Exam Code: 8TR26
Department: Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Exam Type: Departmental, Open 
Bulletin Date: 04/17/2018
Final Filing Date: Continuous (cut-off dates for 2024: January 31st, February 29th, March 30th, April 30th, May 31st, June 30th, July 31st, August 31st, September 30th, October 30th, November 30th, December 31st)
Monthly Salary: $7,071.00 - $8,848.00

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INTRODUCTION
Caltrans is pleased to announce the posting of the Assistant Chemical Testing Engineer examination. Employment from this examination may be offered in all Districts and Sacramento County.

Any information submitted in your examination effort WILL NOT BE FORWARDED or be included in the determination of your qualifications for a position.

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Caltrans is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

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DRUG FREE STATEMENT
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. All applicants will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, as the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

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WHO SHOULD APPLY
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications as stated below may apply for this examination.

Once you have list eligibility, you may not reapply for twelve (12) months from your eligibility date. Candidates that are unsuccessful in the examination must wait six (6) months from the testing date before reapplying to take the examination.

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted into the examination. Part-time or full-time jobs, regardless of whether paid or volunteer positions, and inside or outside California state service will count toward experience.

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FILING INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates are required to submit 1) STD 678 State Application and 2) Training and Experience Evaluation

Examinations and STD678s must be received or postmarked no later than the cut-off date. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an examination. Faxed or E-mailed examinations or STD678s will NOT be accepted. 

File by Mail

Attention: Caltrans Examination Services (MS 86)
P.O. Box 168036, Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

File in Person

Attention: Caltrans Examination Services (MS 86)
1727 30TH Street, 1st Floor, Sacramento, CA 95816-8036

*Any information submitted in your examination effort WILL NOT BE FORWARDED or be included in the determination of your qualifications for a position.

**Candidates are responsible for obtaining proof of mailing or submission of their examination to Exam Services.

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POSITION STATEMENT
Under direction, to perform responsible chemical testing engineering work in the analysis of engineering construction, consumer products and other materials; and to do other related work.

Performs the more responsible chemical analyses of raw material and finished products, such as: ferrous and nonferrous metals, protective coatings, traffic line paints, and other paints, fuel and weed oils, asphaltic materials, cement and concrete aggregates, soils, foundation
materials, water, water for concrete, concrete curing materials, and other engineering or miscellaneous materials; assists in developing specifications for various construction and other materials; prepares and standardizes solutions used in analytical work; assists in conducting
research and investigational work and developing methods and tests to determine the chemical composition and related qualities of road building, construction, and other materials purchased by the State; makes shop and field inspections for compliance with specifications and suitability and durability of the product;develops sampling and testing plans; may assist with the supervision of the work of assistants performing less responsible laboratory testing work; witnesses manufacturer's tests on products as a basis for acceptance or rejection; as required, makes the necessary physical analysis in connection with any particular project; prepares reports on materials tested.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMITTANCE TO THE EXAMINATION
All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements for this examination by the cut-off date. 

NOTE: Qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as “Either I,” “or II,” “or III,” etc. For example, candidates possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern I, and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern II, may be admitted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirements.

Click on the link below to review the California State Personnel Board class specification which contain the requirements for admittance to the exam:
Assistant Chemical Testing Engineer Classification Specification

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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Either I

One year of experience performing the duties of a Junior Chemical Testing Engineer in the California state service.

Or II

Experience: Two years of responsible chemical testing engineering experience, one year of which must have been in the chemical testing of construction materials. (A Master's Degree in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering may be substituted for the required experience.)
(Applicants who are pursuing graduate work toward a master's degree will be admitted to the examination, but must receive the degree before they will be considered eligible for appointment.) AND

Education: Equivalent to graduation from college with major work in chemistry or chemical engineering. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

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KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of:

1. Principles of general chemistry

2. General chemical laboratory testing procedures

3. General chemical laboratory testing equipment (e.g., Ion chromatograph, Gas chromatograph, Analytical balance, Infrared spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction spectrometer, Auto-titration analyzer, Metal analyzer, Stereomicroscope system, Color spectrophotometer)

4. Inorganic chemistry as it applies to the testing of highway, building construction, consumer products, and a wide variety of other materials

5. The fundamentals of organic chemistry with laboratory skills in qualitative and quantitative analysis

6. The fundamentals of inorganic chemistry with laboratory skills in qualitative an quantitative analysis

7. Methods and techniques of laboratory analysis

8. Hazards of laboratory and field activities

9. Laboratory terminology

10. Physics and mathematics

11. Laboratory tests and control techniques

12. The fundamentals of analytical instrumentation

13. Appropriate health, safety, and environmental regulations to provide for safe laboratory practices

14. Appropriate health, safety, and environmental regulations to provide for safe field practices

15. Record keeping procedures
Ability to:

1. Perform chemical testing work

2. Use laboratory equipment (e.g., Ion chromatograph, Gas chromatograph, Analytical balance, Infrared spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction spectrometer, Auto-titration analyzer, Metal analyzer, Stereomicroscope system, Color spectrophotometer)

3. Use hand tools (e.g., beakers, tongs, droppers, graduated cylinders, funnels, tweezers)

4. Use power tools (e.g., drill, power saw, grinder)

5. Set up, care for, and use laboratory equipment

6. Base final decisions on laboratory test results, specifications, and fit for purpose

7. Prepare reports

8. Analyze situations accurately and take effective action

9. Utilize computer applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)

10. Maintain clear and accurate records

11. Use good verbal and written communication

12. Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing

13. Follow oral and written instructions

14. Enter test sample information into a computer database

15. Assess measurements for accuracy

16. Interpret charts, graphs, etc.

17. Determine significance of findings based on preset benchmarks

18. Categorize and store chemicals and solutions

19. Maintain effective working relationships with others

20. Exercise initiative and independent judgement

21. Apply general rules to specific problems to produce solutions

22. Recognize problems in a testing environment

23. Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions, including finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events

24. Relationship among seemingly unrelated events

25. Choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem

26. Prepare solutions and chemical reagents

27. Travel to worksites

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EXAMINATION INFORMATION
This examination will consist of a Training & Experience Evaluation weighted 100%. In order to obtain a position on the eligible list, a minimum score of 70% must be attained.

Examinations will be accepted on a continuous basis. Testing is considered continuous, as new test dates can be set at any time as the departmental needs warrant. Candidates will receive their results 4-6 weeks after the cut-off date.

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VETERANS' PREFERENCE
Veterans’ Preference will be applied to those competitors who are successful in this examination and who qualify for, and have requested, Veterans’ Preference through the California Department of Human Resources. Veterans who have achieved permanent civil service status are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference.

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CAREER CREDITS
Career Credits will not be added to the final score of this examination.

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CONTACT INFORMATION
General questions on how to apply?  Click HERE for video tutorials.

For more information regarding this examination, please contact the Office of Examinations at (916) 227-7858, or email the Exam Analyst at Ehsan.Tahir@dot.ca.gov

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GENERAL INFORMATION
For an examination without a written feature, it is the candidate's responsibility to contact the testing department three weeks after the cut-off date if he/she has not received his/her notice.

Applications are available at Standard State Application (STD 678), California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) offices, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and the testing department on this job bulletin.

If you meet the requirements stated on this bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirement does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of the others who take this test, and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Caltrans reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

Candidates needing special testing arrangements due to a disability must complete an STD679 and submit with the requested examination materials.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and the ability to work cooperatively with others; and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.  Eligibility lists may be abolished at anytime after one year, per Departmental needs.  It is the candidates responsibility to maintain eligibility throughout the hiring process.

If High School Equivalence is Required: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Educational Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the candidate is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.
If Veterans’ Preference is Warranted: Pursuant to Assembly Bill 372, Veterans’ Preference will be awarded as follows, starting January 1, 2014:

1.    Any veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran, who achieves a passing score in an open examination, shall be ranked in the top rank of the resulting eligibility list.
2.    Any veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released is not eligible for Veterans’ Preference.
3.    Veterans’ Preference is not granted once a person achieves permanent civil service status (Permanent State civil service status means the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This includes permanent intermittent, part-time, and full-time appointments. In addition, individuals who at any time achieved permanent State civil service status and subsequently resigned or were dismissed from State civil service are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference).

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans’ Preference are on the

Veterans’ Preference Application (CalHR Form 1093) which is also available at CalHR and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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