STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Connecticut Careers Trainee (Engineering And Related)

Intergovernmental Affairs

Recruitment #241205-1993FS-001

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Introduction


Are you looking for an entry level role to aid in a critical part of the transportation planning process? 
Do you like building and maintaining relationships?
If so, read below & apply today! 

The State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation (DOT), Bureau of Policy and Planning is now accepting applications for two exciting Connecticut Career Trainee (CCT) positions, with a target class of Transportation Planner 1 within our Intergovernmental Affairs Unit. This position will be located at the Department of Transportation Headquarters in Newington.  If you like building and maintaining relationships and aiding in a critical part of the transportation planning process, this entry level position may be the role for you!  

WE CAN OFFER YOU:
  • Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
  • The opportunity to work for a Forbes top company: 'Forbes' State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
  • Professional growth and development opportunities.
  • A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
  • Join an award- winning agency! CTDOT was recently awarded the Employer of the Year award by the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) and named the Women's Transportation Seminar (WTS) CT Employer of the Year for 2024!
THE ROLE: 
The Connecticut Career Trainee position will aid in facilitating and overseeing the daily coordination with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO’s) the Council of Governments (COG’s) and local officials on planning and program efforts to ensure that the planning process is conducted in accordance with the requirements of federal laws and regulations. This includes coordination with required federal agencies (Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration) along with internal Connecticut Department of Transportation staff in all five bureaus. This position will be an important part of a unit which will be responsible for assisting in leading both high level technical federal programs, as well as being responsible for a wide range of government affairs coordination. This position is unique as it blends technical planning and government affairs together to provide accurate and timely assistance to key agencies and stakeholders. Additional responsibilities will include aiding in review, approval, and oversight of planning programs, invoices, and contract compliance.   

This position will be pivotal in meeting the requirements of both State and Federal laws and regulations as it relates to coordination and cooperation with the Council of Governments (COG), the Metropolitan Transportation Organizations (MPO) and local elected officials.    All federally funded projects must be vetted with and approved by the COGs, MPOs and local elected officials to be included into the State Transportation Improvement Plan. It is imperative that these relationships are created and maintained, and that knowledge of the Department’s goals, vision and mission be communicated effectively with these entities, and likewise, that this unit serve as a conduit of communication of local issues back to the Department.

POSITION HIGHLIGHTS:
  • Monday-Friday
  • Full-time (40 hours/week)
  • 1st Shift
  • Newington, CT
  • P-4 (Engineering and Scientific) bargaining unit. 
  • This position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy. Employees in their initial working test period must work on site in the office.
  • Join an award winning agency! CT DOT has been recently awarded the Employer of the Year award by the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE)!

SALARY NOTE:

 1st Year of Training 

2nd Year of Training 

Bachelor's degree and/or qualifying experience: FS 15 Step 1 $55,328 

General Rate FS 15 Step 5: $63,306

Master's degree: FS 15 Step 2 $57,320
The salary for an employee who completes any of the above minimum requirements after initial appointment to the Connecticut Careers Trainee job class will be adjusted commensurate with the schedule above and effective the pay period following the date the master’s degree has been conferred or the pay period following the date the appropriate number of credits as indicated above have been earned.

For current state employees, compensation will be in accordance with guidelines for computing salary adjustments set forth by the Department of Administrative Services, Determining Salary Upon Change in Class manual.

CAREER TRAJECTORY:



WHO WE ARE:
As one of Connecticut’s largest State agencies, DOT employs approximately 3,300 individuals statewide in five distinct bureaus. It is our mission to provide a safe, efficient and accessible multimodal transportation network that improves the quality of life and promotes economic vitality for the State and the region. We have a significant transportation infrastructure system that is essential to maintaining mobility for Connecticut residents and businesses and supporting economic and community development.  The recent passage of the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act (IIJA) presents exciting funding opportunities for the State of Connecticut, and this position will be crucial in aligning the Department to be successful in obtaining approvals for discretionary program funds.   The Department of Transportation is committed to cultivating a diverse staff that is representative of the communities we serve. Applications from individuals having diverse backgrounds and life experiences are strongly encouraged.

Selection Plan

To Apply:
  • Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
  • In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited.  If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting. 
For Assistance In Applying:
  • Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!
Important Information After You Apply:
  • For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
  • This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
  • Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
Connect With Us:
Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Hayley Newhouse, at Hayley.Newhouse@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency this class is accountable for mastering the skills necessary to satisfactorily complete the training program for a professional position.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Duties of this position will include: 
  • Assist with oversight of the COGs/MPOs development of the following aspects of federal transportation planning process: Unified Planning Work Programs (UPWPs), Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTPs), Public Involvement Plans (PIPs).
  • Function as a CTDOT liaison with the COG/MPO’s and municipalities to ensure clear communication on transportation programs and projects
  • Assist in ensuring compliance with federal planning requirements
  • Assist in the review and approval of MPO/COG invoices 
  • Assist in overseeing the selection, screening, and ultimate completion of MPO/COG planning studies
  • Aid in managing planning studies included in the UPWP’s
  • Assist in overseeing the selection, screening, and ultimate completion of MPO/COG Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) projects
  • Assist with the coordination of monthly and quarterly COG Coordination meetings
  • Participate in conferences, webinars, and meetings. In-person meetings will be an important component of daily tasks, with internal CTDOT staff, COG/MPO’s, elected officials, and municipal staff.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

  • Oral and written communication skills; 
  • Ability to
    • acquire knowledge and skills required for the target classification;
    • understand, evaluate and solve problems by exercising judgement and logic;
    • read, interpret and understand written material;
    • perform basic arithmetical computations;
    • interpret charts, graphs and tables;
    • learn and reason;
    • establish and maintain cooperative relations with superiors, associates and general public;
    • utilize computer software.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must be able to meet the experience and training requirements of the designated job class at the completion of the development program.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • A Bachelor’s or master’s degree in English, Communications or Marketing, Regional or Urban Planning, Political Science, Public Administration or similar degree
  • Experience or training in project or program solicitation, screening and selection through course work, work experience, or internships
  • Experience or training reviewing, analyzing and commenting on plans and/or reports through course work, work experience, or internships
  • Experience or training with contemporary transportation issues, policies and practices through course work, work experience, or internships
  • Experience or training with communication, public presentation skills, and presenting materials in various forms through course work, work experience, or internships
  • Experience or training with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook), use of GIS, ESRI or similar software through course work, work experience, or internships
  • Experience or training communicating and working collaboratively within a team and with external groups. through course work, work experience, or internships
  • Experience meeting deadlines
  • Experience utilizing organizational and time management skills

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.




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