Salary : $66,830.40 - $103,500.80 Annually
Location : Ames - 50010 - Story County, IA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-03433
Agency: 645 Iowa Department of Transportation
Opening Date: 06/19/2026
Closing Date: 7/5/2026 11:59 PM Central
LinkedIn Tag: #LI-POST
Point of Contact:

Job Description
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), Systems Planning Bureau, is seeking a Transportation Planner 2 who will serve on the Traffic Modeling, Forecasting, and Telemetrics Team. You will also provide critical transportation planning technical support to Iowa's local agencies, including the nine metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and perform a variety of long-range transportation planning activities for the Iowa DOT.
Location: Ames, Iowa
Shift: Days, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm with flextime and telework available. Occasional travel; overnights are not regularly required.
This position will play a critical role in strengthening and improving the department's GIS-based travel demand modeling and traffic forecasting processes. Responsibilities include performing long-range planning activities for highways, including capacity analyses, asset management system integration, condition analyses, Census data analysis, etc. Other responsibilities include representing the department and making presentations to MPO Technical committees and policy boards.
Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Investigates and uses a wide range of software programs, including but not limited to Microsoft Office Suite, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and other transportation planning-related software
• Analyzes and interprets various types of transportation planning data (e.g., Census, Survey, Inventory, Highway Performance and Monitoring System, Pavement, Traffic Count) for forecasting, travel analysis, and long-range transportation plan development
• Prepares background research and gathers information to support travel demand modeling, traffic forecasting, project analysis, interchange justification, and long-range plan development
• Provides professional written and verbal communication to coworkers, internal and external customers for traffic forecasting, travel analysis, travel demand modeling, interchange justification, and long-range plan development on a regular basis
• Conduct on-site visits to Iowa's nine metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and 18 Regional Planning Affiliations (RPAs), and other Iowa DOT partners and affiliates

In this position, we are seeking an individual with:

• Strong analytical skills
• Strong technical writing and oral communication skills

As a State of Iowa employee, you will be eligible for the following benefits:

• Competitive pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending, and life insurance
• Insurance benefits start the first month following 30 days of employment, and costs can be reviewed here.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Paid time off effective immediately - biweekly vacation, separate sick leave, accruals rollover on a yearly basis, and 9 paid holidays per year.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package with employer match
• Optional 401A plan with employer contributions.
• Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling; legal, financial).

We encourage you to learn more about the State of Iowa Employee Benefits and costs at the State of Iowa Employee Benefits Website!
You have the freedom to flourish in Iowa - Apply now!
Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in any field, and experience equal to four years of full-time work in professional transportation planning*/engineering.
2. Licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering & Land Surveying Examining Board.
3. Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes three years of full-time work as a Transportation Planner 1.

* "Transportation planning" includes preparing planning contracts and grants; managing planning grant application submittals and project development; preparing functional classification appeals; developing travel demand models and traffic forecasts; creating cartographic representations and data collection applications; analyzing transportation data, project plans, and reports to identify problems; developing portions of statewide transportation plans; or conducting/coordinating transportation research projects.

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01

Do you understand that the answers to all of the following questions must be truthful, honest, and accurate to the best of your ability? Please read all questions and answers thoroughly and make sure you understand them completely. Ensure the answers to your questions match the information filled out on your application and the attachments you have uploaded. If the answers to your questions are inconsistent with your application information or uploaded attachments, you will be given zero points for the question. Knowingly misrepresenting the facts when submitting any information related to an application, examination, certification, appeal, or any other facet of the selection process will result in your disqualification from this application and future employment with the state of Iowa.

• Yes - I understand and agree.
• No

02

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Have you filed a registration statement pursuant to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. a7611 et seq?

• No - I have NOT filed a registration statement pursuant to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. a7611 et seq
• Yes - I HAVE filed a registration statement pursuant to the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended, 22 U.S.C. a7611 et seq

03

Have you graduated from an accredited college or university with a degree in any field? IF YES - How many years do you have of full-time professional work in transportation planning*/engineering?**"Transportation planning" includes preparing planning contracts and grants; managing planning grant application submittals and project development; preparing functional classification appeals; developing travel demand models and traffic forecasts; creating cartographic representations and data collection applications; analyzing transportation data, project plans, and reports to identify problems; developing portions of statewide transportation plans; or conducting/coordinating transportation research projects.

• I have not graduated from an accredited college or university
• Less than four years of full-time professional work in transportation planning*/engineering
• Four years or more of full-time professional work in transportation planning*/engineering

04

Do you possess a licensure as a professional engineer by the Iowa Engineering & Land Surveying Examining Board?

• Yes
• No

05

Are you a current State of Iowa employee - executive branch? IF YES - How many years of experience do you have in the classifications of Transportation Planner 1 for the State of Iowa?

• I am not a current State of Iowa employee
• I do not have any experience in the classifications of Transportation Planner 1 or Transportation Assistant for the State of Iowa
• Less than three years of experience in the classifications of Transportation Planner 1 or Transportation Assistant for the State of Iowa
• Three years or more of experience in the classifications of Transportation Planner 1 or Transportation Assistant for the State of Iowa

Required Question