Project Development Director (Engineer 9)

Salary

$8,771.00 - $15,792.00 Monthly

Location

Baton Rouge, LA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

53/181372/Eng9/10.10.26-TO

Department

DOTD-Engineering & Operations

Division

Section 53

Opening Date

10/05/2026

Closing Date

10/10/2026 11:59 PM Central

About this Job

At the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), we plan, build, maintain, and protect the transportation systems that connect communities, support commerce, and keep Louisiana moving.

DOTD is seeking an experienced Engineer 9 to serve as the Project Development Director. This senior leadership position serves as the Department’s senior authority for statewide project development and preconstruction engineering activities across Road Design, Bridge Design, Location and Surveys, Geotechnical, and Hydraulics-Roads and Bridges.

The position will establish standards, governance frameworks, compliance methodologies, and performance expectations to advance safety, risk mitigation, system performance, and long-term asset stewardship across the Department.

Please visit our DOTD Career Center for more information about our agency:

https://dotd.la.gov/about/office-of-management-and-finance/human-resources/career-center/

Minimum Qualifications

Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice professional engineering plus one of the following, which must include two years of experience at the supervisory level or above:

Four years of licensed engineering experience; or

Eight years of professional engineering experience.

EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTIONS:

A master's degree in engineering will substitute for one year of professional engineering experience.

A doctorate degree in engineering will substitute for two years of professional engineering experience.

Advanced degrees will substitute for a maximum of two years of professional engineering experience.

There is no substitution for licensed engineering experience.

NOTES:

Engineering experience gained while licensed as a professional engineer will be accepted as licensed engineering experience. Engineering experience gained after earning an ABET-accredited degree and prior to earning a professional engineer's license (e.g., as an engineer intern applicant, engineer intern, or equivalent) will be accepted as professional level engineering experience.

Applications will be accepted from persons licensed to practice professional engineering in states other than Louisiana. If one of those applicants is selected for the position, he/she will be required to obtain a Louisiana license prior to appointment. The hiring agency will verify that all licensing requirements are met.

Louisiana Professional Engineer licenses are issued by the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board. Licensing requirements may be viewed at www.lapels.com.

Job Specification

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties and Other Information

Job Duties:

• Provide department-wide leadership for the Project Development Division, overseeing Road Design, Bridge Design, Location & Surveys, Geotechnical, Hydraulics, and project advancement through the Project Delivery Network (PDN).
• Establish strategic direction, priorities, and performance expectations aligned with the Department’s mission, strategic plan, and executive directives.
• Advise executive leadership on strategic risks, emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities affecting preconstruction engineering and project delivery.
• Oversee advancement of projects through Project Delivery Network (PDN) phases to ensure effective, efficient, and compliant project development.
• Direct and oversee statewide preconstruction engineering, project scoping and design, surveying and mapping, geotechnical analysis, hydraulic modeling, structural design, and consultant-delivered technical services.
• Implement and maintain standardized governance and quality management frameworks for engineering design, surveying, geotechnical, hydraulic, structural, and PDN processes.
• Drive accountability and quality across Division project development activities by establishing consistent standards, reviewing protocols, and setting milestone requirements.
• Direct Division budget planning and financial management for state and federal funding supporting preconstruction engineering, consultant services, and technical functions.
• Ensure responsible stewardship, allocation, and oversight of public funds in support of project development priorities.

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: This position is open to only current DOTD employees; and may be filled by detail to special duty.

Compensation: The Special Entrance Rate (SER) for this position is $5,668.80 biweekly.

Additional compensation may be considered for applicants who possess extraordinary job-related qualifications or credentials in accordance with State Civil Service Rule 6.5(g) and DOTD policy. Any such consideration is subject to approval and applicable pay limitations.

How To Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the "Apply" link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities.

Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page. Applicants can check the status of their application at any time by selecting the ‘Application Status’ link after logging into their account.

Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

Contact Information:

For further information about this vacancy, contact:

Brian Owens

DOTD Chief Engineer

(225) 379-1503

[email protected]

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is an equal employment opportunity employer and serves as a model employer for individuals with disabilities. DOTD does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, disability, age, or pregnancy, and prohibits harassment of any type.

*Information on the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services is available:*https://www.laworks.net/workforcedev/lrs/lrs\_rehabilitation.asp

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities.

Louisiana State Government represents a wide variety of career options and offers an outstanding opportunity to make a difference through public service. With an array of career opportunities in every major metropolitan center and in many rural areas, state employment provides an outstanding option to begin or continue your career.

As a state employee, you will earn competitive pay, choose from a variety of benefits, and have access to a great professional development program:

Insurance Coverage More information can be found at https://info.groupbenefits.org/

Parental Leave – Up to six weeks paid parental leave

More information can be found at https://www.civilservice.louisiana.gov/Parental-Leave/Default.aspx

Holidays and Leave – State employees receive the following paid holidays each year:

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
• Mardi Gras,
• Good Friday,
• Memorial Day,
• Independence Day,
• Labor Day,
• Veteran's Day,
• Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

***** Additional holidays may be proclaimed by the Governor

State employees earn sick and annual leave which can be accumulated and saved for future use. Your accrual rate increases as your years of service increase.

Retirement– State of Louisiana employees are eligible to participate in various retirement systems (based on the type of appointment and agency for which an employee works). These retirement systems provide retirement allowances and other benefits for state officers and employees and their beneficiaries. State retirement systems may include (but are not limited to):

• Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (www.lasersonline.org). LASERS has provided this video to give you more detailed information about their system
• Teacher's Retirement System of Louisiana (www.trsl.org),
• Louisiana School Employees Retirement System (www.lsers.net), among others