are on file in the Administrative Services Department.
The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.
The following is an overview of the benefits available to the regular-status, non-represented employees of the City of Tumwater (benefits for part-time employees will be pro-rated):
Vacation: Regular full-time City employees earn 96 hours of paid annual leave during their first year of employment. This rate is increased to a maximum of 184 hours per year, depending upon length of service.
Sick Leave: Sick leave is accrued by regular full-time City employees at the rate of 8 hours per month. Sick leave may be used only to ensure an employee's health, and for absences caused by death or illness of a member of the employee's immediate family.
Holidays: Most City employees receive 12 paid holidays (at 8 hours each) annually, one of which is a floating holiday.
Retirement:Eligible City employees are mandatory members of the State of Washington Public Employees Retirement System (PERS\LEOFF). Both the City and the employee contribute to the system. The state retirement system provides retirement benefits and also benefits for people who are disabled. Employees leaving City service prior to retirement may withdraw their total contribution with interest.
Deferred Compensation and Roth IRA programs offered through Mission Square: Employees may directly reduce their taxable income and defer this taxation until retirement or withdrawal of funds by participating in a deferred compensation plan. Deferred compensation allows an employee to defer up to $23,500 of their gross annual salary (more if over age 50). The employee chooses how to invest their deferred salary.
Employees may put up to $7,000 (more if over age 50) in a Roth IRA (after-tax program).
The City also offers a 401(a) plan and will match employee contributions up to 5%.
Insurance Plans: Each full-time City employee will receive a contribution of $2,227.00 per month toward the purchase of medical, vision and dental insurance. (Amount is pro-rated for part-time employees.) This monthly amount pays approximately 85% of the costs of a family of four. Full family medical, dental and vision coverage requires an employee contribution toward the cost of premiums. Employee's whose insurance needs are less than the monthly $2,227.00 contribution can purchase get 60% of the left over contribution money as cash on their paycheck. Employees are required to have City medical insurance. The City also offers medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, subject to eligibility requirements.
Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA): The City contributes a flat dollar amount per full-time employee to an HRA VEBA program for current and future health care out of pocket expenses. This monthly amount per full-time employee is $225.00.
Group Life Insurance: The City will purchase for each employee $50,000 worth of group term life insurance.*
Liberty Mutual Insurance: City employees are eligible for discounted auto and home insurance.
EMPLOYMENT
Hours of Work: The normal work week is forty (40) hours, Monday through Friday. Customized work schedules may be available at the discretion of the position supervisor. Some positions require weekend, evening, shift or holiday work or overtime.
Career Opportunities: The City encourages career development for its employees and frequently seeks to promote qualified employees from within the City service.
For further information about the position announced on this bulletin, please contact humanresources@ci.tumwater.wa.us.
The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.
The City of Tumwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.
The City of Tumwater is committed to wellness, safety, the environment and racial equity.
01
Describe a transportation or infrastructure project you have led that involved multiple stakeholders (e.g., elected officials, staff, the public, or regional partners). What was your role, how did you navigate competing interests, and what was the outcome?
02
In this leadership position, you'll play a critical role in setting priorities and allocating limited resources. Describe your approach to developing and managing a transportation capital improvement plan. How do you balance technical needs, public input, and long-term community goals?
03
Securing grant funding is a vital component of advancing transportation projects in a city like Tumwater. Please describe your experience identifying, applying for, and managing transportation-related grants. What strategies have you used to align projects with funding opportunities, and how have you ensured compliance and successful implementation?
Required Question