Staff Civil Engineer

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 (, 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.

Staff civil engineer requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Civil Engineering
• + 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 to days in length and occur every to months. Most testing is performed at night when traffic volume is lower. Occasional day trips may occur as well.

Desired skills and experience:

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

We offer a comprehensive and generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life, and retirement plans. The salary for this position ranges from $,/year to $,/year, depending on education and experience.

About ARA:

ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in , currently employs more than , professionals and continues to grow. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in civil technologies, computer software and simulation, defense technologies, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for pavement analysis, environmental site characterization, and robotics.

ARA embraces the core values of passion, freedom, service, and growth. We provide a working environment in which highly qualified technical professionals can pursue their specialties with a maximum of support and a minimum of bureaucracy. These individuals form a network of colleagues with complementary capabilities, similar goals, and a willingness to cooperate on challenging and important technical problems. We strive for long-term associations among our staff and with our clients.

We recognize that employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience.