ADOT Kids: Careers at ADOT

While engineers play a big role at ADOT, employees working in a wide range of jobs also are vital in helping run Arizona’s transportation system.

Director John Halikowski agrees. 

“Everybody’s job is important at ADOT,” he said. “I don’t care where you’re working at or what you’re working on, we’re an incredibly complex and diverse agency ... we all have to rely on each other to make sure that we are safe and we get home safely to our loved ones at night.”

You can read about all the different jobs at ADOT from past blog articles. Here are just a few:

Geologists study the earth at sites before major projects are built. They also examine soil, rocks and moisture properties at the scenes of geologic hazards such as landslides and mudflows.

Landscape architects plan and populate Arizona’s highway road banks and medians with native vegetation (like wildflowers!) that require minimal water.

Materials lab experts run tests on materials from rocks in cement to bolts on bridges to keep the roads and bridges safe.

Snowplow drivers work in 45-foot long, 30-ton machines, which costs an average of $320,000! They keep the roads up north clear of snow using snowplows with cameras and camera laser systems.

Road sign designers and manufacturers turn out 300 to 400 signs a month. Installers make sure the signs stand up to weather, wind and strong drafts created by passing vehicles, especially from semi trucks.

The Incident Response Team is dedicated to keeping the freeways clear. They can push or pull stalled cars out of traffic and clear the roadway after a crash. This can prevent a secondary crash.

Biologists at ADOT work to keep wildlife safe during all design and construction projects. For example, a bridge rebuilding project was put on hold because lesser long-nosed bats (which are an endangered species) were “hanging out” under a bridge. ADOT biologists are part of ADOT’s Environmental Planning group, which also includes archaeologists; planners; and noise, air, water quality and hazardous materials experts.

Highway Operation Technicians are also known as HOT workers. They are taught to use heavy equipment like loaders, graders, skid steers and dump trucks to maintain Arizona’s highways. Maintenance workers are encouraged to innovate to help them improve their work, like this invention called the pokey-picker-upper.

Staff at the Traffic Operations Center, including public information officers and Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers, monitor the state’s highway system 24 hours a day,  seven days a week, using about 460 traffic cameras located throughout the state, which can be put up on any of the 40 55-inch flat-panel displays lining the main wall. They let the driving public know about bad weather, what’s happening on the road using social media and AZ511.gov. 

Motor Vehicle Division customer service representatives issue driver licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations and more. 

Graphic designers develop and manage ADOT’s brand. You can see in the blog how the different ADOT logos have evolved over time. They work as part of the Creative Services team that includes in-house web developers/designers and video services.

Magazine writers and photographers are also a part of ADOT. Arizona Highways, a world-renowned magazine, brings more than $43 million annually of direct tourism revenue to Arizona, and helps showcase our state’s beauty, diverse culture and rich history with stunning photography and compelling articles.

Learn more on the Careers with ADOT page on azdot.gov.