Materials Lab Specialist

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is recruiting for an Inspection, Training and Accreditation Specialist. This position serves as a Materials Laboratory Specialist within the Materials Bureau’s Inspection Operations Section. This position is responsible for statewide laboratory inspections and laboratory compliance oversight. It maintains MDT’s central laboratory federally mandated AASHTO-Resource and CCRL accreditation, manages the central laboratory QMS, the statewide Independent Assurance Program, and Materials e-learning/testing system.

It assists in delivery of the WAQTC training and certification program, providing training courses remotely and in person, and administering and proctoring written and performance evaluations of internal and external applicants. This position assists in developing testing methods, standards, procedures, and technologies with AASHTO, WAQTC, and other regional and national authorities, and performs a variety of other duties as assigned.

The Materials Laboratory Specialist reports to the Inspection Operations Supervisor.

For a full job description, please contact Morgan Stibi at mstibi.

• Culture of public service and a commitment to work/life balance
• Potential hybrid remote work arrangement available
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Access to Montana Health Centers, low-cost clinics for state employees and their families
• State Retirement plan and additional savings opportunities (deferred compensation)
• Employees in this position receive overtime compensation or compensatory time for all time in a pay status over 40 hours in a workweek
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Eligibility for Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness
• Benefits apply on the first day of employment
• Relocation assistance may be offered to the successful candidate at the time of offer

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• The required knowledge and skills are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s Degree in highway construction related field, engineering, physical science, or computer science, or a related field.
• Graduate degrees will be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis.
• This position requires a minimum of 2 years of experience in materials testing or laboratory oversight.
• Certifications, licensure, or other credentials include:
  The successful candidate must possess all required WAQTC certifications within 6 months of hiring. The successful candidate must demonstrate proficiency in training through 80% positive feedback received as part of WAQTC program delivery within the first year.
• Alternative qualifications include:
  Any combination of additional related work experience and education equivalent to the minimum qualifications.

• This position requires extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of materials inspection, sampling, testing, and analysis techniques, properties and characteristics of a variety of materials, new and established sampling and laboratory testing protocols and procedures, state, federal, AASHTO, FHWA, ASTM, and WAQTC testing standards, methods and techniques of highway construction.
• Extensive knowledge of various site‑specific characteristics and their potential effects on construction projects (e.g., soils, temperature, weather conditions, gradations, segregation, stability, flows, additives, absorption rates, etc.), and safety practices and procedures.
• This position further requires skill in operating a variety of sampling and testing equipment (e.g., gyratory compaction device, nuclear gauges) and operations of monitoring devices (e.g., gauges, hydrated lime feed, bin splits, specific gravity, segregation, etc.).
• Possess the ability to facilitate trainings that communicate technical information to varied audiences; developing and delivering technical training programs related to materials sampling and testing and laboratory protocols.
• Possess the ability to…