Optical Engineer Entry Level Jobs in Minneapolis, MN

Salary: $38.59 - $52.82 Hourly
Location : Public Works North Shop, MN
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 26-00157
Department: Public Works Dept
Division: Traffic
Opening Date: 08/12/2026
Closing Date: 9/7/2026 11:59 PM Central
JOB SPECIFICS
Washington County Public Works is looking for a motivated and curious emerging engineer to join our Traffic Engineering team-an essential part of keeping our communities moving safely and efficiently. This entry level role offers an exceptional opportunity to make a real impact on a countywide highway system that includes approximately 100 traffic signals, 17 roundabouts, 16,000 road signs, 114 miles of fiber optic lines, and roughly 700 highway permits each year.
As an Engineer in our traffic section, you'll play a hands-on role in ensuring safe work zones, reviewing construction plans, managing traffic data collection efforts, and overseeing roadway striping contracts. You'll work closely with a wide range of partners-design engineers, project managers, field maintenance staff, consultants, agency partners, residents, and elected officials-so strong communication and collaboration skills are key.
This is a learning-focused position. The successful candidate will receive direct mentoring and support from experienced Traffic Engineering staff, including the incumbent currently serving in this role. You'll have opportunities to grow your technical expertise, strengthen your engineering judgment, and build a meaningful foundation for a long and successful career in transportation engineering.
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:

• Successful completion of college-level coursework in topics specific to roadway engineering
• Previous experience in roadway engineering work, which could include summer internships or other seasonal work
• Previous experience working with consultants and/or contractors
• Participation in student or professional organizations related to roadway engineering

SELECTION TECHNIQUE: Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top-scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.
HOURS / DAYS: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm / Monday - Friday plus overtime hours as needed. Work schedules (hours and days) are subject to change based on department needs.
ANTICIPATED PAY RATE: $38.59 - $45.71 Hourly
E-Verify Participation: Washington County participates in the federal E-Verify program. This means that Washington County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Washington County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9.
JOB SUMMARY
The Engineer I provides basic highway design or traffic engineering support to ensure the successful development and implementation of highway construction and traffic engineering projects.
EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: This position requires graduation from an accredited university or college with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and certification as an Engineer in Training (EIT), working toward a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Minnesota.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Prior experience in highway design, drainage design, transportation engineering, traffic engineering or project management.
CORE COMPETENCIES, JOB SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE
outline essential business and professional traits necessary to perform this job.

• Support and prioritize a welcoming and respectful workplace that fosters diversity and encourages contributions from all individuals.
• Provide inclusive and equitable service to all members of the community with dignity and respect.
• Demonstrate support for the County's diversity, equity and inclusion program.
• Promotes a culture of continuous quality improvement in the workplace.
• Demonstrates knowledge of, or ability to learn, quality/continuous improvement.
• Demonstrates knowledge of principles and practices of highway engineering.
• Demonstrates knowledge of current design methods and programs, practices, techniques of highway design, hydrology, hydraulics, pavement design, signal design, signing and striping layouts, and temporary traffic control and detour layouts.
• Demonstrates knowledge of environmental policies, preparing environmental permits and reports.
• Demonstrates knowledge of current developments, literature, and sources of information in highway and traffic engineering.
• Demonstrates knowledge of pertinent codes, rules, and regulations.
• Demonstrates ability to solve complex and specific design problems and situations.
• Demonstrates ability to perform complex analysis in project timetable.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate engineering analysis to technicians.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate technical information to an unfamiliar audience.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Develop and implement standard design procedures, programs, and processes.
2. Determine, communicate, monitor and ensure data collection needs for complete analysis during design.
3. Provide professional and complex engineering elements to satisfy accepted engineering principles, regulatory constraints, County financial limits, and public participation needs.
4. Participate in consultant selection; review consultant plans for compliance with County standards and practices.
5. Prepare and design studies for approval.
6. Perform and review complex professional engineering calculations and designs for County infrastructure improvements, including horizontal and vertical alignments, cross-sections, hydraulics and right of way.
7. Participate in the public project involvement process.
8. Attend public and landowner meetings to understand public concerns and explain project goals and constraints.
9. Review and prepare construction plan documents, project cost estimates and special provisions.
10. Determine project hydrology and designs hydraulic and water quality systems.
11. Review, prepare, and acquire all regulatory permits and approvals required for project initiation.
12. Meet with permitting officials in the field or office as needed.
13. Coordinate right of way needs, both permanent and temporary, for project completion.
14. Provide technical and professional support to field construction change requests and general activities to ensure project construction success
15. Prepare standard traffic engineering studies, including traffic crash reviews, intersection control warrant analysis, and traffic projection estimates.
16. Complete traffic data collection tasks, including required MnDOT submittals and composition and publication of the county's annual Intersection Control Ranking System (ICRS) report.
17. Coordinate and review studies prepared by consultants, local government units, and MnDOT.
18. Prepare and review signing and striping plans for highway construction and maintenance projects.
19. Recommend and implement traffic signal timing and phasing plans, including determining appropriate left turn phasing based on time of day or other conditions.
20. Prepare and review traffic signal plans specifications, and optimization studies.
21. Provide field support for traffic control on county highway projects, including conducting No Passing Zone surveys and providing field locations for signing and striping features.
22. Review local project and private development proposals for county highway impacts.
23. Review highway permit applications for compliance with county policies and standards.

Performs other duties as assigned.
Essential functions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work performed is semi-sedentary in nature and typically performed within the Public Works Department's North Shop, a satellite office or other field work location. Lifting requirement of up to 50 pounds on an occasional basis. Equipment used may include, but is not limited to, computer, calculator, telephone, camera, and copy and fax machine, power and hand tools, and other job-related equipment.
Work interruptions are frequent. There is some pressure associated with dealing with individuals who may be emotionally charged and with project or activity deadlines and details. Driving or riding to work at a service center, attending meetings, participating in or leading training sessions, etc. will be required. Outdoor tasks will involve exposure to environmental conditions.
Additional physical/mental requirements that occur may not be listed above but are inherent in performing the position's essential functions.
This job description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this job description at any time.
Washington County offers a comprehensive including paid time off, holidays, medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance.
For a more detailed overview of our 49ERS benefit package,
01
This position requires graduation from an accredited university or college with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and certification as an Engineer in Training (EIT), working toward a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Minnesota.

• Yes
• No

02
Have you completed college-level coursework in topics specific to roadway engineering?

• Yes
• No

03
If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please list the coursework topics and the school you attended. If you answered "No," enter "NA" in the text box.
04
Do you have previous experience in roadway engineering work, which could include summer internships or other seasonal work?

• Yes
• No

05
If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)
06
Do you have previous experience working with consultants and/or contractors?

• Yes
• No

07
If you answered "Yes" to the above question, you must provide a brief summary of your experience and the name of the employer(s) where you gained that experience. (If you answered "No" to the above question, enter "NA" in the text box.)
08
Have you participated in student or professional organizations related to roadway engineering?

• Yes
• No

09
If you answered "Yes" to the question above, please list the student or professional organizations you served. If you answered "No," enter "NA" in the text box.
Required Question