Job(s) Alert: Two Positions: Associate Program Director (Ops) and Program Manager (Engineering) – AASHTO @ Washington, DC

November 30, 2010 at 5:58 pm

Associate Program Director, Operations

  • Department: Engineering and Technical Services
  • Grade: 13
  • FLSA Status: Exempt
  • Supervisor’s Title: Program Director, Engineering

Nature of Position:  The Associate Program Director for Operations assists the Program Director for Engineering in his/her role in coordinating the technical and engineering programs and the activities of the Association as assigned.

The Associate Program Director for Operations will assist the Program Director for Engineering and other senior staff in monitoring one or more transportation modes of interest to the Association, including the work of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways; its Subcommittees on Traffic Engineering, Maintenance, Systems Operation and Management; associated technical committees and task forces; and technical service programs in the engineering operations arena. The incumbent assists the Program Director in providing professional and logistic support to ensure that these committees understand AASHTO policies and procedures and are cognizant of key technical, legislative, and regulatory issues. With the assistance of the Program Director for Engineering, the incumbent also represents and promotes AASHTO’s position before federal agencies or other organizations. To this end, the incumbent develops working relationships with external governmental and technical organizations. The incumbent may represent the Association on panels or in workshops, and perform functions as necessary to further public comprehension of AASHTO’s purpose and activities.

The incumbent will also serve as staff liaison to one or more subcommittees or task forces. Duties will include attending meetings and providing policy or procedural advice; advising on meeting agendas and task force staffing; disseminating informational material to committee members; and providing other assistance as required. The incumbent also works with a variety of committees in the production of engineering and professional publications, and responds to technical inquiries on publications and policies.

Education:  A bachelor’s of science degree in engineering is preferred. Evidence of a higher degree of professional development is desirable.  Professional registration is desired.

Skill Requirements:  A broad understanding of transportation engineering and the technical aspects of one or more modes of transportation, as well as legal, legislative, and regulatory history of that transportation mode, and current developments and trends in that sector. Sound comprehension of the administrative, legislative, and regulatory process at the federal and state levels. Sound project management skills, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.  The incumbent must be available to travel.

Relevant Experience:   Approximately ten years or more of professional experience in one of the transportation modes is required, with demonstrated evidence of professional growth, increasing responsibility, and project management/consultant oversight skills.  Some of the previous experience should be in design, construction, operations, maintenance, and/or planning in a state, local, or federal transportation agency.

Relationships With:

  • Members: Maintain regular and frequent contact with committee members through meeting attendance, newsletters or correspondence, e-mail, and telephone contacts.
  • Governing Structure: The position involves a close and continuing responsibility to committee officers of assigned committees.
  • Government: The incumbent is responsible for maintaining contact with appropriate state, local and Federal government personnel.
  • Public: Responds to certain public written and telephone inquiries, especially in technical areas, and may have occasional contact with media representatives.
  • Other Organizations: The incumbent is expected to maintain good working relationships with other interest groups or associations, and may represent AASHTO on panels.  Depending on the specific duties assigned, the incumbent may be responsible for helping to negotiate contracts and for monitoring assigned professional consulting contracts.
  • Association Office Personnel: May assist other staff members as required.

Position Responsibilities:

  • Association Policy Formulation: The incumbent is expected to assist the Program Director in the development and implementation of association policies.
  • Planning: May be called upon to participate in various long-range planning efforts, and is responsible for planning pertinent elements of the Association’s annual conference. Depending on the specific duties assigned, the incumbent may be expected to assist in planning annual publication activities, budget preparation, and planning of the Association’s annual budget..
  • Transportation Policy Formation: The incumbent is expected on occasion to draft, write, or edit transportation policy statements or resolutions related to the assigned transportation modes, or other areas of interest to the Association; however, such positions may not be established without approval by higher authorities.
  • Decision Authority: As assigned by the Program Director.
  • Budgetary Responsibility: Assists the Program Director for Engineering in recommending and controlling his/her budget ranging from $50,000 to $3,000,000.
  • Supervisory Responsibility: Supervises Program Manager for Engineering, Telecommunications Manager, and several consulting contract employees.  May be designated to perform the duties of the Program Director in his/her absence or as assigned.
  • Supervision Received: Supervision is provided in terms of general objectives, rather than on a day-to-day basis.  Significant decisions will be reviewed by the Program Director for Engineering.
  • Availability of Qualified Personnel: The recruitment of a qualified replacement is estimated to require from three to four months.

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Program Manager for Engineering

  • Department: Engineering and Technical Services
  • Grade: 10
  • FLSA Status: Exempt
  • Supervisor’s Title: Associate Program Director, Operations

Nature of Position:  The Program Manager for Engineering assists the Associate Program Director for Operations and other senior staff in the work of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways and its Subcommittees (to include one or more of the following: Traffic Engineering, Maintenance, and/or Systems Operation and Management), as well as technical service programs in these areas, as assigned.  Duties will include attending meetings and providing policy or procedural advice; advising on meeting agendas and task force staffing; disseminating informational material to committee members; and providing other assistance as required.  The incumbent will also work with a variety of committees in the production of engineering and related professional publications, and may respond to technical inquiries on publications and policies.

