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Role Description

WSDOT is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as the State Materials Engineer within the State Materials Office. This position will provide executive-level engineering leadership and oversight of the statewide materials approval, acceptance, and quality assurance programs that support the Washington State Highway Construction Program. In this role, you will direct operations across the State Materials Laboratory and associated functional areas, including:

• Materials Quality Assurance
• Quality Systems
• Materials Quality Oversight
• Fabrication Inspection
• Bituminous, Structural, and Specialty Services laboratories

This position ensures materials policies, testing programs, and quality assurance processes support safe, reliable, and durable transportation infrastructure while aligning with federal regulations and statewide construction standards. The position also coordinates with the Technology Services Division to enhance statewide materials testing and approval systems and evaluates emerging materials technologies and testing methods for potential adoption.

Successful candidates will demonstrate expertise in:

• Materials engineering
• Strategic program leadership
• Policy development
• Quality assurance systems
• Collaboration across technical and regulatory environments

Qualifications

• Leadership of Technical Organizations: Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a large, multidisciplinary technical organization through subordinate managers with full responsibility for performance, accountability, and workforce outcomes.
• Engineering Judgment in Materials and Construction Issues: Ability to apply professional engineering judgment to complex materials acceptance, testing, performance and contract administration issues.
• Strategic Program and Resource Alignment: Demonstrated ability to align organizational structure, staffing, budget, and workload with long-range statewide program delivery needs.
• Inclusive and High-Performance Workplace Leadership: Skilled in creating an inclusive, high-performance work environment that promotes collaboration, ethical conduct, professional growth, and operational excellence.
• Materials Policy, Specifications, and Standards Development: Ability to establish and implement materials specifications, test standards, and acceptance criteria for a statewide construction program.
• Risk-Based Decision Making in Materials Acceptance: Skill in making risk-based decisions regarding failing materials, reduced testing, non-specification materials, and new product approvals.
• Collaborative Policy and Industry Engagement: Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with industry, partner agencies, and internal stakeholders on policy and specification changes.
• Organizational Coordination and Stakeholder Integration: Ability to understand and apply a thorough knowledge of agency organizational relationships to ensure effective coordination with a wide variety of internal and external customer work groups across the state.
• Growth Mindset: Actively demonstrates a commitment to learning and growth.
• Service-Oriented: Takes action to meet the needs of others.

Requirements

• A Washington State Professional Civil Engineering License or licensed as a PE in another state with the ability to obtain licensure in Washington State within six (6) months of hire.

Benefits

• Work-Life Balance: Flexible schedule options, including telework for eligible positions.
• Paid Leave: Up to 25 paid vacation days per year, in addition to 12 paid holidays.
• Tuition Assistance: Options for education expense assistance, including tuition reimbursement programs and eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.
• Plan For Your Future: Comprehensive benefits package including various healthcare options and state retirement programs.