Minnesota Department of Transportation

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MnDOT Policies

State Aid Engineering Positions

MnDOT Policy #WF005
Revised: October 24, 2022
Reviewed: October 23, 2024

View/print signed policy (PDF)

State Aid Engineering Positions Hiring Procedures

Please go to the MnDOT Org Chart to find specific contact information: Org Chart.

Responsible Senior Officers:

  • Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer
  • Deputy Commissioner/Chief Administrative Officer

Policy Owners:

  • Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer
  • Director, Office of Human Resources

Policy Contact: State Aid Engineering Office Director, State Aid for Local Transportation

Policy statement

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is committed to a diverse and well-qualified workforce. The State Aid Engineering Positions Hiring Procedures must be followed when filling the following MnDOT positions:

  • Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer
  • Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer
  • State Aid Engineering Office Director
  • District State Aid Engineer in each District

MnDOT may not permanently fill these positions without following the procedures to post and interview for the positions. A city and county engineer must serve on the interview committee. These positions may be temporarily filled during a vacancy.

Reason for policy

The Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer, Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer, State Aid Engineering Office Director, and District State Aid Engineer should have local government experience before hire because most of their work focuses on the needs and concerns of local governments. The salaries for these positions are paid with funds from the County State Aid Highway (CSAH) fund and the Municipal State Aid Street Systems (MSAS) fund. The city and county engineers view these positions as direct advocates for city and county needs within the MnDOT hierarchy. Accordingly, it is essential that city and county engineers are included on the interview panels and have direct input into the selection of the successful candidate.

Applicability

All MnDOT employees must comply with this policy.

Key stakeholders with responsibilities under this policy include:

  • Commissioner
  • Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer
  • Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer
  • Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer
  • State Aid Engineering Office Director
  • State Aid Division
  • District Engineers
  • Assistant Commissioner – Operations Division
  • District State Aid Engineers
  • Assistant Commissioners
  • Human Resources

Definitions

City Engineers Association of Minnesota (CEAM)

An association of City Engineers of the State of Minnesota organized by the Constitution and By-Laws of the CEAM to further the education and welfare of other city engineers, to promote the interchange of helpful ideas and information, to work constructively toward the advancement and improvement of the engineering profession, and to seek ways and means by which city engineers may be more useful and efficient to those they serve.

Refer to the CEAM website for further information.

County State Aid Highways (CSAH)

A network of key highways under the jurisdiction of Minnesota’s counties. The County State Aid Highway system covers roughly 30,600 miles of roadway throughout all 87 counties, comprising over two-thirds of all county highway miles. Counties receive money from the State’s County State Aid Highway (CSAH) fund for the construction, improvement, and maintenance of those highways included in the State Aid Highway system.

Refer to Minnesota Statutes, section 162.06, Subdivision 2 for authority to use CSAH funds to support the MnDOT State Aid Engineering positions.

Minnesota County Engineers Association (MCEA)

An association of County Engineers in the State of Minnesota organized under the Articles of Incorporation to promote the county engineering profession and uphold the Code of Ethics.

Refer to the MCEA website for further information.

Municipal State Aid Street System (MSAS)

A collection of approximately 3,600 miles of key streets located in Minnesota cities across the state with populations greater than 5,000. The system constitutes around 16 percent of all miles of city streets. Cities receive financial assistance from the state for construction and maintenance of those streets included in the State Aid Street System.

Refer to Minnesota Statutes, section 162.12, Subdivision 2 for authority to use MSAS funds to support the MnDOT State Aid Engineering positions.

Responsibilities

Commissioner

  • Appoint the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer based on the recommendation of the Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer and the interview committee.

Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer

  • Work with CEAM to select a City Engineer to serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer position.
  • Work with MCEA to select a County engineer to serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer position.
  • Serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer.
  • Recommend to the Commissioner the final candidate or candidates for the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer.
  • Collaborate with the Assistant Commissioners to approve the hire of the Deputy State Aid Engineer/State Aid Engineering Office Director based on the recommendation of the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer and the interview committee.

Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer

  • Work with CEAM to select a City Engineer to serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer, State Aid Engineering Office Director and District State Aid Engineer positions.
  • Work with MCEA to select a County Engineer to serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer, /State Aid Engineering Office Director and District State Aid Engineer positions.
  • Serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer and State Aid Engineering Office Director.
  • Serve, or delegate to the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer or State Aid Engineering Office Director to serve, on the interview committee for the District State Aid Engineers positions.
  • Recommend to the Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners the final candidate for the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer and State Aid Engineering Office Director positions.
  • Collaborate with the Assistant Commissioners to approve the hire of the District State Aid Engineer based on the recommendation of the District Engineer, the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer, and the interview committee.
  • Collaborate with the District Engineer to select a District State Aid Engineer (from another district) to serve on the interview committee for an open District State Aid Engineer position.
  • Review the policy every two years, or sooner as necessary, to ensure the policy remains up to date.
  • Ensure procedures associated with the policy remain current.
  • Monitor state, federal, enterprise, agency, or other requirements that apply to the policy or procedures.
  • Consult with the Office of Chief Counsel to ensure the policy and procedures remain compliant with all state, federal, enterprise, agency, or other requirements.
  • Ensure that necessary approvals by state or federal agencies are obtained before changes to the policy or procedures are implemented.
  • Work with the Policy Coordinator to revise the policy and/or confirm its accuracy.
  • Communicate policy revisions, reviews, and/or retirements to stakeholders.

State Aid Division

  • Distribute State Aid Engineering position postings to county and city engineer distribution lists and to the Advocacy Council for Tribal Transportation (ACTT).

District Engineers

  • Coordinate with the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer and CEAM to select a City Engineer to serve on the interview committee for the District State Aid Engineer position.
  • Coordinate with the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer and MCEA to select a County engineer to serve on the interview committee for the District State Aid Engineer position.
  • Coordinate with the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer to select a District State Aid Engineer (from another district) to serve on the interview committee for the District State Aid Engineer position.
  • Serve on the interview committee for the District State Aid Engineer position.
  • Collaborate with the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer to select the final candidate for the District State Aid Engineer position.
  • Recommend to the Assistant Commissioner – Operations Division, Deputy Commissioner, and Assistant Commissioners the final candidate for the District State Aid Engineer position.

Assistant Commissioner – Operations Division

  • Serve on the interview committee for the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer position.

District State Aid Engineers (from another district)

  • Serve on the interview committee for the District State Aid Engineer position.

Assistant Commissioners

  • Collaborate with the Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer to approve the hire of the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer, State Aid Engineering Office Director, and the District State Aid Engineers.

Human Resources

  • In consultation with the Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer, prepare the job posting for the recruitment of the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer.
  • In consultation with the District Engineer, prepare the job posting for the recruitment of the District State Aid Engineer positions.
  • In consultation with the Assistant Commissioner State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications Division/State Aid Engineer, prepare the job posting for the recruitment of the Assistant Division Director State Aid and Statewide Radio Communications/Deputy State Aid Engineer and State Aid Engineering Office Director.
  • Assess applicants, consult with the Deputy Commissioner/Chief Engineer, and forward the list of qualified candidates to the hiring manager to select candidates to interview.

Resources and related information

Processes, Procedures, and Instructions

Resources

History and updates

Adopted

January 7, 2013

Superseded

  • Policy 8.1 – Administration No. 90-3A, State Aid Engineering Positions
    • Effective: December 14, 1990
    • First Revision: June 17, 1993
    • Second Revision: November 17, 1998
    • Third Revision: January 2, 2004
  • Guideline 8.1-G-1, Selection Process for Filling State Aid Engineering Positions

Revised

  • First Revision: October 24, 2022 (also renumbered as #WF005)

Policy Review

  • October 23, 2024:  Removed the number of cities in the definition of Municipal State Aid Street System because the number of cities is dynamic and can change from year to year.

This policy's next scheduled review is due October 2026.