Senior Operational Technology Engineer (IT Professional B- Bargaining Unit)

Join us in shaping Seattle’s streets!

At the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), we don’t just move people—we connect communities, build safer streets, and create a more sustainable city.

With a bold vision for the future, we’re tackling big challenges: making travel safer, cutting carbon emissions, and ensuring reliable, affordable transportation for everyone—no matter who they are or where they live.

Seattle is growing fast, and we’re growing with it. Thanks to a historic voter-approved $1.55 billion investment in transportation in 2024, we’re building sidewalks, fixing bridges, and improving transit connections to keep our city moving.

We’re a team of problem solvers, planners, engineers, communicators, and field crews—bringing purpose-driven work to life. Now, we need passionate, innovative talent like you. Let’s build a Seattle that works for everyone—together!

Position Overview:
The Senior Operational Technology Engineer (under the City's classification title of IT Professional B- Bargaining Unit) is a hands-on technical role responsible for ensuring the reliability, security, and performance of SDOT’s mission-critical operational technology network supporting traffic signals, cameras, dynamic message signs, and transportation communications infrastructure. This position programs, deploys, and maintains routers, switches, servers, and field devices, responds to system incidents, and participates in a 24x7 on-call rotation to support emergency response and after-hours restoration. The ideal candidate brings deep operational technology and network engineering expertise, strong troubleshooting skills, and experience operating in high-availability environments where system uptime directly impacts public safety, mobility, and emergency services, aligning closely with SDOT’s goals for safe, reliable, and resilient transportation operations. This position will report to the Operational Technology Supervisor.

• Program, configure, deploy, and maintain operational technology network infrastructure including routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and edge devices.
• Maintain high availability and uptime of mission-critical Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including traffic signals, traffic cameras, dynamic message signs, and supporting communications infrastructure, through proactive monitoring, maintenance, and rapid incident response.
• Provide technical support for core transportation operations software, including traffic signal control systems and CCTV/video management platforms used for real-time traffic monitoring.
• Participate in a 24x7 on-call rotation to troubleshoot and restore operational technology systems during after-hours incidents and emergencies.
• Install, configure, and support field devices such as traffic controllers, cameras, detection systems, dynamic message signs, and communications equipment.
• Perform Layer 2 and Layer 3 network configuration and troubleshooting, including VLANs, routing, switching, and secure communications.
• Diagnose and resolve complex hardware, software, and network issues impacting transportation operations and field connectivity.
• Support department goals in promoting diversity and social justice.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience supporting, administering, or engineering operational technology systems, network infrastructure, or other mission-critical environments.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience programming, deploying, and maintaining network equipment such as routers, switches, firewalls, and connected field devices.
• Experience supporting operational technology or similar environments, such as transportation systems, utilities, public safety systems, industrial control systems, or large-scale field networks.
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.

OR:A combination of education, training, and experience that provides an equivalent background to perform the work.

• Current Washington State driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility.
  

Successful candidates will possess many of these additional qualifications or be able to demonstrate comparable experience and expertise:

• Professional certifications such as Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or equivalent.
• Advanced knowledge of operational technology networking, including Layer 2 and Layer 3 design, routing, switching, VLANs, and network security principles.
• Experience supporting high-availability, 24x7 operational environments, including participation in on-call rotations.
• Familiarity with transportation or Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including traffic signal networks, video management systems, detection devices, and roadside communications infrastructure.
• Experience with system monitoring, redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery concepts in mission-critical environments.
• Ability to clearly document system architectures, configurations, and operational procedures to support continuity and cybersecurity.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to work independently and remain effective during outages or high-pressure incidents.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local standards related to operational technology and transportation systems, including FHWA 23 CFR Part 940 and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
• Effectively work in a multi-cultural workplace with a diverse customer base.

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

• Work is performed in a combination of office, field, and remote environments with hybrid options at this time.
• Onsite presence is required for system support, field coordination, or emergency response as needed.
• Be required to visit field sites, signal cabinets, or communications hubs in all weather conditions, and must be able to safely navigate active roadway and construction environments using appropriate personal protective equipment.
• The position requires sitting or standing for extended periods and occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds.

Offers of employment are contingent on verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process, including background check.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The full salary range for this position is $54.81 - $82.28 per hour.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.
More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans

Who May Apply:This position is open to all candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, veterans and those with diverse life experiences.

Accommodations for people with disabilities are provided on request.

The City is a Drug Free Workplace.