Job Description and Duties
Under the direction of the Chief of the Office of Specialty Investigations at Structure Maintenance and Investigations (SM&I), the incumbent is responsible for: (i) Develop and maintain procedures and actions to ensure the readiness of SM&I to respond to highway bridge and tunnel emergencies caused by earthquakes, floods, fires, landslides, vehicular hits and Homeland Security issues, (ii) Develop and maintain the inventory of in-service highway bridges, which require specialty access by underbridge inspection trucks (UBITs), aerial lifts, boats, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), rope climbing or water level control for complete routine inspections, and determine the optimal specialty access equipment or method in coordination with the SM&I bridge inspectors and seniors, (iii) Develop and maintain annual schedules for routine inspections of in-service highway bridges that require specialty access, (iv) Act as the SM&I program lead for UAS pertaining to bridge inspection functions, (v) Perform inspections of in-service highway bridges that require specialty access to assess their structural condition, safety, serviceability and maintenance needs, (vi) Perform reviews of inspection reports for in-service highway bridges and tunnels for compliance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS), the Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory (SNBI), the Bridge Inspector's Reference Manual (BIRM), the Manual for Bridge Evaluation (MBE), the Metrics for the Oversight of the National Bridge Inspection Program, the Caltrans Bridge Element Inspection Manual, the National Tunnel Inspection Standards (NTIS), the Specifications for the National Tunnel Inventory (SNTI), the Tunnel Operations Maintenance Inspection and Evaluation Manual (TOMIE), the Metrics for the Oversight of the National Tunnel Inspection Program, and the SM&I Procedures Manual, and to ensure that the work recommendations made by the inspectors adequately address the identified defects and deficiencies of the bridges and tunnels, and (vii) Provide Confined Space and Fall Protection training to SM&I inspection staff.
The incumbent must be certified as both a Team Leader and an NSTM Team Leader in accordance with the NBIS upon hiring. In addition, the incumbent must be certified, or obtain certification within 12 months, as a Team Leader in accordance with the NTIS. These certifications shall be maintained over the entire period of performing the duties of the position.
The incumbent must hold, or be able to obtain within six months, an FAA Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Remote Pilot Certificate.
The incumbent must be able to obtain, within six months, certification as a trainer for confined spaces and fall protection training courses.
Special Requirements
- The incumbent must possess a valid certification of registration as a Civil Engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers.
- Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a state owned or leased vehicle.
In order to apply for this position, you must submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) highlighting your education, training, and applicable experience that qualifies you for this position in addition to the standard application form. A resume cannot be submitted in lieu of the SOQ. The SOQ should be typed in Century Gothic, 11-point font, no more than 2 pages in length, and address the following topics (include each topic as a heading):
- Describe your experience and duration (number of years and months) inspecting Bridges/Tunnels under the NBIS/NTIS.
- Describe your experience and duration (number of years and months) performing construction oversight of Bridges/Tunnels.
- Describe your experience and duration (number of years and months) performing design, structural analysis, and/or load ratings of Bridges/Tunnels.
- Summarize any National Highway Institute (NHI) Bridge or Tunnel Maintenance/Inspection training courses you’ve completed (include course completion date). Emphasis should be placed on the following NHI courses: Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges, Bridge Inspection Refresher Training, Bridge Inspection Techniques for Nonredundant Steel Tension Members, Tunnel Safety Inspection, and Tunnel Safety Inspection Refresher, where applicable. Please submit as a separate attachment a copy of each NHI course completion certificate.
- Summarize any NBIS/NTIS inspector qualifications you possess. Explanation shall be provided as to the method in which each qualification was met.
- Summarize any graduate leave degree (MS, ME, PhD) in Civil Engineering, or a related engineering field, that you’ve competed (include the completion date).
- Describe any special skills and/or certifications you possess in the follow inspection access methods: UBIT, Aerial Lifts (Personnel Hoist and/or JLG), UAS and Rope Climbing, where applicable.
Desirable Qualifications
In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
- The incumbent must be familiar with the Caltrans Emergency Operations Plan, DD-109 Bridge Emergency Response and the organizational structure of the Caltrans Emergency Services in the Division of Maintenance.
- The incumbent must be competent in the policies, procedures and methods used for the inspections and maintenance of highway bridges and tunnels. He/she must be thoroughly familiar with the NBIS, SNBI, BIRM, MBE, Metrics for the Oversight of the National Bridge Inspection Program, Caltrans Bridge Element Inspection Manual, NTIS, SNTI, TOMIE, Metrics for the Oversight of the National Tunnel Inspection Program, and the SM&I Procedures Manual.
- The incumbent must be thoroughly familiar with the Caltrans Employee Safety Manual and the Code of Safe Operating Practices of the Caltrans Maintenance Program.
- The incumbent must be able to make accurate and effective decisions during stressful situations, such as during an emergency response or while working in difficult conditions and environments.
- The incumbent must maintain certification as a Bridge Inspection Team Leader and a Tunnel Inspection Team Leader in accordance with the NBIS and NTIS. In addition, the incumbent must maintain certification as a FAA Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Remote Pilot.
- The incumbent must maintain current status as a qualified trainer for Confined Space and Fall Protection training courses.
- The following abilities are essential for structure inspection work: (i) apply sound engineer
