Proposal Engineer (TE Specialist)

The Iowa Department of Transportation is looking to fill a Proposal Engineer (Transportation Engineer Specialist) position in the Contracts and Specifications Bureau. The Proposal Engineer coordinates the preparation of lettings for the Contracts and Specifications Bureau. The bureau conducts the lettings for highway projects throughout the state. A letting is a process by which contractors submit sealed bids for projects that are to be constructed. There are twelve lettings each year, and each letting has a ten-week schedule. The average size of each letting is 70 proposals, totaling about $111 million.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Mission is Making Lives Better Through Transportation. To accomplish our Mission, the person selected for this position will demonstrate actions and behaviors guided by the Iowa Department of Transportation’s five CORE values: Safety First, People Matter, Customer Focused, Servant Leadership, and Integrity Without Exception.

Location: Ames, Iowa

Shift Requirements: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F (Flex Time Available)

As a Proposal Engineer (TE Specialist), your duties will include, but are not limited to:

- Receive plans from Iowa DOT designers and local agencies for each of the 12 lettings, plus special lettings held each year. The number of plans each year is about 900, totaling about $1.3 billion.

- Review each plan for completeness, correctness, and conformity to the Iowa DOT Standard Specifications. Determine whether each plan meets minimum quality standards for inclusion in the DOT letting.

- Select critical projects for innovative contracting techniques and develop the selected technique for the project. These critical projects are usually multi-million-dollar projects that are highly visible and have a substantial impact on the traveling public.

- Assign projects to estimating staff to estimate the project's cost, determine the contract period, and assign specifications. This position oversees the process of generating the proposal for each project.

- Answer technical questions from contractors about the plans and specifications prior to the letting. Document all questions and responses.

- Research concerns about the plans and prepares addenda to change the contract documents prior to the letting.

- Participates in meetings between the Iowa DOT Bureaus and District Offices to review the corridor of work, determine how the corridor of work will be divided into projects for letting, and package the work into projects.

- Assist in the opening of the bids on letting day and ensure that incorrectly submitted bids are not read.

- Review the bids submitted for the letting and assist in the analysis to determine the low bidder with regard to DBE goal responsiveness, optional combinations, and other factors.

- Review price trends and assist in the determination to award a contract to the lowest responsive bidder for each project.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is proud to be a partner with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Through this partnership, DOT engineers are granted membership at a largely discounted price, as well as discounts for conferences and continuing education through the ASCE. We are excited to offer this benefit and to have you join this partnership with us! If you're interested in learning more about this benefit, please visit

What we offer YOU:

- Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance.

- Insurance benefits start first of the month following 30 days of employment. 2025 health and dental insurance premiums can be found here.

- Opportunities for professional growth and development.

- Paid time off effective immediately - biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year.

- Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match

- Optional 401A plan with employer contributions.

- Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling, legal, financial).

We encourage you to learn more about the State of Iowa Employee benefits and costs at the State of Iowa Employee Benefits Website!

You have the freedom to flourish in Iowa – Apply today!

The Iowa Department of Transportation is an equal opportunity employer. If you require a reasonable accommodation in completing any screening, interviewing, pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please direct your request to the Affirmative Action & Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) Officer at:

Reasonable accommodation includes an interpreter, translator, written materials, modified equipment/devices, ADA access, etc. This does not include scheduling needs.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1) All of the following (a and b):

a. Licensure as a professional engineer; and

b. Two years of full-time professional work experience in transportation engineering or civil engineering.

2) All of the following (a, b, and c):

a. Licensure as a professional engineer; and

b. One year of full-time professional work experience in transportation engineering or civil engineering; and

c. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master’s degree in chemical, civil, construction, environmental, materials, structural, or transportation engineering; engineering management; or a field closely related to transportation engineering.

3) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full-time work as a Transportation Engineer.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

Additional Qualification Requirements

Prior to appointment, applicants must possess active licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering & Land Surveying Examining Board.