STEM OPT Highway Engineer Jobs
Highway Engineer roles in transportation planning, structural design, and traffic systems qualify for STEM OPT when your degree is in civil engineering, transportation engineering, or a related STEM field. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify to hire you, and the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build your U.S. career in infrastructure.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Ardurra is seeking a Transportation/Highway Engineer III in our West Palm Beach, FL office!
Ardurra’s Transportation team offers design capabilities ranging from complex multilevel interchanges to urban arterial reconstruction to complete streets for our clients. Our portfolio features a plethora of signature projects including the I-395 Signature Bridge reconstruction project in Downtown Miami. Each of our designs is customized, sustainable, and cost-effective for our clients covering all project types, including Design Build or Design Bid Build. Our clients have relied on our expertise in comprehensive planning, engineering design, and construction management to provide safe and efficient transportation solutions.
We are looking for an engineer with an interest and experience in highway and roadway design to support a wide range of FDOT projects. Projects will include but are not limited to minor and major/complex roadways and interchanges and will offer the opportunity to mentor and guide junior staff and be mentored by some of the top local experts in the transportation industry.
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
The successful candidate will be involved in a range of transportation-related design projects, developing contract plans, specifications, and estimates for construction. They will have the opportunity to engage in the entire project design delivery process. The candidate will perform engineering design tasks related to roadway geometric design, produce plans, and write technical reports and documents.
PRIMARY DUTIES:
- Reviews and develops work product meeting the client requirements and develops specifications, drawings, instructions, models, and related documents
- Collaborates with suppliers to design and specify equipment
- Evaluates need for design or planning model changes and makes appropriate recommendations
- Consults with construction personnel concerning design constructability as related to field conditions, sequencing, and scheduling of construction activities
- Assures that production of drawings, specifications, reports, models and analyses meet scope, schedule, cost, and quality requirements
- May plan, schedule, coordinate, and oversee the work of lower-level engineers, designers or CADD staff who assist with transportation projects
- Prepares technical reports and sections of proposals as requested
- Assists the Project Manager with performing services during construction
- May provide direction to and supervision for Engineers I & II or CADD and lower-level design staff
- Assure their work has independent Quality Assurance and Quality Control reviews completed
- Utilize specialized computer software to assist with the analysis, design, and plan production for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as highways, streets, and roadways
- Assist in creation and review of design drawings within defined limits
- Prepare technical reports or sections of larger reports
- Assist with plan alterations and modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
- A Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering
- Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain is strongly preferred
- Approximately 4-6 years of engineering experience in transportation/roadway design
- Familiarity with OpenRoads Designer (ORD)
- Proficient in MS Office Suite programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project)
WHY ARDURRA?
While Ardurra offers competitive compensation and rich benefits programs, it is our culture that truly sets us apart from our peers. We nurture a family-like culture, striving to create a work environment that is enjoyable, challenging and rewarding but also fun. We are acutely focused on developing our staff, whether through our internal Ardurra Academy or through our industry-leading Leadership program. We have made a deliberate and focused commitment to nurture a people-centric culture where people are: valued as individuals; supported in their professional and career development with multiple, varied career paths; and provide the tools and resources to be successful, engaged, and satisfied in their work; and positive benefits, time-off programs, and flexibility to help maintain a healthy balance between work and home.
Ardurra is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
Ardurra does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Agency Agreement, Ardurra will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. If a resume or candidate is submitted to any hiring manager without a previously signed agreement, Ardurra reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. These candidates will be considered property of Ardurra. We’re not currently looking to add any more agencies to our list of approved vendors, so please do not contact any of our managers or recruitment team with sales calls or details of your candidates.
LI-KB1
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
INTRODUCTION
Ardurra is seeking a Transportation/Highway Engineer III in our West Palm Beach, FL office!
Ardurra’s Transportation team offers design capabilities ranging from complex multilevel interchanges to urban arterial reconstruction to complete streets for our clients. Our portfolio features a plethora of signature projects including the I-395 Signature Bridge reconstruction project in Downtown Miami. Each of our designs is customized, sustainable, and cost-effective for our clients covering all project types, including Design Build or Design Bid Build. Our clients have relied on our expertise in comprehensive planning, engineering design, and construction management to provide safe and efficient transportation solutions.
We are looking for an engineer with an interest and experience in highway and roadway design to support a wide range of FDOT projects. Projects will include but are not limited to minor and major/complex roadways and interchanges and will offer the opportunity to mentor and guide junior staff and be mentored by some of the top local experts in the transportation industry.
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
The successful candidate will be involved in a range of transportation-related design projects, developing contract plans, specifications, and estimates for construction. They will have the opportunity to engage in the entire project design delivery process. The candidate will perform engineering design tasks related to roadway geometric design, produce plans, and write technical reports and documents.
PRIMARY DUTIES:
- Reviews and develops work product meeting the client requirements and develops specifications, drawings, instructions, models, and related documents
- Collaborates with suppliers to design and specify equipment
- Evaluates need for design or planning model changes and makes appropriate recommendations
- Consults with construction personnel concerning design constructability as related to field conditions, sequencing, and scheduling of construction activities
- Assures that production of drawings, specifications, reports, models and analyses meet scope, schedule, cost, and quality requirements
- May plan, schedule, coordinate, and oversee the work of lower-level engineers, designers or CADD staff who assist with transportation projects
- Prepares technical reports and sections of proposals as requested
- Assists the Project Manager with performing services during construction
- May provide direction to and supervision for Engineers I & II or CADD and lower-level design staff
- Assure their work has independent Quality Assurance and Quality Control reviews completed
- Utilize specialized computer software to assist with the analysis, design, and plan production for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as highways, streets, and roadways
- Assist in creation and review of design drawings within defined limits
- Prepare technical reports or sections of larger reports
- Assist with plan alterations and modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
- A Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering
- Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain is strongly preferred
- Approximately 4-6 years of engineering experience in transportation/roadway design
- Familiarity with OpenRoads Designer (ORD)
- Proficient in MS Office Suite programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project)
WHY ARDURRA?
While Ardurra offers competitive compensation and rich benefits programs, it is our culture that truly sets us apart from our peers. We nurture a family-like culture, striving to create a work environment that is enjoyable, challenging and rewarding but also fun. We are acutely focused on developing our staff, whether through our internal Ardurra Academy or through our industry-leading Leadership program. We have made a deliberate and focused commitment to nurture a people-centric culture where people are: valued as individuals; supported in their professional and career development with multiple, varied career paths; and provide the tools and resources to be successful, engaged, and satisfied in their work; and positive benefits, time-off programs, and flexibility to help maintain a healthy balance between work and home.
Ardurra is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
Ardurra does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Agency Agreement, Ardurra will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. If a resume or candidate is submitted to any hiring manager without a previously signed agreement, Ardurra reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. These candidates will be considered property of Ardurra. We’re not currently looking to add any more agencies to our list of approved vendors, so please do not contact any of our managers or recruitment team with sales calls or details of your candidates.
LI-KB1
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
See all 34+ STEM OPT Highway Engineer Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Highway Engineer
Verify your CIP code before applying
Pull up your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code and cross-check it against the STEM Designated Degree Program List that USCIS maintains. Civil Engineering (14.0801) and Transportation Engineering (14.0804) both qualify, but general engineering or construction management degrees sometimes do not.
Filter employers by E-Verify enrollment status
Before submitting any application, confirm the employer is actively enrolled in E-Verify, not just registered. State DOTs and large federal contractors are almost always enrolled, but smaller regional engineering firms frequently are not, which disqualifies them for your STEM OPT extension.
Target DOT contractors with active federal work
Federal highway and infrastructure contractors are required to use E-Verify under executive order, making them structurally eligible to hire STEM OPT students. Focus your search on prime contractors holding Federal Highway Administration or Army Corps of Engineers contracts, where E-Verify compliance is built into contract terms.
Draft your I-983 training plan around PE licensure milestones
Your I-983 must connect your daily work to your STEM degree with measurable learning objectives. Highway engineers have a natural structure to use: map your plan around the experience hours required for your Professional Engineer licensure, which DOT employers already track and document.
Search for STEM OPT roles on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to find Highway Engineer positions filtered for E-Verify-enrolled employers. The platform surfaces DOL Labor Condition Application filing data by employer and role, so you can see which infrastructure firms have a demonstrated history of sponsoring work authorization before you apply.
Request the LCA before accepting an offer
Ask your prospective employer to share the Labor Condition Application job classification and prevailing wage level before you sign. For highway engineers, the relevant SOC code is 17-2051, and you can cross-check the offered wage against the OFLC Wage Search to confirm the role is filed at the correct wage level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a civil engineering or transportation engineering degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your degree is in a field on the STEM Designated Degree Program List. Civil Engineering (CIP 14.0801) and Transportation and Highway Engineering (CIP 14.0804) both qualify. Environmental Engineering and systems-focused engineering degrees typically qualify too. Check your degree's exact CIP code with your Designated School Official before assuming eligibility, since general studies or construction management degrees often do not appear on the list.
Does my Highway Engineer employer need to be enrolled in E-Verify?
Yes. E-Verify enrollment is a hard requirement for every employer hiring a STEM OPT student. This applies even if the employer has previously hired F-1 students on standard OPT. State departments of transportation and large federal infrastructure contractors are almost always enrolled, but smaller regional or municipal engineering firms may not be. Confirm enrollment directly with HR before accepting any offer.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for a Highway Engineer role?
Your I-983 must describe how your daily work connects to your STEM degree through specific, measurable learning objectives. For highway engineering, you can structure objectives around design tasks, transportation modeling software, environmental compliance processes, or the engineering experience hours required for Professional Engineer licensure. Your employer's designated supervisor signs the plan and must provide evaluations every six months throughout the extension period.
How does cap-gap protection work if I'm applying for an H-1B while on STEM OPT?
If your STEM OPT is still valid on April 1 of the H-1B visa filing season and your employer files a timely H-1B petition on your behalf, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30 of that fiscal year. If your petition is selected and approved, your H-1B status begins October 1. You can continue working as a highway engineer throughout this period without any gap in authorization.
Where can I find Highway Engineer jobs with E-Verify-enrolled employers?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for STEM OPT students and filters Highway Engineer roles by E-Verify enrollment status. It also surfaces DOL Labor Condition Application filing history by employer, so you can see which transportation and infrastructure firms have an established record of sponsoring work authorization rather than discovering enrollment issues after you've already applied.