Section Manager PM

Section Manager PM / AEC Industry Job Locations: US-OH-Toledo, US-GA-Atlanta, US-TX-Austin, US-MI-Midland, US-TN-Nashville, US-AZ-Phoenix, US-AL-Birmingham, US-SC-Columbia, US-OH-Columbus, etc. Overview At SSOE, growth isn't just something we deliver to our clients—it’s something we cultivate within our own teams. Our history of continuous evolution, innovation, and consistent success is driven by the talent and ambition of our people. We are committed to creating meaningful opportunities for our employees to expand their careers, take on new challenges, and continue building their impact within the organization. When you grow at SSOE, you're not just advancing your career—you're contributing to something bigger, collaborating with top talent, and shaping the future of our company. The objective of this position is to ensure consistent and quality project delivery, accurate financial forecasting, and strong team performance in alignment with SSOE strategic goals for growth, clients, operational excellence, and people. Section Managers of the Project Managers are accountable for performance outcomes of their team—team utilization, project delivery quality, project financial performance, staff development, adoption of best practices, and compliance with SSOE and client standards. They serve as the primary link between department leadership and project execution, balancing workload distribution, resource planning, mentorship, and client engagement. The role demands proactive leadership: identifying risks early, driving corrective actions, enforcing compliance, and fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional development across the section. This Section Manager will also lead high-value proposals and may manage some projects as the Senior Project Manager. What We Offer Hybrid work schedule with flexibility to achieve work-life balance; may be eligible for a fully remote schedule per company policy. Competitive Salary $140k – $177k/year depending on location, education, experience, and certifications. Bonus and Incentives Eligibility for an annual target bonus program based on company and individual performance. Ownership Opportunities As an employee-owned firm, all associates at or above associate level are offered ownership opportunities. Comprehensive Benefits Health, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) plan with company matching, professional development and training, generous PTO, and paid holidays. Additional Perks Continuous Learning Culture of perpetual learning where curiosity is celebrated and innovative ideas are welcomed. Career Stability Diversity of markets, project types, and geographic locations that insulate you from economic ups and downs. Career Advancement Structured career journey with abundant opportunities for growth and advancement. Holistic Compensation Approach to compensation and benefits that supports your physical and mental health, encourages work-life balance, and empowers your career and financial success. Responsibilities Periodically spot-check projects for compliance with SSOE and department requirements and best practices. Verify alignment among scope, schedule, and budget; address misalignment of spent progress vs completion progress; promote proper documentation. Assist PMs in developing and fully implementing recovery plans. Promote strong and proactive client communication and continuous business development. Proactively engage with the section to resolve client issues. Support proposal development through staffing alignments, review of hours/approaches/fees, and reinforce that proposals include a well-fit execution strategy with comprehensive scope definition. Assess incoming opportunities and recommend resource assignments based on fit, priorities, and availability. Manage high-value proposals directly and handle some direct project management. Balance workload and assign value-added work when capacity exists; monitor overtime and track time analysis weekly. Review team capacity across all projects; identify structural overload, gaps, or misalignment of skillsets; propose adjustments or hiring needs. Ensure 100% of submitted proposals and awarded projects have a resource plan in Vantagepoint and resolve expired plans within the business week; keep forecasts realistic. Collaborate with Project Controllers and Finance to identify high-risk or trending-negative projects early for margin erosion and forecast inaccuracies. Validate project forecasts vs actuals and accuracy of ETCs and resource plans. Ensure PMs follow up on overdue invoices with clients and send documentation to Finance promptly. Ensure all team submissions are complete and on time; track misses and enforce correct time charging behavior; implement corrective actions for repeated issues. Conduct regular 1:1 discussions with team members for mentoring and coaching; reinforce expectations and priorities; collect team feedback, health, and input for leadership; drive continuous improvement. Assess strengths and opportunity areas of section personnel to identify and prioritize training needs and succession recommendations. Monitor and encourage participation in the mentoring program to support development plans and knowledge transfer. Reinforce a culture of accountability and communication standards—ensure accurate coverage planning, calendar, meeting responses, out-of-office messages, and coverage preparation. All other duties as assigned. Qualifications Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Architecture/Engineering with minimum eight (8) years related experience, or six (6)–eight (8) years of direct experience in a Lead PM Position managing design-related projects. PMP certification preferred. Strong project management background with accurate financial forecasting capabilities. Proven ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of project professionals. Experience with resource planning tools (e.g., Vantagepoint) and time analysis platforms (e.g., Power BI). Solid understanding of project delivery standards and quality assurance practices. Demonstrated skills in mentoring, coaching, and performance management. Strong communication skills for client engagement, team leadership, and cross‑functional coordination. Ability to balance workload, identify staffing gaps, and make data-driven resourcing decisions. Familiarity with financial metrics (EAC, ETC, % complete vs % spent, margin analysis, EV, WIP). Experience in proposal support, scope definition, and business development activities. #J-18808-Ljbffr SSOE