Traffic Enforcement Agent (Regulatory Program Specialist) bei City of Portland, OR

About the Department

Job Appointment: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8 am-5 pm. An alternate schedule may be available.
Work Location: 1120 SW 5TH AVE, PORTLAND OR 97204
Benefits: For an overview of the benefits for this position, you can visit our benefits tab.
Union Representation: AFSCME 189 -- City Wide.  View the agreement at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bhr/27840

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.

The Traffic Enforcement Agents will review and issue speeding citations from automated speed enforcement cameras and represent the City in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The Agents will also assist with intersection safety cameras (speed violations and red-light violations) when needed. These positions are critical to increasing the number of cameras and meeting Portland’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on our streets. 

Portland is the only Oregon city with statutory authority for duly authorized traffic enforcement agents, who are not required to be sworn law enforcement officers, to issue moving violations from automated enforcement cameras. This recruitment will hire the City’s first cohort of three Agents.

Portland currently operates 17 intersection safety cameras, which enforce speeding and traffic signal compliance, and 15 speed safety cameras. The cameras are on a subset of the 30 streets designated as Portland’s High Crash Network. Portland plans to expand the number of cameras over the next several years. In 2023 and 2024, Portland generated over 54,000 cases from its speed safety cameras. A small percentage of cases result in a court trial. Nationally and locally, the cameras have proven effective at reducing speeds and traffic crashes.

The program is jointly managed by the Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division and PBOT. The Traffic Enforcement Agents will work within PBOT’s Parking and Regulatory Operations division.

Although the Traffic Enforcement Agents will be working within the Oregon judicial system, qualified applicants do not need a law enforcement or legal background. PBOT seeks and welcomes applicants from a wide range of professional backgrounds and lived experiences. 

 What you’ll get to do:

• Make Portland’s streets safer for all road users by supporting a proven tool to reduce speeding and crashes
• Review potential moving violations video and photo footage and determine whether a moving violation is warranted
• Represent the City in Multnomah County Circuit Court and testify at trials
• Negotiate with defendants during the pre-trial phase of circuit court hearings
• Collaborate with a team of Agents to seek process improvements and increase team success
• Learn about photo radar technology, state law, and circuit court proceedings
• Assist with scheduling and development of Agent court packets for circuit court trials
• Assist the program manager in research, planning and evaluation related to program development and reporting 
• Participate in cross-disciplinary Vision Zero team meetings
• Assist the Private for Hire and Towing team members on an as-need basis.

Main Duties Include:

• Interpreting applicable state law and City procedures to determine violation events, and issuing a citation if warranted
• Representing the City in Multnomah County Circuit Court to testify in cases of contested citations
• Attempting to resolve cases with defendants that challenge their citations during the pre-trial phase
• Maintaining accurate logs and records
• Identifying and helping to implement process improvements 

• Assisting with Private for Hire and Towing Regulatory Program Specialist duties, including processing and investigating complaints; conducting routine inspections; processing permit applications and renewals; and auditing records related to code compliance and regulatory standards for taxi, limousine, shuttle, tour vehicle, horse-drawn carriage, pedicab, ride share, and Transportation Network Companies. 

Ideal candidate:

• Strong communicator
• Detail-oriented
• Productive
• Seeks opportunities to improve systems and takes initiative
• Experience with public speaking or presenting in formal meetings
• Familiarity with interpreting and implementing rules, procedures, policies, codes and/or laws
• Comfortable working independently and collaborating in a team environment
• Passion for transportation safety for all road users and creating a better city

The Portland Bureau of  Transportation offering an optional Information Session for this position.  Please see the "Additional Information" section below for more details on how to join.

Position Duties

Applicants must specifically address and demonstrate in their supplemental question responses and resume how their education, training and/or experience, meets each of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Ability to prepare instruments or documentation for public hearings, contested cases trials, and board meetings.
2. Ability to interpret and apply rules, policies, guidelines, codes and laws
3. Ability to prepare and make effective oral and written presentations.
4. Ability to be sensitive and responsive to persons with diverse backgrounds and disabilities.
5. Skilled in accuracy in work product and attention to detail.
6. Skilled communicator.

• Successful candidates are required to have a criminal and DMV background check

Minimum Qualifications

STEP 1: Apply online between September 1, 2025, and September 15, 2025

Required Application Materials:

• Resume
• Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

• Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflect your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.
• Salary Range/Equity Pay Analysis:  Please note that per the Oregon State Pay Equity Law, your salary is determined based on the experience and education listed in your resume/application.   It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid, regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all directly related and equivalent experience.
• Do not attach any additional documents.
• Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than the closing date and time of this recruitment.   

• An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and supplemental questions, is weighted 100%.
• Your résumé and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation results. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.
• Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview.
• Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

Other Qualifications

OPTIONAL INFORMATION SESSION

To assist you in understanding this position, a one-hour online information session on the Traffic Enforcement Agent position will be offered at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, September. 9th, using Zoom. Time will be reserved for a question and answer period. Prospective candidates may participate by phone or computer, but are not required to use video or their full names to allow for anonymity.  You are not required to attend to apply for this job.

If you need an interpreter or other accommodations to fully participate in this meeting, please contact Terrol Johnson at [email protected].
 

How to join: