How to hire a traffic operations engineer

How to hire a traffic operations engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step traffic operations engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a traffic operations engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new traffic operations engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the traffic operations engineer you need to hire. Certain traffic operations engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A traffic operations engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, traffic operations engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of traffic operations engineer salaries for various roles:

   Type of Traffic Operations Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Traffic Operations Engineer	Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain construction projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.	$21-43
   Engineer	Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects... Show more	$31-62
   Traffic Engineer	The Traffic Engineer is responsible for the design of roadways that provide free traffic flow. In city planning, congested roads are one of the crucial problems that need solving... Show more	$25-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Traffic Signals
   • Cost Estimates
   • MUTCD
   • Engineering Traffic
   • Data Collection

   Responsibilities:

   • Contribute PowerShell functions to a PowerShell module used to automate software upgrades.
   • Process work orders to repair HVAC systems and restore functionality to malfunctioning systems; perform preventative maintenance and routine servicing.
   • Create multiple AOS instances and ensure the correct configuration of all application files.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your traffic operations engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A traffic operations engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, traffic operations engineers' average salary in alaska is 43% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level traffic operations engineers earn 52% less than senior-level traffic operations engineers.
   • Certifications. A traffic operations engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a traffic operations engineer's salary.

   Average traffic operations engineer salary

   $64,087yearly

   $30.81 hourly rate

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   Entry-level traffic operations engineer salary

   $44,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a traffic operations engineer job description

   A traffic operations engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a traffic operations engineer job description:

   Traffic operations engineer job description example

   JOB SUMMARY: Under general supervision, serves as a junior engineer performing engineering assignments. Provides engineering assistance developing project plans, designs, or traffic engineering studies and other related documents, field experience with traffic signals and ITS hardware, cost estimates and other engineering technical reports for transportation projects.
   
   JOB SPECIFIC DUTIES: With guidance and direction from Design Group Manager, develops concept reports, preliminary plans, right of way plans and final plans following GDOT's plan development process. Delivers project on schedule by achieving milestones and other submittals according to the baseline schedule. Accurately develops the geometric design for assigned projects. Accurately performs necessary calculations/ analyses to sufficiently design both rural and urban storm drain systems including: hydrological analysis, discharge rate calculations, pipe sizing analysis, headwater and tail water elevations calculations, and/or gutter spread calculations. Designs post-construction storm water management facilities in accordance with MS4 requirements and GDOT policy. Prepares Erosion Control Plans in compliance with state and national regulations. Independently identifies solutions to drainage or erosion control issues for projects under construction. Develops accurate Signal plans and Signing and Marking plans. Develops draft reports for review such as Design Exceptions , Variances, Design Documents, Design Data book, Quantity calculations and Cost Estimates, Field plan review responses, public meeting responses, Traffic studies/ Capacity Analysis, Concept Reports / IMR's, Interoffice correspondence / E-mails and letters, Pavement design submittals, Environmental change submittals, and use on Construction revisions.
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
   
   The selected candidate must meet the advertised minimum qualifications to include State Entry Qualifications as well as Agency Specific Minimum Qualifications.
   
   STATE ENTRY QUALIFICAITONS:
   
   * Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or Civil Engineering Technology from an ABET accredited college or university and one year of related experience.
   
   AGENCY MINIMUM QUALIFICAITONS:
   
   * Experience in three or more of the following areas: Geometric Design, Roadway Drainage Design, Capacity Analysis, Pavement Design, Signing and Marking, Signal Design, or Erosion Sediment & Pollution Control Design
   * Demonstrated knowledge in highway/transportation engineering
   * Demonstrated knowledge and experience in implementing and following the Plan Development Process
   * Demonstrated experience with computer aided drafting and design (CADD) plan preparation and presentation
   * Demonstrated experience in reading and interpreting roadway construction and right-of-way plans and all pertinent documents
   * Demonstrated experience in preparing correspondence and technical reports
   * Demonstrated experience in preparing calculations of appropriate quantities and/or cost estimates associated with highway/transportation projects
   * Demonstrated experience to perform algebraic, geometric, and trigonometric calculations of complex difficulty related to highway/transportation engineering (computations to include items quantity calculations, earthwork, skewed drainage cross sections, multiple horizontal/vertical alignments, spiral curves, and survey calculations)
   * Demonstrated experience performing highway capacity analysis and drainage design
   * Demonstrated experience working and communicating with supervisors, local officials, engineering consultants, other Department of Transportation offices, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the general public to meet their needs
   * Displays a high standard of ethical conduct
   * Demonstrated experience adapting to new design processes
   * Demonstrated experience analyzing and formulating solutions to complex design problems and recommending the best solution
   * Demonstrated experience making sound, well informed decisions based on experience and engineering principles and practices
   * Committed to providing quality customer service
   
   AGENCY PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   * Experience in a specialty area (Geometric Design, Roadway Drainage Design, Capacity Analysis, Pavement Design, Signing and Marking, Signal Design, or Erosion Sediment & Pollution Control Design, etc.) in preparation of becoming a Subject Matter Expert (SME)
   * Possesses certification as an Engineer-in-Training
   * Demonstrated experience to work independently of direct supervision and guidance to design complete roadway construction projects
   * Demonstrated experience reading and comprehending information such as bridge and wall plans from other offices
   * Demonstrated knowledge of the organizational structure, policies, rules and regulations of the Georgia Department of Transportation.
   
   IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL GDOT JOBS
   
   The interview is just one part of the overall selection process and is not the only criteria used to make the final selection. In addition to the interview, the final selection is based on the applicant's work history and performance (documented in HR and/or Office files), PeopleSoft/employee status (i.e. rehire code), employee performance reviews, personnel file review (HR & Office Files), criminal background check, employment reference checks (including references and commendations from Managers and other relevant documentation) and, for supervisory positions, demonstrated leadership skills based on past and current work history will be considered.
   
   Good Employment Standing:
   
   In accordance with the Interview and Selection Process (ISP), an applicant must have no active disciplinary actions to be in good employment standing. Actions that may disqualify an applicant include letters of reprimand (active for 12 months after issuance date); suspension without pay or disciplinary demotion (active for 12 months from the effective date); Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) and Leave Restriction Plans (active until 12 months after the date of conclusion). In addition, an employee must have an overall ePerformance rating score of three (3) or higher on their most current evaluation. Please note that Memorandums of Concern are not considered disqualifying factors. Human Resources may remove any employee from consideration for selection who is pending a disciplinary action; however, if the action is resolved in the employee's favor, he or she will be allowed to compete.
   
   THIS IS AN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL JOB ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY
   
   THIS IS AN UNCLASSIFIED POSITION.
   
   THE SELECTED APPLICANT FOR THE POSITION WILL BE SUBJECT TO A REFERENCE CHECK AND CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, WHERE APPLICABLE
   
   PLEASE INCLUDE ALL RELEVANT JOB INFORMATION ON THE APPLICATION FOR
   
   CONSIDERATION. ALL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PRESCREENED.
   
   UPON PROMOTION, THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL RECEIVE 10% or THE GDOT JOB SPECIFIC MINIMUM SALARY, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
   
   GDOT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
   
   Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or civil engineering technology from an ABET accredited college or university AND One year of related experience.
   
   Additional Information
   
   * Number of Openings: 1
   * Advertised Salary: $61,700.00 (Paygrade K)
   * Shift: Day Job
   * Posting End Date: Oct 19, 2022

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find traffic operations engineers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your traffic operations engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit traffic operations engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit traffic operations engineers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new traffic operations engineer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the traffic operations engineer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new traffic operations engineer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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