Principal Engineer 2026-00470

About the Department

This position offers: 

**$2,000 Hiring Bonus** See notes for eligibility

Working for the State of Wyoming offers more than a paycheck. Our total compensation package includes:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid vacation, sick leave, FMLA, and holidays

• Retirement - Pension and 457B plans that help you build a secure future

• Flexible schedules and work-life balance options

• Meaningful work that makes a difference for Wyoming communities

and MUCH MORE! Click here for detailed information, or you can watch this short video to learn about our benefit package!

Want to see the full value of your compensation beyond salary?

Discover Wheatland, Wyoming – A Gateway to Adventure and Opportunity

As the largest town in Platte County, Wheatland offers the perfect blend of small-town charm and big outdoor experiences. Surrounded by Wyoming’s stunning natural beauty, Wheatland provides convenient access to a wide range of recreational activities year-round — from hunting and fishing to family-friendly adventures in the great outdoors.

For sports enthusiasts, Wheatland is just over an hour's drive from Laramie, home of the University of Wyoming Cowboys, where you can catch exciting college games and show your Wyoming pride.

Adding to its appeal, Wyoming is one of only nine states with no state income tax, making Wheatland not just a great place to visit, but an even better place to live, work, and thrive.

• Responsible for the documentation of project quantities and payment.
• Responsible for negotiating and securing agreements with landowners, government agencies, and consultants.
• Responsible for meeting the requirements of DEQ, BLM, USFS, and other agencies on projects.
• Coordinate and develop consensus among representatives of the city, county, federal, and the department, and the general public and special interest groups to address project impacts and effects at the design and construction level.
• Research, locate, and negotiate materials, survey, water, and plant site agreements with private landowners, businesses, and government agencies.
• Generate special provisions for all projects to address issues unique to each project.
• Initiate and monitor consultant agreements and progress to provide various surveying and engineering services.
• Generate plans, summaries, and estimates for maintenance projects.
• Resolve and recommend a resolution of contractor disputes and claims.
• Review, generate, and negotiate change orders.
• Provide fundamental and supplemental training to subordinates.
• Responsible for determining equipment, workforce needs, and budget requirements.
• Manages, coordinates, and organizes field inspections, surveys, laboratory testing, material analysis, and quality control to ensure the project is constructed in accordance with plans and specifications.
• Prepares technical engineering studies and/or summaries for a variety of projects.
• Responsible for the development of plans and documents.
• Responsible for determining equipment & workforce needs & budget requirements.
• Ensures projects are completed in accordance with plans, specifications, and design criteria.
• Responsible for engineering recommendations and summaries for a variety of projects.
• Reviews and approves or rejects submittals.
• Ensures the work activities of the engineering staff meet project technical and policy requirements, state statutes, and federal regulations.
• Performs feasibility analysis to ensure cost-effective solutions.
• Coordinates with other programs, agencies, or outside entities; participates in value engineering studies and public meetings.
• Provides responses as a result of claims, lawsuits, or other public record requests.
• Prepares and coordinates budget recommendations.
• Conducts performance appraisals, makes hiring and firing recommendations, and conducts disciplinary actions.
• Train, develop, and mentor staff.
• Advises senior leaders regarding design and project budgets, design and schedules, and contracts.
• Develops and implements standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the engineering section.
• Participates in selection panels of architects, engineers, and contractors.
• Confers with the staff of agencies in other states or other government levels regarding joint actions taken or to be taken, or in exchange for vital or useful information; develops, reviews, and makes adjustments in a long-range plan for agency (or major program) goals.
• Review blueprints, design plans, and specifications for technical merit and owner intent on all projects and quality control, functionality, readability, sustainability, and construction flow.
• Develops cost estimates for future projects to include design and construction costs; Advises senior leaders on the acquisition of engineering-specific software, hardware, equipment, and materials.
• Affix the PE stamp to the work completed.

Position Duties

Minimum Qualifications

• FLSA: Exempt
• The Wyoming Department of Transportation is a Drug-Free Workplace.
• E-Verify: WYDOT uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities
• This position will supervise the construction located in Wheatland, Wyoming.
• The successful candidate may be eligible for moving expense reimbursement.
• Qualifying eligibility and criteria for the hiring bonus

  • Temporary employees accepting a full-time position.

  • Current employees accepting a promotional opportunity - recruitment must have been opened to the public. 

  • One year of service to WYDOT must be completed, failure to complete this requirement will forfeit the hiring incentive, and funds will be recouped from final pay.

  • Internal candidates would be required to remain in the position for a minimum of one (1) year from their promotion date.

  • Employees would only be eligible for one (1) hiring bonus in a 12-month period.

  • If the employee elects to downgrade through an active recruitment and/or appointment during the twelve (12) month period, they would be required to pay the bonus back. 

Other Qualifications