Staff Civil Engineer

ARA Career•Gainesville, FL

5d•$62,610 - $81,400•Onsite

About The Position

ARA is seeking a staff civil engineer to serve as a product evaluation specialist in support of ARA’s contract with the Florida DOT State Materials Office (SMO) in Gainesville, FL. Primary responsibilities will be testing and evaluation of highway construction and traffic control device materials. What you will do as a staff civil engineer: Lead the evaluation of vendor-submitted products and supporting data for inclusion on the FDOT Approved Products List (APL). Serve as the primary technical authority responsible for application triage, technical review, status tracking, and timeline management. Assist in identifying and recommending potential field test sites for pavement marking products submitted to the APL. Support coordination of product installations with manufacturers and District personnel in collaboration with the Chemical Operations Manager. Conduct laboratory testing and analysis of pavement marking materials, reflective sheeting, pavement markers, and adhesive materials at the State Materials Office (SMO) testing facilities. Develop, maintain, and expand technical expertise in material performance and testing methodologies while operating and becoming proficient with a wide range of laboratory testing equipment. Conduct ongoing field evaluations of pavement marking materials to assess long-term performance and determine optimal roadway and traffic control products for statewide use. Responsibilities include collecting retroreflectivity (dry and wet), thickness, durability, and color data at APL and AASHTO test decks and during district site investigations using specialized handheld testing equipment (e.g., retroreflectometer and spectrophotometer). Apply working knowledge of the FHWA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to ensure FDOT requirements and evaluations remain consistent with federal minimum standards. Review and contribute to the development of FDOT Standard Specifications and Florida Test Methods, ensuring they meet state requirements and reflect best practices. Collaborate with other SMO sections to plan, execute, and analyze cross-functional research studies and sample testing. Additional responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, conducting product deficiency investigations; performing friction testing on roadway materials; logging and managing samples in the Materials Acceptance and Certification (MAC) system; participating in research on material performance; evaluating installation practices; developing automation and implementing improved sample tracking systems; and preparing technical reports and presentation materials.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Civil Engineering
2+ years of pavement engineering experience; graduate/academic research work may be considered in fulfillment of this requirement
Knowledge and understanding of common pavement engineering principles and practices, such as pavement design, evaluation, and management practices; structural capacity evaluation; pavement materials engineering; pavement performance modeling; resilient modulus analysis; soil materials characterization; statistical analysis; and general data reduction
Working knowledge of MS Office products and other specialty pavement-related evaluation tools
In-state travel is required. Typical trips are 2 to 3 days in length and occur every 1 to 3 months. Most testing is performed at night when traffic volume is lower. Occasional day trips may occur as well.

Nice To Haves

Experience analyzing pavement marking performance data
Experience analyzing nondestructive pavement testing data and pavement condition data

Responsibilities

Lead the evaluation of vendor-submitted products and supporting data for inclusion on the FDOT Approved Products List (APL).
Serve as the primary technical authority responsible for application triage, technical review, status tracking, and timeline management.
Assist in identifying and recommending potential field test sites for pavement marking products submitted to the APL.
Support coordination of product installations with manufacturers and District personnel in collaboration with the Chemical Operations Manager.
Conduct laboratory testing and analysis of pavement marking materials, reflective sheeting, pavement markers, and adhesive materials at the State Materials Office (SMO) testing facilities.
Develop, maintain, and expand technical expertise in material performance and testing methodologies while operating and becoming proficient with a wide range of laboratory testing equipment.
Conduct ongoing field evaluations of pavement marking materials to assess long-term performance and determine optimal roadway and traffic control products for statewide use.
Responsibilities include collecting retroreflectivity (dry and wet), thickness, durability, and color data at APL and AASHTO test decks and during district site investigations using specialized handheld testing equipment (e.g., retroreflectometer and spectrophotometer).
Apply working knowledge of the FHWA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to ensure FDOT requirements and evaluations remain consistent with federal minimum standards.
Review and contribute to the development of FDOT Standard Specifications and Florida Test Methods, ensuring they meet state requirements and reflect best practices.
Collaborate with other SMO sections to plan, execute, and analyze cross-functional research studies and sample testing.
Conducting product deficiency investigations
Performing friction testing on roadway materials
Logging and managing samples in the Materials Acceptance and Certification (MAC) system
Participating in research on material performance
Evaluating installation practices
Developing automation and implementing improved sample tracking systems
Preparing technical reports and presentation materials.