Senior Materials and Research Engineer
California State Personnel Board Specification
Definition
Under general direction, as a first line supervisor to plan and direct the work of a multidisciplined staff including professional engineers, engineering technicians, physical science specialists, and other support staff involved in investigation, consultation, applied physical research, physical quality assurance testing and inspection of engineering materials and transportation facilities, physical and environmental impact assessment; or, in a staff specialist capacity to perform difficult and complex work in one or more specialized areas of engineering materials and the physical environment; and to perform other related duties. Providing the above services to headquarters and districts in the functional areas of planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance are all duties required of those in this class.
Typical Tasks
Plans, directs, coordinates, and occasionally performs field and laboratory investigations of engineering materials; special technical studies; physical quality control and quality assurance testing and inspection of engineering and other materials; applied physical research, testing and development in areas of engineering materials and physical environmental parameters; environmental impact assessment and mitigation; statewide standardization, calibration, and coordination of materials and environmental testing and inspection methods and equipment; consultation and technical services for all requesting functional areas at Headquarters and in the Districts, including assistance in legal activities; computer- oriented processes to compile and analyze engineering data; experimental design and statistical analysis in conjunction with research and investigational studies; preparation of specifications, test methods, and preparation of correspondence in all of the above areas; preparation and presentation of written and oral communications in-house and to the public; assignment, instruction, review, and administrative decision making in connection with all the above activities. Engineers in this classification, depending on specific assignment, may be required to utilize technology in one or more of the following engineering or technical fields: civil, mechanical, electrical, metallurgical, corrosion, acoustical, chemical, geological, welding, quality control, environmental, and various other technologies included in the broad civil engineering field. Some typical engineering materials and manufactured and fabricated products that may be evaluated include soils, aggregate, rock, welded structural steel, reinforcing steel, prestressing steel, wood, plastics, coatings, portland cement, asphalt products, portland cement and asphalt concrete, pipe of all kinds, metal castings, and others. Typical environmental parameters evaluated include air and water quality, noise, energy, solid waste, and others.
Minimum Qualifications
Possession of a valid certificate of registration as a professional engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. and Experience: Five years of responsible and varied engineering experience, two years of which shall have been in quality control and assurance sampling, testing, and inspection and/or applied physical research or investigational work on engineering or native materials or manufactured and fabricated products used in transportation systems, or in testing, research, and development in the physical environmental impact assessment and mitigation area. [In the California state service, experience in the Associate Materials and Research Engineer class or the Transportation Engineer (Civil), Range D, class meets this qualification.]
Knowledge and Abilities
Knowledge of: Methods, materials, and equipment used in the inspection, testing, and evaluation of a wide variety of engineering construction and other materials; methods, materials, and equipment used in physical environmental impact assessment and mitigation; physical properties and uses of engineering construction materials; the fabrication of engineering construction and other materials; basic applications of computer technology to engineering problems; principles of effective supervision; department's Affirmative Action Program objectives; a manager's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.
Ability to: Perform physical quality control and assurance tests and inspection to assure the suitability of engineering construction and other materials; do applied physical research and developmental work on engineering construction and other materials and in the physical environmental impact assessment and mitigation area; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; lay out work for others and direct them in their work; communicate effectively; prepare correspondence and clear, concise, and comprehensive engineering reports; effectively contribute to the department's affirmative action objectives.
