This is the senior, specialist, or leadworker level of the series. Serves as district or area sign installer reporting to the District Traffic Engineer, Operations-Maintenance Superintendent or designee and assembles, erects, maintains and makes minor repairs to highway signs, sign supports, pavement markings and traffic control devices in field or shop.  Some positions leads a crew of sign fabricators in a central sign shop and fabricates and repairs signs.  Regularly assigns, instructs and checks the work of others.  May supervise and train lower technicians.

Assembles, installs and replaces signs, sign components and sign posts, using a variety of equipment and tools such as hand diggers, portable power augers, pavement breakers, ladder trucks and hydraulic boom trucks with attached auger; this may include installation of overhead signs; 

Installs new signs for district-wide program; pours cement bases, installs steel posts, attaches wind beams and signs to post; installs and maintains wood posts and signs over 30 square feet in area;  

Prepares and cuts plywood or aluminum to size for highway signs; cutting, routing, sanding, priming for paint, painting, and may apply sign faces;  

Paints stop bars, arrows, railroad crossings, curbing, crosswalks and marks center lines for new construction;  

Washes signs using ladder truck;  

Performs routine maintenance work as required;  

Makes field layout and installs stop bars, pedestrian crossings and turn arrows with paint or thermo-plastic materials; paints curbing with curb striping truck; replaces and makes limited new installations of traffic lane buttons, rumble bars and other plastic-epoxy traffic control devices;  

Conducts day and night sign inspections;  

Designs, lays out and fabricates highway signs using a variety of materials; 

Applies reflective or non-reflective sheeting using vacuum or roller applicator; 

Operates silk-screen, die cutters, applicators and other equipment and hand tools used in sign fabrication;  

May supervise lower level staff.

Some positions require possess a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Class A, with endorsement N or H, without air brakes restriction.

Three years as a highway maintenance technician or four years assisting in the fabrication of signs.