Head of Project Management

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Where you work on projects that are meaningful to you. As an employer of choice, our goal is to provide a challenging, progressive and inclusive work environment which fosters personal leadership, career growth and development for every employee. CDM Smith (Industrial Division) is seeking to fill an exciting Substation Project Manager (Substation PM) position in our established and growing business supporting electric utility and substation clients across the United States. The Substation PM will lead multi-discipline engineering teams delivering critical substation programs and projects across the utility and mission‑critical markets, including consulting, engineering, design‑build, and EPC (engineer, procure, construct) delivery. CDM Smith’s Industrial Division serves Utility, Data Center, Power, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Food & Beverage, Metals & Mining, Manufacturing, and other industrial clients. In this role, the Substation PM will support portfolio‑style substation capital programs for investor‑owned utilities (IOUs) as well as fast‑paced, schedule‑driven substation and interconnection projects for data center clients—often with accelerated timelines, parallel workstreams, and highly coordinated stakeholder expectations.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience managing consulting, engineering, design‑build, and/or EPC (engineer, procure, construct) substation projects and programs for investor‑owned utilities and mission‑critical clients. Experience should span all project phases, from site feasibility and front‑end planning through detailed design, procurement, engineering services during construction, commissioning, and closeout. This individual will help clients plan and deliver multi‑project portfolios and rapid‑turn projects by managing scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risk; and coordinating internal and external stakeholders to achieve safe, high‑quality outcomes.

As an integral member of our dynamic Industrial Team, the Substation Project Manager (Substation PM) will contribute by:

Managing small to large complex substation engineering projects from early concept development through detailed design and construction support, including breaker and transformer replacements, new bay additions, and protection relay upgrades.

Leading proposal development by defining scope, schedule, staffing, and cost, partnering with the Sales Leader and marketing team to produce compliant, competitive submissions.

physical, P&C, civil/structural) and coordinating compliance deliverables to meet quality, schedule, and budget objectives.

Managing quality, risk, schedule, and change management.

Serving as a mentor and leader of multi‑discipline project teams.

Performing guidance and review at the project level while assuring discipline and quality standards are adhered to.

Serving as the main client contact and liaison during project execution to deliver a legendary client experience to grow the account.

For more information about our Project Management roles, tools and culture, please visit this website .

Bachelor's Degree.

PMP (PMI), CCM or DBIA certification is required (within 12 months of hire or promotion onto the Approved Project Manager list).

Domestic and/or international travel may be required. The frequency of travel is contingent on specific duties, responsibilities, and the essential functions of the position, which may vary depending on workload and project demands.

Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field.

Design‑build and/or EPC project delivery experience, including procurement coordination, construction oversight, and commissioning/turnover support.

Experience with portfolio‑level substation program planning and execution (e.g., multi‑site capital programs), including managing and coordinating substation engineering teams (physical, P&C, civil/structural) to deliver consistent, on‑time design packages.

Data center / mission‑critical substation experience delivering under accelerated schedules (fast-track design cycles, parallel engineering/procurement, multi‑vendor coordination) with a focus on energization readiness, turnover, and schedule certainty.

Registered Professional Engineer (PE) preferred (discipline aligned to project needs, e.g., electrical or mechanical).

CCM, DBIA) and/or mission‑critical commissioning training/certifications are a plus.

Amount of Travel Required
We provide career opportunities that span a variety of disciplines and geographic locations, with projects that our employees plan, design, build and operate as diverse as the needs of our clients. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, pregnancy related conditions, childbirth and related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression), national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Background Check and Drug Testing Information
In addition, CDM Smith may conduct drug testing for designated positions. The timing of when background checks will be conducted on candidates for positions outside the United States will vary based on country statutory law but in no case, will the background check precede an interview. CDM Smith will conduct interviews of qualified individuals prior to requesting a criminal background check, and no job application submitted prior to such interview shall inquire into an applicant's criminal history. In addition, during employment individuals may be required by CDM Smith or a CDM Smith client to successfully complete additional background checks, including motor vehicle record as well as drug testing.

In addition to geographic location, a candidate’s salary is determined by several other factors including, but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, relevant work experience, skills, required certifications, and education/training.

All bonuses at CDM Smith are discretionary and may or may not apply to this position.

H-1B or TN Visas for this position

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