Senior Bridge Maintenance 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, Structural Engineering, the Senior Bridge Maintenance Engineer provides leadership and technical expertise in the delivery of structural engineering services.

In this capacity, you provide specialized structural engineering advice and contract administration expertise respecting inspection, analysis, evaluation, repair, and rehabilitation designs for bridge projects, culverts, retaining walls, overhead sign structures, and other highway related structures.

This position also identifies and prioritizes current and emerging highway structures inspection and maintenance issues, conducts complex highway structures studies and coordinates highway structures analyses, evaluations, and repair/rehabilitation designs.

You will also be responsible for supervising and coordinating bridge engineers and support staff in fulfilling the highway structures maintenance and repair & rehabilitation engineering needs of the Department and carry out other related duties as assigned.

You will also responsible, supervise and coordinate tendering of highway structures repair/rehabilitation projects for the Capital Program and District structural maintenance projects.  This includes coordinating with district staff and support staff, reviewing field estimates, assessing construction and maintenance techniques, drafting contract documents, and ensuring consistency in contracting procedures.

You will procure engineering consulting services, prepare Terms of Reference, coordinate proposal reviews, award contracts, supervise consultants' work and approve payment.

Primary Accountabilities

The Senior Bridge Maintenance Engineer leads designs, development, and implementation of Departmental programs for preventative maintenance and repair/rehabilitation of highway structures.  This position is responsible for the implementation and evaluation of “pilot projects”, where new and innovative bridge maintenance and repair/rehabilitation products and techniques are used.

The Senior Bridge Maintenance Engineer mentors and provides technical advice respecting bridge inspection, maintenance and repair/rehabilitation for other engineering and technical staff within Structural Engineering and provides comprehensive technical and professional structural engineering support services to staff in other divisions of the Department, other provincial departments and federal and municipal Government departments.

You will review and update Department procedures and policies respecting preventative maintenance and operation of highway structures and communicate proposed changes to Senior Management, stakeholders, Cabinet and/or the Priorities and Planning Secretariat.

This position requires travel throughout the province of Nova Scotia to visit project sites, meet and work collaboratively with district bridge engineers, other technical staff across the Department and Highway Programs division.

You will also liaise between the districts and Highway Engineering Services to ensure that new structures are designed with due consideration to future maintenance requirements.

This position also participates in working committees respecting operational procedures and policies and formulates reports and recommendations.

Qualifications and Experience

A Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from an accredited engineering institute.  You must be (or meet the requirements to be) actively registered as a Full Member (P. Eng) with Engineers Nova Scotia (ENS).

The candidate must have at least six years of related experience in structural analysis, evaluations, repair, rehabilitation designs 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.

Candidate must be able to manage multiple priorities, have excellent organizational skills, be a quick learner and demonstrate sound decision-making skills.

The incumbent will have effective verbal and written communication skills for dealing with department personnel, other government agencies, contractors, consultants, and the public.

A thorough understanding of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code and Department Standard Specifications is required.

A working knowledge of the TAC Design Guide, the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada, the Public Highways Act, the Motor Vehicle Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and the associated regulations, is preferred.

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

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

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.
 

Additional Information

This is a Term employment opportunity with anticipated end date of January 30, 2026.  The appointment status Term is dependent on the start date of the successful candidate.

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.