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CHEMIST V – FIELD OPERATIONS CHIEF - IPR#47073/REQ#40881 CHEMIST V – FIELD OPERATIONS CHIEF - IPR#47073/REQ#40881

Illinois Department of Transportation *
Email

Location: Springfield, IL, US, 62704

Job Requisition ID: 40881

CHEMIST V – FIELD OPERATIONS CHIEF - IPR#47073/REQ#40881

Agency: Department of Transportation
Closing Date/Time: 09/06/2024
Salary: $6,662 - $10,831 MONTHLY

Anticipated Salary Range: $6,662 - $8,162 MONTHLY
Job Type: Salaried
County: Sangamon
Number of Vacancies: 1
Plan/BU: NR916 Teamsters

*This position is covered by the Revolving Door Prohibition policy.

This position is a union position; therefore, provisions of the relevant collective bargaining agreement/labor contract apply to the filling of this position.

All applicants who want to be considered for this position MUST apply electronically through the illinois.jobs2web.com website. State of Illinois employees should click the link near the top left to apply through the SuccessFactors employee career portal.

Applications submitted via email or any paper manner (mail, fax, hand delivery) will not be considered.

Agency Mission Statement:

The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking to hire a Field Operations Chief.

The IDOT team works diligently to provide safe, cost-effective transportation for Illinois in ways that enhance quality of life, promote economic prosperity and protect our environment. We are problem solvers and leaders, constantly searching for innovations and improvements in support of our commitment to providing the best multimodal transportation system for Illinois.

Our team fosters a culture of inclusivity. We value diversity and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards as we work together for a common purpose. Team members frequently collaborate with colleagues and others outside the department to best meet customer needs.

The department offers extensive training and career advancement opportunities. Employees also receive a robust benefit package including:

  • Monday-Friday work schedule
  • Flexible work schedules in several program areas (flexible time, hybrid scheduling).
  • Health, Life, Vision, and Dental Insurance
  • Pension Plan
  • (12) Weeks paid Maternity/Paternity Leave
  • Deferred Compensation Program and other pre-tax benefit programs (Medical/Daycare)
  • Employees earn (12) paid Sick Days annually.
  • New Employees earn (10) paid Vacation Days their first year of service and can earn up to (25) paid Vacation Days annually.
  • Employees earn (3) paid Personal Days annually.
  • (13-14) paid holidays annually (based on start date)
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Assistance Program and/or mental health resources

We invite qualified applicants to apply to become part of our team. We are confident that you will take pride in serving Illinois and its residents and visitors.

Job Responsibilities

This position is accountable for managing the department's bituminous materials policies and other highway construction and maintenance material inspection programs for the Chemical Tests Unit. Additionally, the incumbent is accountable for providing liaison with producers and suppliers of chemical products, supervising Instrument Chemistry Laboratory staff, supervising field personnel, and coordinating activities with the central laboratory. This position is also responsible for overseeing the Bureau of Materials' Hazardous Waste Program (HWP) as the Site Emergency Coordinator and Hazardous Waste Manager.

This position reports to the Chief Chemist. Reporting to this position are the Senior Instrument Laboratory Chemist and Senior Chemist.

This position works in an environment that coordinates material inspection programs between the department and producers and suppliers. The incumbent plans sampling and testing frequencies for established Bureau of Materials’ programs, coordinates out-of-state sampling arrangements, and oversees third party contracts for engineering services that provide inspection and sampling for the central Bureau of Materials. The results of the coordination of the sampling efforts ensure the department’s quality assurance, including acceptance testing and qualification of highway construction and maintenance materials, are in compliance with state and federal specifications and regulations.

A typical challenge of this position is managing the Bureau of Materials’ hazardous and special waste programs which involves providing the technical expertise for handling, storing, shipping, and disposing of laboratory generated waste. The incumbent is also the Bureau of Materials’ hazardous waste Site Emergency Coordinator which requires being available at all times to respond to an emergency and being familiar with the location and characteristics of materials.

Job Responsibilities Continued

This position works to ensure that departmental policies for various bituminous products are followed and enforced. The incumbent reviews quality control plans for the bituminous material producers, schedules plant inspections, collects and ensures testing of qualification samples, coordinates subsequent quality assurance sampling, and ensures the ongoing certification of qualified products. This position ensures that manufacturers who supply products to the department have testing laboratories that fully conform to specification requirements. If any concerns arise it is the responsibility of this position to serve as the technical expert and work with the producers and laboratory staff and/or district office staff to resolve the issue. The incumbent is responsible for solving both technical and managerial problems. It is imperative that positive communications exist between the incumbent, resident inspectors, district office personnel, contractors, producers, and suppliers so that discrepancies can be solved in an amiable manner. This position gains the confidence of the construction industry and manufacturers when dealing with discrepancies between the department and industry laboratories. Discrepancies may be in the equipment, testing techniques, sampling procedures, or specification interpretations. In addition, this position supervises the Instrument Chemistry Laboratory staff. This laboratory is responsible for organizing and performing the chemical testing of materials used in highway construction and maintenance to ensure compliance with required specifications through the use of sophisticated instrumentation and instrumental techniques. The incumbent has comprehensive knowledge of all Instrument laboratory testing procedures. This position must be able to operate, maintain, calibrate, and repair all testing equipment used in the instrument laboratory to provide technical support to the laboratory staff. The incumbent works in conjunction with staff in the Chemical Tests Unit to solve a wide variety of problems which arise in connection with product failure during field application and develops new specifications and test procedures.

