Senior Project Manager - Land Development

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

The Senior Project Manager is a senior practitioner within Westwood's Land Development team, responsible for managing the full lifecycle of civil engineering projects for residential, commercial, and institutional clients - from preliminary studies through final design and construction administration. This role takes full ownership of project scope, budget, schedule, quality, and client relationships across multiple concurrent assignments, and directly leads and develops the civil team(s) assigned to deliver those projects. 

With a minimum of 8 years of total experience, including at least 4 years as a project manager, the Senior Project Manager demonstrates mastery of land development civil engineering principles, cost estimating, construction methods, and alternative delivery approaches. This role is also a key contributor to business development - building client relationships, developing marketing pursuit strategies, and preparing proposals to win new work - and plays an active role in staff development by training, mentoring, and guiding the professional growth of the engineers and technicians on the team.

This is a fully remote position for candidates located in the greater Sacramento area. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with Developers, Builders, Owners, Architects, and other outside team members to execute projects and manage multi-party project workflows.
• Prepare proposals, scopes of work, and qualification packages, and develop and implement marketing pursuit strategies to win new work.
• Build and develop relationships with clients, peers, and public agency staff to support long-term business growth.
• Develop and direct civil project team(s) to plan, coordinate, and deliver civil consulting services and project deliverables.
• Manage land development civil engineering projects for residential, commercial, and institutional clients efficiently, ensuring adherence to project schedules, budgets, and quality standards throughout all project phases.
• Effectively manage internal support disciplines - including survey, traffic, hydrology and hydraulics, and others - communicating and managing technical details, schedules, and budgets across disciplines.
• Implement and enforce the firm's QA/QC program across all assigned project teams and deliverables.
• Work with City, County, and Utility staff to secure approval of project plans and resolve agency review comments.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, allocating resources appropriately across differing project phases and priorities.
• Administer construction services activities on assigned projects, including RFI responses, site meetings with contractors, and construction observation.
• Lead and manage technical personnel, including pursuing and assisting in hiring staff, assigning and overseeing project assignments, reviewing work for accuracy and completeness, training staff and promoting professional development, maintaining job satisfaction and morale, assisting with performance evaluations, and recommending compensation adjustments and promotions.
• Manage project financial performance, including accounts receivable, invoicing, and budget tracking, ensuring projects are delivered profitably.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from an accredited university or college. Degrees in other disciplines or equivalent experience may be substituted at management's discretion.
• Minimum of 10 years of total civil engineering experience, including at least 4 years in a Project Manager or equivalent leadership role.
• Demonstrated competence in fundamental civil engineering design principles for land development projects.
• Experience in cost estimating, bid phase assistance, construction administration, and general construction methods.
• Demonstrated ability to manage design projects profitably, including budget tracking, invoicing, and accounts receivable management.
• Experience preparing proposals, scopes of work, qualification packages, and marketing pursuit strategies.
• Proficiency in AutoCAD Civil 3D and Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to manage staff and direct resources effectively across multiple concurrent projects.
• Willingness to travel to project sites and other Westwood offices as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

The following qualifications are preferred but not required for consideration:

• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in California (or capable of obtaining within 6 months).
• Experience with alternative project delivery methods.
• Established relationships with residential and commercial developers, builders, or public agency staff in the relevant market.
• Track record of successfully winning and delivering projects across varied land development sectors.

Competencies Required:

• Business Development: Identifies and pursues new opportunities, maintains a strong professional network, and contributes to the firm's revenue growth.
• Client Relationship Management: Builds trusted, long-term client relationships by serving as a reliable advisor who anticipates needs and exceeds expectations.
• Technical Proficiency: Applies discipline-specific knowledge, codes, and engineering principles to produce accurate, high-quality work.
• Quality Assurance & Control: Takes ownership of deliverable accuracy and completeness through disciplined review processes and adherence to Westwood's QA/QC standards.
• Project Planning & Scheduling: Develops realistic project plans, manages resources, and monitors progress to deliver projects on time and within scope.
• Scope, Budget & Fee Management: Manages project budgets with discipline, tracking financial performance and addressing scope changes proactively.
• Subconsultant & Team Coordination: Coordinates effectively with subconsultants, contractors, and agencies to produce integrated, conflict-free deliverables.
• Team Leadership & Motivation: Leads project and functional teams with clarity, accountability, and a commitment to creating environments where people thrive.
• Mentoring & Talent Development: Invests in colleagues' growth through coaching, feedback, stretch assignments, and active sponsorship of emerging professionals.
• Communication & Presentation: Communicates clearly in written, verbal, and visual formats — translating technical content effectively for any audience.
• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About Westwood Professional Services, Inc. (Westwood)

At Westwood, our purpose is to create a better world for people through our work. We transform the energy grid, design resilient infrastructure, and develop communities that will flourish today and for future generations. With over 50 years of experience and a legacy of innovation, we stand at the forefront of our industry, dedicated to understanding the unique needs of the markets we serve. 

Our approach revolves around people. We are committed to building a culture that attracts, retains, and develops high performers. Our team values relationships, innovation, dedication, initiative, and growth. We believe fostering a collaborative “One Team” mentality yields superior outcomes in everything we do. 

We customize our technical capabilities and geographic reach to meet our clients where they are and help them realize their vision. We are partners in our clients’ success, driving to provide solutions that make a lasting difference. Safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are not just facets of our work; they are intrinsic to our identity, guiding every decision we make.

We are deeply invested in the communities we serve. Through our projects and giving-back initiatives, we enrich the lives of those we serve, engage others within our industry, and create a lasting impact on communities around the world. To us, success transcends the completion of projects; it is reflected in the lives we have positively impacted by our work.

Join us in creating a better world.

In 2025, Westwood was recognized as #77 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms. Additionally, Westwood was ranked #5 for ENR's Top Design Firm for Solar, #6 for Battery Storage, and #3 for Wind (2025). The firm consistently ranks on the industry's top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement in award-winning projects nationwide.  

Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.