As a Civil Engineer Trainee with the Department of Transportation, you can begin a career that shapes the future of travel and safety across the state. This role offers hands-on learning that helps you apply your engineering knowledge to real-world projects. You will work with experienced teams who want to see you grow. This is your chance to make a positive impact on roads, bridges, and communities.
This position supports the development of practical engineering skills through a 12-month training with active, hands-on training in a variety of transportation and structural environments. You will become familiar with and to learn from the various Departments/Units within PennDOT. Upon successful completion of the trainee period, this position could be permanently assigned in either Design, Construction or Maintenance. As a Civil Engineer Trainee, you will perform the following duties:
- Field Support: Assist with surveys, inspections, and field studies in transportation and bridge environments
- Design Tasks: Help prepare plans, profiles, and computations for roads, bridges, and structural components
- Material Inspection: Review construction materials and workmanship to ensure compliance with standards
- Traffic Studies: Contribute to investigations involving traffic flow, accident data, and signal or signing needs
- Data Collection: Gather and analyze field data for planning, projections, and transportation studies
Work Schedule and Additional Information:
- Full-time employment.
- Work hours are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch.
- Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time on project assignments .In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Oil City, PA. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
- Salary: Selected candidates who are new to employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will begin employment at the starting annual salary of $66,328.00 (before taxes).
- You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.
QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:
- One year of civil engineering experience and a valid Engineer-in-Training certificate issued by or acceptable to the Pennsylvania State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists; or
- A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a closely related field that includes or is supplemented by major coursework in civil engineering.
- Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within nine months of graduating with a qualifying degree.
Special Requirement:
- This position requires possession of an active non-commercial Pennsylvania Class C Driver’s License or equivalent.
Other Requirements:
- PA residency requirement is currently waived for this title.
- You must be able to perform essential job functions.
How to Apply:
- Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
- If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
- Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
- Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
- All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.
Veterans:
- Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.
Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):
- 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).
If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.
The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.
- Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
- Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
- Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
- You must provide complete and accurate information or:
- your score may be lower than deserved.
- you may be disqualified.
- You may only apply/test once for this posting.
- Your results will be provided via email.

