Senior Bridge Engineer (Engineer 4)

About Us

Building and maintaining our provincial infrastructure is no small job.

The Department of Public Works supports Nova Scotia’s 23,000 kilometers of roads and highways and 4,100 bridges. Our District Highway Operations Division plays a critical role in managing snow and ice control services, road maintenance and repair services throughout the province.

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager of Structural Engineering, the Senior Bridge Engineer serves as a technical expert and project lead responsible for the planning and design of complex highway structures under the jurisdiction of Nova Scotia Public Works. This role ensures the structural integrity, safety, and longevity of new provincial bridge infrastructure by providing expert technical guidance, overseeing innovative design, and application of accelerated bridge solutions for the effective delivery of the Public Works Capital Plan. The Senior Bridge Engineer is a subject matter expert in structural engineering principles, material performance and design codes, providing critical guidance to the Department on complex engineering challenges and ensuring compliance with provincial and national standards.

Primary Accountabilities

The primary accountabilities of the Senior Bridge Engineer are:

• Provides technical expertise and advice for the delivery of structural engineering services related to design, procurement and construction of highway structures, including bridges, buried structures, culverts, retaining walls, and overhead sign structures.
• Manages structural designs for projects within the Department’s Capital Plan with a specific focus on more complicated and large-scale projects, including Highway Twinning initiatives, interchanges, long-span structures, and signature or high-profile bridges.
• Provides technical advice on bridge design and construction to Junior and Intermediate Bridge Engineering staff, Project Engineers, District Bridge Engineers, Contractors, and Senior management.  
• Plays a critical role in Emergency response efforts, including bridge inspections and providing advice on repair and replacements during major storm events. 
• Contributes to the decision-making process for bridge rehabilitation versus full replacement.
• Coordinates and reviews bridge surveys, geotechnical investigations, bridge alignments, hydrology/hydraulics analysis reports, structure designs, archeology reports, environmental assessment reports, environmental permitting applications, and tender documents.

Primary Accountabilities (Continued)

• Applies for and obtains permits from regulatory authorities on bridge projects and other highway structures and serves as a lead innovator in researching, evaluating, and implementing emerging technologies, experimental projects, and advanced bridge construction methods.
• Develops and refines construction specifications and best practices to enhance bridge design and construction standards and inspects projects under construction to ensure compliance with applicable construction practices and design requirements.
• Provides guidance to the project engineer during construction by reviewing shop drawings, answering questions, and completing site inspections as needed and prepares tender documentation for bridge projects and other highway structures including design drawings, cost estimates, quantities, and special provisions.
• Solves design/construction related issues and make recommendations to the project engineer.
• Undertakes commissioning and warranty inspections and occasionally travels throughout the province to visit project sites and meet and work collaboratively with other technical staff across the department.

Qualifications and Experience

A Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from an accredited engineering institute and at least six (6) years of related experience in structural design, inspection, analysis, evaluations for bridge projects, culverts, retaining walls, overhead sign structures, and other highway related structures. Also, broad expertise in traffic and transportation engineering, environmental principles, hydrology and soil mechanics, project management, engineering economics and statistics, construction of highway structures and the interrelationship with highway structures design.

You must be (or meet the requirements to be) actively registered as a Full Member (P. Eng) with Engineers Nova Scotia (ENS).

The incumbent must be able to manage multiple priorities, have excellent organizational skills, be a quick learner and demonstrate sound decision-making skills, coupled with the ability to multi-task and adapt in this fast-paced environment with competing priorities.

The incumbent will have effective verbal and written communication skills for dealing with department personnel, other government agencies, contractors, consultants, and the public. Experience in leading and coordinating project teams as well as experience in public speaking and/or giving formal presentations is a definite asset.

The incumbent will be highly motivated and able to work independently on complex bridge projects, detailed studies as well as lead and coordinate work in a multi-disciplinary, team-based environment.

The incumbent must have experience with structural steel, reinforced concrete and timber structural design, codes, and handbooks. Experience using structural/bridge software, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office software suites is essential.

The incumbent has a working knowledge of structural design and analysis with experience and understanding of Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, Department Standard Specifications, policies and procedures, Guide to Bridge Hydraulics, TAC Design Guide, the Public Highway Act, the Motor Vehicle Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the associated regulations.

Preference will be given to candidates with experience of structural analysis software and / or finite element analysis, knowledge and experience of project management techniques, consultant procurement practices and agreements, tendering processes, advanced highway structure design and highway structures evaluation computer applications.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

Most of your time is spent in a comfortable office setting sitting for long periods of time.

Travel throughout the province is required.

Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. You may be required to work overtime on occasions.

What We Offer

• Career development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths