Senior Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

ESP is seeking a Senior SUE Project Manager to lead Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) project delivery, client coordination, staff development, budgeting, and business development support for transportation, roadway, municipal, and infrastructure projects across Texas. This role serves as a senior representative of ESP responsible for managing SUE scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client expectations while supporting marketing efforts, proposal development, team training, and coordination with utility owners, public agencies, consultants, contractors, and right-of-way stakeholders from planning through construction.

Responsibilities:

• Lead ESP SUE project delivery for roadway, drainage, bridge, transit, municipal, and civil infrastructure projects throughout Texas.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, staffing plans, deliverables, and client expectations for assigned SUE projects.
• Support marketing and business development efforts, including client relationship development, pursuit strategy, proposal input, scope development, level-of-effort estimates, and presentations.
• Develop and manage project budgets, monitor financial performance, track progress against approved scope, and coordinate corrective action when budget, schedule, or staffing risks arise.
• Train, mentor, and develop SUE staff in field procedures, documentation standards, project delivery expectations, safety awareness, client communication, and quality control practices.
• Review plans, utility records, as-builts, survey data, and SUE deliverables to identify potential utility conflicts and guide investigation strategies.
• Coordinate with utility owners, TxDOT, local governments, engineers, right-of-way staff, environmental teams, contractors, and other project stakeholders.
• Facilitate SUE and utility coordination meetings on behalf of ESP, document action items, maintain utility status reports, and track commitments through resolution.
• Oversee utility conflict analysis, investigation planning, test hole coordination, utility mapping, relocation support, cost estimates, reimbursement documentation, utility agreements, and permitting processes.
• Prepare, submit, track, and review RULIS applications and related documentation to support utility permitting, relocation, and project clearance requirements.
• Monitor SUE production, utility investigation progress, and utility adjustment or relocation coordination during design and construction phases, escalating schedule or coordination issues as needed.
• Interpret and apply applicable Texas utility accommodation requirements, TxDOT utility coordination procedures, right-of-way processes, and federal, state, and local requirements.
• Learn and apply SUE, utility coordination, permitting, right-of-way, and agency criteria for other states as project needs and ESP's market growth require.
• Prepare professional ESP correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, exhibits, conflict matrices, proposals, and other project documentation.
• Support quality control of SUE deliverables and promote consistent standards across project teams.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED. (required)
• Associate or bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, planning, geography, geomatics, business, or a related technical field. (preferred)
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in SUE, utility coordination, utility engineering, right-of-way, roadway design, construction coordination, or related infrastructure project delivery. (required)
• Demonstrated experience managing SUE projects, including scope, schedule, budget, staffing, client coordination, deliverable review, and quality control.
• Working knowledge of SUE Quality Levels A through D, utility designation, test hole coordination, utility mapping, conflict identification, utility permitting, and right-of-way coordination.
• Experience supporting marketing or business development activities, including proposal preparation, scope narratives, fee development, and client meetings.
• Experience developing, managing, and tracking project budgets, including level-of-effort estimates, labor planning, and financial performance monitoring.
• Experience training, mentoring, and developing technical staff in SUE procedures, documentation, safety awareness, and client service expectations.
• Experience preparing, submitting, tracking, and reviewing RULIS applications, including verifying completeness and consistency with project plans.
• Ability to read, interpret, and redline civil construction plans, utility plans, roadway schematics, and survey information, including reviewing plan files in Bentley View.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to lead meetings, prepare clear documentation, and represent ESP professionally with clients and project partners.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and technical coordination tools, including Bentley View, Bluebeam, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and KMZ/KML development for utility exhibits.
• Experience supporting TxDOT transportation projects and familiarity with TxDOT utility coordination milestones, utility adjustment processes, and utility accommodation requirements. 
• Knowledge of Texas Administrative Code requirements related to utility accommodation and right-of-way use.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary SUE teams, coordinating field crews, and balancing workload across multiple active projects. 
• Experience developing KMZ/KML files and map-based utility exhibits to support coordination meetings, conflict tracking, and stakeholder communication. 
• CADD experience, particularly for reviewing utility, roadway, and civil infrastructure plan files. 
• Experience building client relationships, identifying follow-on work, and supporting pursuit strategies for transportation, municipal, and infrastructure clients.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel to project sites, client meetings, and staff training and stakeholder meetings as needed.
• Candidate must be able to pass a drug screen, background check, and have a satisfactory driving record in accordance with the company's driving (MVR) policy.

Corporate Information:

ESP is a multi-discipline engineering design and consulting firm providing our clients with civil engineering, surveying, planning/landscape architecture, geosciences, environmental, subsurface utility engineering, and construction engineering inspection.

Through years of dedicated service to our clients, ESP has received a designation of 186 on the 2026 ENR Top 500 Design Firm rankings. For the firm's primary territory, the ENR Texas & Southeast Top Design Firms, ESP received a 2026 ranking of 53.

ESP offers an excellent employee benefits package including: 

• Competitive compensation with yearly performance reviews and discretionary annual bonuses
• 401(k) (Traditional & Roth plans) with a guaranteed employer match of 100% up to the first 3% and 50% on the next 2% (eligibility after 60 days) 
• PTO (Paid Time Off) & 10 Paid Holidays
• VTO (Volunteer Time Off) of 4 hours each year (prorated during first year based on hire date)
• Tiered Health, Vision & Dental Insurance Options (eligibility after 30 days) 
• Behavioral Medicine through Teladoc
• Short-Term Disability Insurance (Employer paid)
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Education Reimbursement Opportunities
• Flexible and Dependent Benefits Plan
• Referral Bonuses