Education:  A bachelor’s of science degree in engineering is required, preferably in civil engineering, and professional development such as postgraduate education.  Professional registration is desired.

Skill Requirements:  A broad understanding of the technical aspects of highway engineering, to include traffic engineering, maintenance, and/or systems operation and management, and a sound comprehension of the administrative, legislative, and regulatory process at the federal and state levels.  Sound project management skills, as well as excellent written and oral communication skills.  Basic use of the computer for word processing, spreadsheet analysis, and use of databases.  The incumbent must be able to travel 50-70 days per year.

Relevant Experience:  A minimum of seven years of professional experience in transportation engineering is required, to include traffic engineering, maintenance, and/or systems operation and management, with demonstrated evidence of professional growth, increasing responsibility, and project management/consultant oversight skills.  Some of the previous experience should be at a policy planning or management level in a state, local, or federal transportation agency.

Relationships With:

  • Members:  Maintain regular and frequent contact with committee members and task forces through meeting attendance, newsletters or other correspondence, e-mail, and telephone calls.
  • Governing Structure:  The incumbent provides support to the Associate Program Director for Operations and to AASHTO committees, has frequent contact with certain committee officers, and may communicate with officers and members of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
  • Government:  Initiates and maintains direct contacts with state, local and Federal government personnel.
  • Public:  Responds to written and telephone inquiries, particularly those relating to engineering projects.  Occasional contact with media.
  • Other Organizations:  The incumbent is expected to maintain good working relationships with other interest groups and associations.  Depending on the specific duties assigned, the incumbent may be responsible for monitoring assigned professional consulting contracts.
  • Association Office Personnel:  As directed, the incumbent is expected to assist, from time to time, other professional staff.

Position Responsibilities:

  • Association Policy Formulation:  The incumbent shall assist the Associate Program Director for Operations and other senior AASHTO staff in proposing, developing, and implementing association policies.
  • Planning:  May be called on to participate in various long-range planning efforts, and is responsible for strategic and operational planning for the Association’s activities relevant to assigned engineering projects.  Depending on the specific duties assigned, the incumbent may be expected to assist in planning annual publication activities, budget preparation, and planning of the Association’s annual budget.
  • Transportation Policy Formulation:  The incumbent is expected, on occasion, to draft, write, or edit transportation policy statements or resolutions related to assigned transportation modes, or other areas of interest to the Association; however, such positions may not be established without approval by higher authorities.
  • Decision Authority:  Participates in the selection of contractors for technical services and bids in various committee decisions.
  • Budgetary Responsibility:  Responsible for developing and maintaining the budget for assigned committees and technical service areas and other areas as assigned.
  • Supervisory Responsibility:  None.
  • Supervision Received:  Supervision is provided in terms of general objectives, rather than on a day-to-day basis.  Direct supervision on non-routine tasks is provided by the Program Director for Engineering.
  • Availability of Qualified Personnel:  The recruitment of a qualified replacement is estimated to require three months.

Story of Potholes & Pay Scales — In India, Many Potholes and Not Enough Engineers

August 25, 2010 at 4:34 pm

NYT’s wonderful analysis hits the nail by pointing out the underlying problem: salaries. Having studied Civil engineering and worked in that part of the world, I can perfectly relate to this situation. It was one of the reasons why I decided to leave the country to explore opportunities in the West.

India really should buck up and address the discrepancies in its salary structures across the industries or else it will be always playing catch up with the other economies around the world..

China has leaped technologically in just two decades and matched its economic growth by tremendously investing and improving its infrastructure, which is made possible by a steady stream of civil engineering graduates.. On the other hand, though India’s academic institutions churn out a good number of civil engineers, many of them are lured away from the profession by the riches and air-conditioned comfort of the software shops… Unless this situation changes, the country’s roads will continue to remain poor and eventually will drag down the economic progress..

Oh, Civil Engineering is not the only profession that has taken a hit from this software-industry propelled economic boom. Many other branches of engineering are also suffering the same fate.The situation is even worse for those with arts and science degrees…

Amplify’d from www.nytimes.com
Despite this nation’s rise as a technology titan with some of the best engineering minds in the world, its full economic potential is stifled by potholed roads, collapsing bridges, rickety railroads and a power grid so unreliable that many modern office buildings run their own diesel generators to make sure the lights and computers stay on.

It is not for want of money. The Indian government aims to spend $500 billion on infrastructure by 2012 and twice that amount in the following five years.

The problem is a dearth of engineers — or at least of civil engineers with the skill and expertise to make sure those ambitious projects are done on time and to specification.

Civil engineering was once an elite occupation in India, not only during the British colonial era of carving roads and laying train tracks, but long after independence as part of the civil service. These days, though, India’s best and brightest know there is more money and prestige in writing software for foreign customers than in building roads for their nation.

Read more at www.nytimes.com

 

Running on thin air! India’s Air Bike Could be a Solution to Pollution

May 1, 2009 at 3:15 pm

A group of Indian engineering students from Ludhiana successfully build a pollution-free motorbike designed to run on air pressure rather than petrol. Video courtesy of Reuters.

 (Source: Wall Street Journal)