Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To supervise the activities of the Soils Unit and provide specialized technical and consultant administrative services related to pavements, low complexity foundations, rockfall hazard management and engineering materials essential to the programming, planning, design, construction and maintenance of highway facilities in the Region.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. For outsourced design, supervises and trains staff in the acquisition and administration of geotechnical engineering consulting services including identifying technical work requirements for the project and preparing terms of reference and providing estimates of cost, investigation scope, and time, evaluating professional/technical qualifications and submissions from engineering consultants, monitoring consultant schedules, invoices, and deliverables and monitoring and evaluating consultant performance to ensure compliance with contractual requirements and cost-effective designs.

For in-house design, supervises and trains staff in geotechnical and low complexity foundations investigation and design including planning, acquiring and administering geotechnical field investigation services, requesting and evaluating field and laboratory testing data, identifying and evaluating alternative designs, recommending technically appropriate costeffective solutions and preparing or supervising the preparation of Pavement Design Reports and Foundation Design Reports.

2. Supervises staff in monitoring and reviewing consultant work including participating in design review meetings, reviewing and assessing deliverables, conducting design assessments, representing the Geotechnical Section on issues such as pavements, rockfall hazards, low complexity foundations, and engineering materials to ensure appropriate and complete geotechnical design, application and constructability that adheres to Ministry methodologies, specifications, policies, procedures, practices, guidelines and terms of reference.

3. Plans and/or co-ordinates network evaluation and testing programs including the Regional pavement evaluation program, Head Office testing programs (ie. ride, rut, skid) and other testing requirements as necessary to determine the physical condition of pavements; determines optimum and cost-effective strategies for the maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements; establishes pavement rehabilitation priorities for the Region and assists in the development and scheduling of the multi-year capital and maintenance/preservation management programs.

4. Plans and conducts network pavement management analyses including establishing and maintaining a database for Regional network pavements data, reviewing PMS databases for completeness and accuracy, supervising Regional data input into the Ministry's pavement management system, calculating, projecting, and analyzing network condition, costs, pavement rehabilitation and maintenance options, generating, analyzing, and optimizing network rehabilitation and maintenance strategies, and preparing reports in order to optimize network expenditures, condition and performance and provide input into the Regional strategic planning, including corridor planning, and evaluation process.

5. Provides expert geotechnical engineering advice to Ministry personnel, consultants, and external agencies pertaining to engineering materials, soils, pavements and low complexity foundation investigations, testing, design, and maintenance including responding to emergency situations and public complaints, conducting on-site investigations, pavement warranty evaluations, liaising with other functional offices and Head Office, analyzing and resolving geotechnical issues, carrying out forensic investigations and analysis, performing geotechnical engineering designs, and preparing reports in
order to ensure timely, suitable and cost-effective resolution of geotechnical issues. Provides expert testimony in litigation proceedings such as Ontario Municipal Board hearings, hearings of discovery, and court hearings.

6. Assists in the development and review of new technologies, practices, and materials by identifying, assessing and recommending suitable test sites, monitoring and evaluating test sites and reviewing and commenting on Ministry specifications, standards, policies, and procedures; lectures for technical training courses related to pavement, low complexity foundations and rockfall hazard management, design and construction to Ministry, consultants, municipal staff or private sector; participates on task groups and committees.

7. Managers have the right to assign additional duties.

Knowledge :

Position requires:

Registration with Professional Engineers of Ontario, and a thorough knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of civil or geotechnical engineering with special emphasis on pavement evaluation, investigation, design, rehabilitation and management, low complexity foundations, soil mechanics, rockfall hazard management, engineering materials and highway
construction practices.

Job requires skills and knowledge of:
Pavement evaluation, investigation, design, rehabilitation and management, low complexity foundations investigation and design and rockfall hazard management.

Engineering materials (asphalt, concrete, soils, rock and specialized products such as geotextiles), their properties, composition, related test methods and performance.

Pavement design including the application of pavement design methodologies (OPAC, AASHTO, and MTO Empirical Method), life cycle costing techniques, drainage design, and treatment of organic deposits, pavement distortions and frost heaves, and cut/fill slopes. Materials and construction specifications, policies, practices, procedures and guidelines.

Construction practices, techniques and sequencing.

Consultant acquisition and administration.