Job Responsibilities Continued

The incumbent accomplishes accountabilities through the following staff:

, who is accountable for the operation of the Bureau of Materials’ Instrument Laboratory in the quality testing of asphalts, cements, metals, paints, and numerous other materials used in the construction and maintenance of highways and other projects within the department and other local transportation agencies.

, who is accountable for testing within the Bureau of Materials’ Instrument Laboratory. Responsibilities include the quality testing of asphalts, cements, metals, paints, and numerous other materials used in the construction and maintenance of highways and other projects within the department and other local transportation agencies.

The incumbent performs work with minimal supervision within the department’s established guidelines. This position counsels and assists subordinates in solving problems and makes recommendations on matters related to Bureau of Materials’ policy. The incumbent oversees travel schedules for the chemists performing field inspections to sample products and oversees the monitoring of the certification program at asphalt storage plants and has authority to accept or reject materials. This position administrates programs and ensures waste materials are handled, stored, transported, and disposed of in a manner that complies with federal, state, and local regulations.

Internally, this position has frequent contact with staff in the Bureau of Operations, Bureau of Construction, and Bureau of Bridges and Structures. Externally, this position has frequent contact with staff at other state highway agencies and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) concerning the evaluation and specifications of new products. The incumbent also has frequent contact with manufacturers regarding sample qualification, sample inspection, and acceptance procedures under present programs and works with the Bureau of Design and Environment regarding handling and disposal instructions and methods prescribed under the hazardous waste program. This position requires frequent statewide travel which may include overnight stays to observe test sites, visit manufacturing and research facilities, and confer with district office personnel.

The effectiveness of this position is measured by the incumbent’s ability to successfully manage the Bureau of Materials’ chemical products certification and inspection programs and provide timely solutions to inspection and field problems.

Principal Accountabilities

  • Manages and coordinates the department’s bituminous materials policies and the related materials certification programs ensuring a smooth flow of inspected materials from the manufacturers to work areas.
  • Ensures that manufacturers who supply products to the department have testing laboratories that fully conform to specification requirements.
  • Acts as the liaison regarding inspection and sampling of bituminous materials, traffic and structural steel paint systems, and other chemical-related products.
  • Supervises the staff of the Instrument Chemistry Laboratory and assists with the testing, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of test results.
  • Works in conjunction with staff in the Chemical Tests Unit to solve a wide variety of problems which arise in connection with product failure during field application and develops new specifications and test procedures.
  • Interprets specifications and trouble shoots field problems in aiding district office staff to assure that high-quality products are incorporated into construction projects.
  • Revises and reviews specifications to accommodate the use of new materials, processes, and technologies.
  • Develops correspondence and reports to assist the Chief Chemist in notifying concerned individuals of the Bureau of Materials’ decisions and recommendations.
  • Administers the Hazardous Waste Program to ensure that waste materials are handled, stored, transported, and disposed of in a manner that complies with federal, state, and local regulations and acts as the Site Emergency Coordinator and Hazardous Waste Manager.
  • Coordinates travel schedules for the inspectors in the Chemical Tests Unit and third-party engineering contractors to sample products in and out-of-state and monitors the certification program for bituminous producers and sources.
  • Performs duties in compliance with departmental safety rules. Performs all duties in a manner conducive to the fair and equitable treatment of all employees.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

  • Education/Experience:
  • Completion of a bachelor's degree in chemistry or chemical engineering PLUS
  • Eight years of experience in analytical chemistry with five years directly related to analyses of highway construction and maintenance materials.
  • Frequent statewide travel which may include overnight stays to observe test sites, visit manufacturing and research facilities, and confer with district office personnel.
  • Valid driver's license.
  • Successful completion of a background screening.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Extensive knowledge regarding the qualification of bituminous products.
  • Extensive knowledge and experience in the application of federal, state, and local regulations for the handling of non-hazardous and hazardous wastes.
  • Extensive knowledge and experience in the operation and routine maintenance of various sophisticated chemical testing instruments.
  • Experience working with technical representatives to troubleshoot performance issues for various chemical testing instruments.
  • Working knowledge of the principles and practices of instrumental chemistry.
  • Ability to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with coworkers and management.
  • Effective oral and written communication skills.

Work Hours: 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. Monday - Friday
Work Location: 126 E Ash St, Springfield, Illinois, 62704

Office: Office of Highways Project Implementation/Bureau of Materials/HMA, Aggregate, and Chemical Tests
Agency Contact: DOT.CONTACTHR@ILLINOIS.GOV

Posting Group: Transportation ; Leadership & Management; Public Safety; Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

If you meet the qualifications for this position, please follow the link and apply today! https://illinois.jobs2web.com/job/Springfield-FIELD-OPERATIONS-CHIEF-IL-62704/1205537400/

*If you have questions about the Job Responsibilities or Qualifications, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed above

*If you have questions about the application process, please reach out to DOT.Recruitment@Illinois.gov

Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (“OEIG”) or may be subject to a fine.