Job Alert: Lead Research General Engineer – Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) – McLean, Virginia

June 29, 2015 at 6:10 pm

This position is for the Team Leader of the Transportation Enabling Technologies Team in the Office of Operations Research and Development (R&D). The incumbent specializes in research management, the conduct of exploratory advanced research related to advanced traffic management and operations systems, and the development of transportation enabling technologies.

The ideal candidate will have strong transportation or transportation-related R&D experience with advanced degrees in one or more of the following enabling technology areas (listed in alphabetical order): civil engineering; computer science; cyber-physical systems; electrical engineering; mathematics/statistics; mechanical engineering; real-time data capture, management, and analytics; software engineering; or, systems engineering. He/she is a thought leader at the national and international levels and has been recognized for past scientific and engineering contributions in the development and application of transportation operations, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), or connected-automated vehicle technologies. He/she will have experience in managing a team of research professionals and conducting laboratory and field research in the fields of transportation operations, ITS, or connected-automated vehicles. The ideal candidate has expert experience facilitating the development, implementation, and/or evaluation of national technologies, policies, programs, and budgets in a research environment, and has experience communicating this knowledge, orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences.

You will be requested to do a presentation and complete a writing sample as part of the interview process.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

  • Occasional Travel
  • Occasional Travel is required less than 25%

KEY REQUIREMENTS

  • You must be a U.S. citizen & meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
  • Review Required Documents Section as documents are required by closing date
  • Job announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 30 days.
  • Announcement also advertised merit promotion: FHWA.HRT-2015-0001

DUTIES:

As a Lead Research General Engineer, you will:

  • Demonstrate classic management knowledge, skills, and abilities in leading change, leading people, being results driven, demonstrating business acumen, building coalitions, and demonstrating and promoting excellence in oral and written communications.
  • Provide expert knowledge in traffic engineering and transportation management theory specializing in one or more of the following areas: signal systems, communications, surveillance and detection, data management, cyber-physical systems, and modeling and simulation of the impacts of hardware, software, standards, and operating practices on mobility, safety, environment, energy, and other performance areas.
  • Plan, develop, coordinate, and conduct a research and development program in traffic operations and traffic management to produce transportation enabling technologies in areas such as transportation data collection and management; cyber-physical systems, sensing systems; wireless communications; connected and automated vehicle technologies; and positioning, navigation and timing.
  • Lead the planning and conduct of a national program of research by means of partner and customer inclusion and through active liaison, collaboration, and coordination with other FHWA offices, Federal agencies, state and local highway agencies, AASHTO, TRB, ITS America, ITE, IEEE, SAE consortia, user groups, universities, private industry, and the highway community in general.
  • Work closely with Office of Operations, Resource Center, and other FHWA offices, as well as with state highway agencies to translate and transfer the team’s research and development results to the highway community and to assure that research products are marketed and deployed as rapidly as possible.
  • Represent FHWA nationally and internationally to initiate technical exchange, recommend international partnerships that are potentially beneficial to FHWA and the US Department of Transportation, and coordinates U.S. research and development with foreign countries under the auspices of TRB and through the International Programs Office and interagency agreements.
  • Use essential leadership skills to enhance team productivity and commitment to research products and services that contribute to the strategic goals and objectives of the agency
    .

USDOT wants your input on the Proposed FHWA 2015 Guidance for Connected Vehicles and the Formation of a V2I Deployment Coalition

October 31, 2014 at 5:13 pm

The Federal Highway Administration plans to produce deployment guidance in 2015 on connected vehicles to transportation infrastructure owner/operators.  Tell us what would best support decision making and deployments at the state and local level.

National Associations including AASHTO, ITE and ITS America are working together to form a Vehicle to Infrastructure(V2I) Coalition.  What type of organization will best meet your needs?