Health and safety legislation and regulations and Ministry health and safety policies and procedures (ie. Occupational Health and Safety Act and related Regulations, Contractor Liability Guidelines, Ontario Traffic Manual Temporary Conditions - Book 7).

Geotechnical engineering and administrative computer software including various pavement design software (eg. OPAC, DarWin), pavement management software (eg. PMS/2), and word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software.

Supervisory skills to effectively plan, implement, and monitor the activities of the Soils Unit to deliver cost-effective geotechnical designs and related services on time and within established budgets.
Planning and organizational skills to meet work schedules and critical milestone dates by coordinating and organizing work activities of self and staff with competing priorities in a multi-task work environment.
Communication skills in order to deal effectively with staff in the Section, other Engineering Offices/Functions, Contracts/Operations/Area Offices, Head Office, Consultants, and Industry Stakeholders, to provide direction and training to staff, to prepare quotations/proposals in the acquisition of consultant services, to prepare reports and rationalize and document the consultant acquisition process and/or recommended geotechnical design, to prepare pavement designs,
memos, letters, reports, presentations, and ministerials/briefing notes and to provide expert advice and testimony.
Teamwork in working cooperatively and effectively in multi-disciplinary teams and task forces.
Interpersonal skills, such as impartiality and diplomacy, when evaluating the work performance of consultants, handling construction issues, dealing with other sections, expressing opinions at meetings, and negotiating fee disputes.

Valid Class “G” drivers licence.

Judgement :

Work is performed independently within pre-determined limitations as imposed by Ministry policy, standards, regulations, administrative, budgetary guidelines, and defined section priorities.

Judgment is used in the acquisition and management of consultants, and planning and administering geotechnical evaluations, investigations, and designs; assessing suitability, technical soundness, risk and cost-effectiveness of geotechnical designs; resolving unique and complex design, construction and maintenance problems; analyzing and optimizing network condition and rehabilitation strategies, applying and monitoring new technological procedures, principles and practices; providing input into the development and adjustment to ministry policies and procedures; recognizing and resolving issues that may adversely affect public interest and safety.

Judgment is exercised in supervising staff, approving expenditures, assessing staff training and development needs, and providing input into staff appraisals, hiring, and discipline. Judgment is required to determine which engineering problems are outside the scope of regional expertise and should be referred to Head Office specialists.

Completed work is accepted as accurate, however, recommendations for major deviation from Ministry and Regional policies and standards are discussed with the Head, Geotechnical Section and Head Office specialists. Recommendations for pavement design selection are referred to Head, Geotechnical Section.

Accountability - Programs :

position is accountable for providing expert geotechnical advice, designs and services to ministry personnel, consultants, and external agencies, maintaining and managing the pavement evaluation and rockfall hazard program, developing pavement rehabilitation strategies and priorities, providing input into the multi-year construction and maintenance programs, analyzing network condition, producing optimized strategies for network rehabilitation performance and expenditures, and completing work on schedule.

Accountability – Personnel :

position is accountable for the supervision and administration of the Soils Unit including planning, organizing, scheduling, directing, and monitoring work assignments, assessing work performance and deliverables, assessing training needs, providing training and implementing training plans, resolving conflicts and referring employee relations issues to manager.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

position is accountable for the scope, development, acquisition, and administration of consultant
assignments, review and critique of services and deliverables, negotiation and resolution of fee disputes, preparation of fair and accurate performance appraisals and assessment of accuracy and appropriateness of consultant invoices, completing internal projects on time and on budget, and organizing and conducting own and supervised staff activities in a responsible and prudent manner to minimize costs.

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

substandard product or service quality and ineffective administration could result in poor scheduling and
delays in the contract award process, inefficient services to other offices, poor quality work, uneconomical designs, suboptimal network performance and expenditures, danger or inconvenience to the public, additional expenses for corrective measures, contractor claims, poor public image, and loss of confidence.

Contact - Internal :

Internal - work requires regular contact with colleagues and other regional staff, and frequent contact with associates in Head
Office and other Regions.

Contact - External :

External – work requires regular contact with consulting engineers, and occasional contact with contractors, public and government and industry attorneys; to provide specialized technical input, consultation, advice and guidance on engineering materials and geotechnical design, to represent the Region at judicial or quasi-judicial hearings, and to exchange information and discuss problems of mutual concern.