Senior Project Manager - Water/Wastewater

Senior Project Manager - Water/Wastewater

Brown and Caldwell (BC) has an opportunity for a senior level engineer with experience managing and executing work involving projects for the water and wastewater industry. You will have an essential role in our Southern California (SoCal) Area business and client connections, based in our Irvine, Los Angeles or San Diego, California office(s). In collaboration with the SoCal Area leader, Client Service Managers, Technical Service Leaders, and the Marketing Manager, you will maintain and develop client relationships, connect BC solutions to client needs and lead project teams in quality project delivery.

The SoCal Area is a thriving/growing area demanding differentiating client service, sustainable and innovative solutions, and effective collaboration with our technical service providers and client contacts. The BC SoCal business includes significant work in wastewater/biosolids design and advanced water treatment design. This is a highly strategic position for someone who takes pride in exceptional client service, and positive results for our environment and clients.

Responsibilities include the following for delivering day-to-day operations for mid-sized to large-scale projects:

• Set direction : Support defining objectives, decision-making processes, schedules, budgets and success factors. Assist team by providing clarity on what the objectives are for an assignment, how decisions will be made, development of schedules and budgets, and what critical success factors the client is trying to achieve.
• Communicate : Help establish effective communication methods for team standups, technical/design decisions, and client interactions.
• Support Team Motivation : Assist in empowering team members, resolving conflicts, providing feedback and celebrating success.
• Establish Trust : Demonstrate integrity, competence, consistency, loyalty, and transparency
• Create a safe environment : Support and assist in providing an atmosphere where ideas and creativity thrive.
• Embrace thought and experience diversity : Support an environment where diverse backgrounds, geographies, and different perspectives are all heard, respected and considered.
• Develop team members : Support team development by contributing to continuous learning, skills development and mentoring.
• Execution of BC's project delivery requirements:
• Scope : Collaborate and prepare detailed scopes of work to set clear expectations and prevent project overruns. Develop clear assumptions and limitations and set realistic expectations and a solid pathway to delivering quality work successfully.
• Schedule : Collaborate on the development and maintenance of project schedules to provide for timely resource allocation and delivery. Recommend and assist implementation of schedule delay mitigation measures as needed.
• Budget : Develop and collaborate on work breakdown structures and project budgets aligned with scope and schedule. to set a project up for financial success. Manage budget on project to meet financial plan.
• Quality Management : Create, implement and monitor quality management plans and processes to enhance client trust, minimize deficiencies, incorporate our standards and quality review processes and collaborate with team members to contribute to quality.
• Change Management : Identify and manage internal and external changes to mitigate risks. Identify and recommend change management, in collaboration with project team, prepare the scope and budget for the change, and gain client endorsement and approval for the change to minimize financial and execution risk to BC.
• Risk Management : Ability to identify risks, develop risk mitigation strategies and perform ongoing risk monitoring and mitigation throughout the project lifecycle. Identify and escalate risks, collaborate with teams to prepare mitigation strategies for each risk, monetization of each risk, and update the risk profile on the project throughout the lifecycle of a project.
• Health & Safety : Lead by example and follow BC policy and client requirements for health and safety. Lead development and implementation of health and safety plans per the project specific requirements.
• Manage external resources : Including third parties/vendors to deliver successfully on their contracted scope, quality and budget
• Delivery of Project and Business Performance Metrics: Lead achievement of project goals related to scope, schedule, budget and quality. Monitor profitability through routine earned value analysis and compliance, business revenue forecasting and timely invoicing/collections.
• Client Service and Sales/Marketing Support and Engagement: Ability to build successful relationships with Clients, while collaborating with client service managers and project teams to assess client satisfaction. Monitor and share clients' critical success factors for project success and client satisfaction.
• Flexibility to adapt and execute various additional assignments based on evolving needs.

Preferred Requirements

• Project manage and execute work on wastewater and water utilities projects.
• Perform technical research, and be able to communicate and apply this knowledge
• Lead project team in planning and/or designing a major engineering project and coordinate special planning, economic, and engineering studies
• Prepare and make presentations to clients and for professional meetings
• Direct the work of drafters and designers, coordinate with other disciplines
• Supervise, delegate and oversee the work of technical staff and engineers
• Assist with and lead business development pursuits
• Coach and mentor junior engineers and designers

Mentorship

• May provide mentorship, guidance, support and knowledge-sharing to help less experienced team members develop their skills and grow in their roles.

Skills and Competencies

• Comprehensive knowledge of project management tools and techniques.
• Proven ability in project planning and management, including budget, risk, contract, change and quality management and safety leadership.
• Advanced understanding of quality and change management tools, techniques and processes.
• Comprehensive understanding of contract management and client service.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align project outcomes with business goals.
• Excellent client service skills and ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Proven team/staff management skills to build and maintain strong staff relationships
• Proven ability to identify and cultivate opportunities with existing clients.

Experience

• Typically, a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience managing mid-size to large projects with progressively increasing responsibility. Specifically:
• Competency in development and monitoring of moderate project schedules
• Competency in development and monitoring of moderate project budgets
• Competency in Risk Management
• Experience leading cross functional teams.
• Proven experience in project planning, risk and change management, and contract management of mid-size projects.
• Previous experience applying specialized knowledge in project management to deliver the solutions for clients.

Preferred Experience

• BS Degree in Engineering (Civil, Environmental, Chemical, Mechanical, or related Engineering field) required. MS degree preferred
• Minimum of 10 years of professional work experience with large municipal water/wastewater utility engineering
• Professional in Engineering (PE) in California or ability to obtain California registration within 12 months of hire
• Candidate must have excellent verbal/written communication skills, organizational skills, and the ability to work well both independently and in team environment
• Valid driver's license and good driving record required
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, Teams, Outlook).
• PMP certification from the Project Management Institute a plus
• Previous proven and successful project management experience on large municipal projects as either the lead or in an assistant project manager role with ability to obtain direct client references
• Strong planning experience through design and construction of large municipal and/or federal facilities
• Strong communication skills i.e. ability to communicate orally and in writing - across functions and teams, up and down the chain of command
• The ability to influence people to get things done
• Strong negotiation skills
• Ability to proactively resolve conflict
• Highly motivated self-starter with a passion to accomplish results

Education

• A bachelor's degree in project