Associate Director - Bridge & Structures

Description

The Opportunity

Ulteig is seeking an Associate Director to provide strategic and operational leadership within our Surface Transportation organization. This role is responsible for leading technical managers and multidisciplinary teams delivering bridge & structures projects for state DOTs, counties, municipalities, and tribal entities.

The Associate Director plays a critical role in driving performance, strengthening technical execution, and advancing market growth. This leader will translate strategy into disciplined execution across delivery, business development, and people leadership-ensuring the right work is pursued, delivered with excellence, and aligned to our Annual Operating Plan.

This is a leadership role grounded in transportation infrastructure. It requires strong engineering credibility, operational rigor, client engagement capability, and the ability to develop high-performing managers and teams.

What You'll Do

Strategic and Business Performance Leadership (40%)

• Partner with the Director of Surface Transportation and Market Directors to execute the Annual Operating Plan, including revenue, margin, utilization, and backlog targets.
• Provide leadership-level oversight of engineering and technical services during proposal, design, quality control, and construction phases.
• Drive disciplined pursuit, selection, and delivery performance aligned to defined strategic markets and capabilities.
• Maintain accountability for team-level financial performance, including revenue, profitability, indirect spend, and workforce planning.
• Evaluate team capacity and skillsets to align staffing with backlog forecasts and strategic growth.
• Strengthen operational execution by implementing consistent tools, processes, and accountability mechanisms in partnership with Finance and the Project Management Center of Excellence.
• Anticipate emerging transportation trends and position the organization to capitalize on market shifts.

Project and Technical Leadership (20%)

• Provide executive-level project oversight on bridge and structure projects, ensuring scope control, schedule adherence, quality standards, and risk management.
• Guide managers and technical leads in resolving complex engineering, constructability, and client challenges.
• Direct and coordinate multidisciplinary teams across geographies and disciplines.
• Ensure independent quality control processes and disciplined technical review practices are consistently applied.
• Promote technical rigor and continuous improvement in design and delivery practices.

Business Development and Market Growth (20%)

• Partner with Market Directors, Client Team Leaders, and Sales to execute strategic growth initiatives.
• Participate in high-value pursuits by shaping strategy, reviewing technical approaches, supporting go/no-go decisions, and pre-positioning with clients.
• Strengthen relationships with key DOTs, agencies, and strategic partners.
• Support expansion of services within existing clients and entry into new markets aligned with defined priorities.
• Contribute to pursuit debriefs and lessons learned to improve win rates and decision discipline.

People and Organizational Leadership (20%)

• Lead and develop Technical Managers and team leaders to ensure consistent leadership standards across the organization.
• Conduct regular management meetings, one-on-ones, talent assessments, succession planning, and performance reviews.
• Support hiring decisions, workforce growth planning, and strategic resourcing alignment.
• Foster a safe, inclusive, high-performance culture grounded in accountability and clarity.
• Reinforce leadership norms, including ownership, communication, collaboration, and disciplined prioritization.

What We Expect From You

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from an ABET-accredited program.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 12+ years of experience in transportation engineering and project delivery.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing managers and multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to oversee complex transportation projects and align delivery with financial performance.
• Strong client-facing presence and ability to influence strategic pursuits.
• Experience managing operating budgets, workforce planning, and performance metrics.
• High business acumen with the ability to balance technical excellence with operational outcomes.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.
• Authorization to work permanently in the U.S.

Leadership Attributes

• Strategic thinker who converts direction into measurable outcomes.
• Disciplined operator who focuses on results, not activity.
• Decisive and accountable in prioritization and tradeoffs.
• Strong communicator who builds alignment across teams and geographies.
• Committed to developing leadership capability and strengthening bench depth.
• Comfortable navigating complexity while maintaining clarity and momentum.

As you consider applying for a position at Ulteig, we encourage you to think outside the box - because we do! You might not meet 100% of the skills listed in a description, but we are committed to hiring people with exceptional talent, ability, and potential, and then creating an environment where they can become the best versions of themselves. We don't want to miss out on the possibility of speaking with the next outstanding Ulteig team member, so please apply if you think this role is a great match for your unique skills and strengths. And, yes, relevant military experience is absolutely considered for transitioning service members.

What You Can Expect from Ulteig

Ulteig is a purpose-driven organization that has built a culture focused on people, both our clients and our employees, for over 80 years. Working at Ulteig is more than a job, opening opportunities to make an impact by creating and solving for a sustainable future. We recognize our success relies heavily on the dedication and focus of our workforce; this is why we make investing in our employees a top priority. We prioritize flexibility and staying connected to meet your needs and help you achieve your goals. We value your unique perspective, respect your individuality, and celebrate your contributions. At Ulteig, we take our success and the success of our clients personally.

We offer our team members:

• Flexible Workplace
• Employee Ownership
• Competitive Pay
• Comprehensive Benefits Package
• Collaborative Environment
• Innovative Culture

Our vision is to be the most trusted partners transforming our world's critical infrastructure. Ulteig connects people and resources to develop compelling, integrated solutions across multiple Lifeline Sectors, including Power, Renewables, Transportation, and Water. Ulteig is a trusted partner in engineering North America's essential infrastructure and leverages its expertise with a wide range of public and private clients.

At Ulteig, we care deeply about our team, listening to their needs and ensuring they have the tools necessary to be productive, whether they choose to work remotely, hybrid, or in the office. Regardless of where you work, you are empowered to build a workday that best suits your strengths. We strive to ensure a balance and separation between home and work life. We support a flexible working schedule so employees are able to focus on what's important to them.

If you would like to be a part of a company that empowers their employees, apply today!

Ulteig is a Drug Free Workplace

ACHIEVE | GROW | COLLABORATE

Additional Opportunity Details:
Target Base Compensation Range for this role is $155,500- $210,300
* Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary include your job-specific skills, education, training, job location, number of years of experience related to this role, and comparison to other employees already in this role.

This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 60 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.

Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: to protect the interests of all parties, Ulteig Engineers, Inc., will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate or an approved vendor that has a written and signed agreement in place with Ulteig. Please do not contact or forward resumes to our company employees or locations. Any unsolicited resumes will be considered Ulteig property. Ulteig is not responsible for any charges or fees related to unsolicited resumes.