The State of Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is now accepting applications for a Connecticut Careers Trainee (Engineering And Related) position with a target class of Transportation Planner 1 in our Highway Safety Office within the Bureau of Policy and Planning in Newington, Connecticut.
If you are passionate about improving safety in our state, this entry\-level position is an opportunity to start a career at the CTDOT that positively impacts our communities and helps to work toward saving lives.
Current college students who will be graduating with a bachelor's degree by the end of May 2026 are strongly encouraged to apply!
What We Can Offer You
* Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Professional growth and development opportunities.
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees.
- Join an award winning agency! CTDOT has been recently awarded the Employer of the Year award by the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) and named the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) CT Employer of the Year for 2024!
- Monday \- Friday
- Full\-time (40 hours per week)
- First shift
- Location: Newington, CT
- In the P\-4 (Engineering, Scientific and Technical) bargaining unit
- This position will report to a Transportation Supervising Planner or employee of a higher level.
- This position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy. The Policy can be found here. Employees in their initial working test period must work on site in the office.
- Candidates with a bachelor’s degree may be eligible to serve a 2\-year development program.
- Candidates with a master’s degree in a closely related field may be eligible to serve a 1\-year development program.
- Candidates with three (3\) years of professional experience in transportation civil engineering or transportation, urban, regional or environmental planning may be eligible to serve a 3\-year development program.
- ------------------
- Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- -----------------------------------------
- ----------------------
- Codes fatal and non\-fatal crashes;
- Assists with maintaining and updating internal crash case tracking databases;
- Coordinates activities among local, regional, state, and federal agencies, as well as stakeholders and consultants, related to crash data;
- Assists with investigating and responding to inquiries from the public related to crashes;
- Communicates with law enforcement, as needed, to obtain crash\-related information or clarifications;
- Communicates and works collaboratively with other CTDOT offices to troubleshoot issues with the crash system;
- Assists with developing presentations, written reports, data spreadsheets, graphical representations, quarterly reports, and manuals;
- Assists with querying crash data using the Connecticut Crash Data Repository;
- Assists with quality control on crash data;
- Assists with review of proposed legislation;
- Assists with Traffic Safety Outreach;
- Participates in various virtual conferences, webinars, meetings, and in\-person, in\-state, and out\-of\-state trainings;
- Performs related duties as required.
- --------------------------------
- Oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to
- --------------------------
- ----------------------------
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Data Analytics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Communications, Urban or Regional Planning, Political Science, Public Administration, Psychology, Behavioral Sciences, Sociology, Criminology, or a closely related field
- Experience or training communicating and working collaboratively within a team and with external groups through coursework, work experience, or internships
- Experience or training with data collection methodologies, queries, data analysis, and interpretation through coursework, work experience, or internships
- Experience or training with legislation review and analysis through coursework, work experience, or internships
- Experience or training with technical writing and editing through coursework, work experience, or internships
- Experience or training with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook) or similar software through coursework, work experience, or internships
- Experience or training with prioritizing work, time management, and meeting deadlines through coursework, work experience, or internships
- Experience or training with government agency requirements related to data privacy, policy constraints, and legal considerations through coursework, work experience, or internships
Position Highlights
Who We Are
The mission of the CTDOT is improving lives through transportation. To learn more about our mission, vision and values, please click here.
The Role
This entry\-level position is responsible for assisting with managing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysts Reporting System (FARS) program. This program is responsible for meeting the Department's critical mission \- federally mandated reporting of the traffic motor vehicle fatalities to the NHTSA and the safety of the traveling public.
This position requires attention to detail and will work closely with law enforcement agencies and other state agencies, including but not limited to, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Motor Vehicles, as well as the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to collect, analyze, and interpret data from crash reports to ensure conformance with federal standards. This position will assist in addressing internal and external traffic safety data queries for the Department utilizing internal databases, the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, Crash dashboard, NHTSA data query tools, and other available resources.
Appointment
The length of the development program is determined by the experience and training requirements of the designated class and the prior experience of the incumbent. At the completion of the development program incumbents must meet the experience and training requirements of the designated class. The program cannot be less than one (1\) year and cannot exceed three (3\) calendar years in accordance with C.G.S. 5\-234\.
Incumbents in this class will be eligible for reclassification to the designated class without competitive examination upon successful completion of the development program and satisfactory service.
All appointments to this class shall be under terms of a development program and in accordance with a time schedule approved by the Commissioner of Administrative Services. All development programs must be approved by the Department of Administrative Services prior to appointment to this class.
Eligibility for promotion to the target classification of Transportation Planner 1 is earned upon successful completion of your training program:
Salary Note
First year of training: Bachelor's degree and/or qualifying experience: FS 15 Step 1 ($55,328/year) Master's degree: FS 15 Step 2 ($57,320/year)
Second year of training: General rate: FS 15 Step 5 ($63,306/year)
The salary for an employee who completes any of the above minimum requirements after initial appointment to the Connecticut Careers Trainee job class will be adjusted commensurate with the schedule above and effective the pay period following the date the master’s degree has been conferred or the pay period following the date the appropriate number of credits as indicated above have been earned.
For current state employees, compensation will be in accordance with guidelines for computing salary adjustments set forth by the Department of Administrative Services, Determining Salary Upon Change in Class manual.
Selection Plan
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Toolkit for additional support throughout the recruitment process.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
* Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
* Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below by the closing date listed on the job posting.
* Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21\-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency.
* Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
* Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
* Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
* Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
AFTER YOU APPLY:
* Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly.
* For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.”
* Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section).
* Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression!
* Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Frank DeCusati at frank.decusati@ct.gov.
Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In a state agency this class is accountable for mastering the skills necessary to satisfactorily complete the training program for a professional position.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
+ acquire knowledge and skills required for the target classification;
+ understand, evaluate and solve problems by exercising judgement and logic;
+ read, interpret and understand written material;
+ perform basic arithmetical computations;
+ interpret charts, graphs and tables;
+ learn and reason;
+ establish and maintain cooperative relations with superiors, associates and general public;
+ utilize computer software.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates must be able to meet the experience and training requirements of the designated job class at the completion of the development program.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS