Steudle is responsible for administering a highway program with 9,716 miles of state trunkline and 4,400 state highway bridges, a department with 2,800 employees statewide, and multi-modal transportation programs that include transit, rail, air, marine/port and non-motorized transportation. At his appointment, Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm said: "Kirk Steudle is an internationally recognized leader in transportation system management, and he understands that the condition of Michigan's entire transportation system is critical to economic growth, job creation and quality of life."

Steudle was the department's Chief Deputy Engineer from February 2003 to March 2006. He also served as Bay Region Engineer from 2002 to 2003, with responsibility for administering and delivering transportation programs and services for the 13-county region surrounding the Saginaw Bay area, and as Deputy Region Engineer for the Metro Detroit Region from 1999 to 2002, overseeing highway and transit programs in populous Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

During his years at MDOT, Steudle has chaired many committees, ranging from specifications for construction to warranties to leadership conferences to employee mentor programs. He represents MDOT on the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council and chairs the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) subcommittee on Asset Management. In August 2004, he was a member of the National Asset Management Delegation conducting a Transportation Asset Management Seminar in Riga, Latvia, for the countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In April 2005, he participated in the FHWA/AASHTO International Scan regarding Asset Management in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and England.

Steudle currently plays a leadership role in the development of Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII), working with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to grow Michigan's economy. VII is the technology that enables vehicles to communicate with the road network to promote greater safety and mobility. In 2007, he was appointed to the board of directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America).

Steudle also serves on the Strategic Highway Research program (SHRP) II oversight committee and is chair of the SHRP II implementation report to the United States Congress.

His other committee assignments include serving as vice president of the 2008 Mississippi Valley Conference (and will serve as president in 2009); the AASHTO executive committee, and the AASHTO standing committee on highway traffic safety.