Planner Trainee

New Jersey Department of Transportation
Ewing, New Jersey

STUDENTS ANTICIPATING GRADUATION IN MAY 2025 ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is seeking candidates for the position of Planner Trainee
within the Bureau of Statewide Strategies, Division of Statewide Planning, under the Assistant Commissioner
of Statewide Planning, Safety& Capital Investment (SPSCI). Planner Trainees are assigned a 40 – hour work
week. Current starting salary is $54,351.06 and after six months is $56,828.70.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) currently offers a telework pilot program, and this position may qualify for up to
2 days of remote work at your primary residence outside of your assigned DOT work location. This program does not
supersede the “New Jersey First Act”, which requires newly hired NJDOT employees to establish, and then maintain,
principal residence in the State of New Jersey. New hires will not be eligible for the telework pilot program until they successfully complete their 4 – month working test period.

The Bureau of Statewide Strategies in the Division of Statewide Planning is responsible for numerous key planning
functions, including delivering New Jersey’s Long Range Statewide Transportation Plan (LRSTP), the Transportation
Asset Management Plan (TAMP), coordinating the Department’s Transportation Performance Management (TPM)
activities, maintaining and updating Appendix B of the State Highway Access Management Code, and processing
access classification change requests.

The job functions include research transportation topics related to travel/mobility, highway infrastructure, land development, demographic trends, transportation funding, resiliency with regard to extreme weather and climate, and emerging technology such as connected and autonomous vehicles, etc.; Review various regional and statewide
plans, and review/address concerns with New Jersey’s TAMP to enhance the Department’s asset management
practices and processes; Review various reports and compendium of information from various states and federal
entities: Review various relevant policies and programs, including federal legislation and regulations associated with
transportation planning, TPM and Asset Management; Summarize conclusions and prepare written reports, outlines,
tech memos and presentations, identifying significant transportation problems, current and emerging trends and issues,
potential solutions for consideration; Assist with coordination activities and engagement with internal and external
stakeholders; Assisting in rendering the Department’s determinations of access classification change request.

REQUIREMENTS
NOTE: Applicants must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education.
Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience.
Four (4) years of professional experience relevant to the position.

NOTE: Please refer to the Advancement section located at the bottom of this title specification for a comprehensive list
of approved journeyman titles connected to this trainee title. Experience must be related to the journeyman title
associated with the position.

OR

Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by twenty – one (21)
semester hour credits in professional planning subjects such as the principles of land use planning, history of city planning,
planning project design, and planning law and administration.

OR
A valid license as a Professional Planner issued by the New Jersey State Board of Professional Planners.

OR
Possession of a current and valid credential as a Certified Planner issued by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

NOTE: “Professional experience” refers to work that is analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range of basic
knowledge of the profession’s concepts and practices;and is performed with the authority to act and make accurate and
informed decisions.

License: Appointee will be required to possess a driver’s license valid in New Jersey.

Preferred Qualities/Experience

This title is an entry level position and must have the following preferred skills:

• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with peers, supervisors, and others involved
  with the work of the Department.
• Ability to read and interpret laws, rules and regulations specific to the area of assignment, and apply them to
  specific situations.
• Ability to assemble, compile, interpret, and analyze data and information utilized to prepare reports.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Ability to establish and maintain records and files.
• Ability to approach work assignments in a detailed – oriented manner.

For more information regarding this position, please refer to: http://info.csc.state.nj.us/jobspec/16469.htm

BENEFITS PACKAGE
As a NJ State Department, NJDOT offers a comprehensive benefits package including:
• Health Care (medical, prescription drug, dental & vision care)
• Pension
• Deferred Compensation
• 13 paid holidays
• Benefit Leave (12 vacation days, 15 sick days and 3 administrative days)
• Training & Tuition Aid Opportunities

TO APPLY
You must apply through the NJDOT website at: https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/about/employ/openings.shtm
Submit a complete packet by the closing date that includes the following documents:

• NJ State Application for Employment (Application instructions can be found at link above)
• Letter of interest
• Current resume
• Copy of unofficial transcript OR foreign degree evaluation

IMPORTANT NOTES
Proof of Degree: You must provide transcript or evaluation of your UNDERGRADUATE degree.
Foreign Degree Evaluation: If you obtained your undergraduate degree outside of the US, you MUST provide
a Foreign Degree Evaluation from a USA recognized evaluation service agency that includes a course – by – course evaluation in order to be deemed eligible. Failure to provide evaluation will result in your application being disqualified.

Incomplete Packets: Applicants MAY NOT be considered if they fail to provide all requested documents upon initial
submittal or fail to follow instructions when submitting electronically. Applicants will be selected for an interview on the
basis of their application/resume.

Current State employees: Any appointments made that involve movement may result in a forfeiture of rights to any
promotional lists in their former unit.

Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States according to the Department of
Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations. NJDOT does not provide sponsorship or accept student OPT/CPT program, F1 or H1B work authorization visas.

Residency: All persons newly hired on or after September 1, 2011 have one year from the date of employment to
establish, and then maintain principal residence in the State of New Jersey subject to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 52:14 –
7 (L.2011, Chapter 70), also known as the “New Jersey First Act.”

NJDOT provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need
a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email
dot – . Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a
case – by – case basis.

SAME APPLICANTS: If you are under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), must be submitted along with your resume by closing date indicated above. For more information on the SAME Program visit their Website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml , email: , or call
CSC 609-292-4144, option 3.

New Jersey Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

Please apply through the website linked below.

https://dot.nj.gov/transportation/careers/jobopeningshr.shtml

June 9, 2025

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