Please provide comments based on the materials distributed on these topics at the September 12, 2014 public meeting including the initial draft guidance, a handout on the proposed coalition, and the list of supporting V2I products/tools under development. The V2I Deployment Guidance Draft is an initial draft document. USDOT is seeking feedback from State and local Departments of Transportation, transit operators, other operating agencies, and infrastructure owners who are starting to plan for the deployment and use of connected vehicle technologies in their area. Any interested parties may provide comments on the initial draft guidance through Friday, November 14, 2014.

Questions to Consider on the Proposed CV Guidance

  • Will the topics covered in the proposed guidance and the companion products being developed provide you with enough support to successfully deploy connected vehicle technologies in your area?
  • Are there additional tools, training, or resources that you would like to see developed?
  • Any other concerns/comments?

Questions to Consider on the V2I Deployment Coalition

  • What are your thoughts about the structure of the proposed coalition?
  • How should associated organizations’ and agencies’ leadership be involved?
  • What challenges are likely to arise and need to be addressed?
  • Any other concerns/comments?

Review source materials and provide comments at: http://www.its.dot.gov/meetings/v2i_feedback.htm by Friday, November 14, 2014.

USA Today: Cars that ‘talk’ to each other move a step closer (Video)

July 2, 2013 at 7:31 pm

The USA Today carried an update on the Connected Vehicle technology test program underway in Michigan.  The federally-funded program carried out by University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute explores safety gains that can be achieved using dedicated short-range communications technology to help cars communicate with one another to prevent accidents.  The video below shows how this technology works.  Also, you can read the accompanying article here.

The Road Worrier: A Time To Stimulate, And A Time To Innovate

May 6, 2009 at 1:29 pm

(Source: Glenn Havinoviski, Columnist @ ITS Virginia)

Glenn N. Havinoviski is an Associate Vice President and ITS Group Director for HNTB Corporation in Arlington, Virginia.  In his recent column on ITS Virginia’s quarterly Newsletter, Glenn discussed his views on the stimulus funding towards transportation projects and their impact on ITS, jobs, etc.  Here is an excerpt from the PDF version attached here.  

You gotta hand it to the new President. In less than four weeks,he got his way, running roughshod over a political opposition unableto develop or convince others of their own vision and ideas. Uncle”O” signed into law a $785 billion stimulus, an ode to the power ofhope, change and the ability to print lots of money. In Virginia alone,some $700 million will be provided for “shovel-ready” transportationprojects, to be selected in the next few weeks by state officials.Among those projects will be several initiatives related to trafficmanagement, operations and ITS. While the purpose of the stimulusis first and foremost the creation of new jobs, closer to home I knowit may preserve some existing jobs.While I believe this example of Federal largesse will end upbeing more a historical exception rather than the rule, we’ve alreadythrown a like amount at the banks and the struggling auto industry,courtesy of Mr. Obama’s wayward predecessor.So far, it is unclear what that money has gotten us. Banks stillwon’t make loans, GM still can’t sell cars, and too many bank executivesare still partying in Vegas and elsewhere. The toxic assets arestill toxic, and still dwindling in value, seemingly by the hour.

With the horrendous transportation funding cut-backs at thestate level and limited support from elected officials, VDOT hasbeen forced to create an austere vision, one which emphasizesoperating what we have, as opposed to ramrodding a programcontaining projects which in many cases have been deferred acrossseveral lifetimes. The new-look Federal government may be seekingto bankroll a future transit and clean-energy vehicle utopia. But Virginia, as with many other states, has been economically forcedto be more pragmatic with their own money and make very hardbut practical choices.

With all the excitement over a suddenly activist Federal government,what is in danger of getting lost in the mix has been theprogress made in the last decade toward innovative use of resources- including partnerships to leverage both government and privateinvestment, using tolling and road pricing both as revenue streamand as demand management tool, and development of a networkof vehicle-roadside communications for both safety and mobilityapplications.Such approaches to transportation improvements heavily dependon collection and monitoring of real-time information, alongwith electronic payment services and dedicated short-range communications(DSRC). They also create new opportunities for jobs,as well as new markets for information and technology services.No question that they could benefit from, but are not completelydependent on, the largesse of the young handsome Uncle “O” anda largely (but not completely) sympathetic Congress. “