Associate Project Director, for COWI in North America

COWI•Long Beach, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an Associate Project Director to join our team in Long Beach. We are widely recognized for our expertise in marine and port structures, with experience spanning the full lifecycle of marine, coastal, and geotechnical projects -from targeted technical consulting to comprehensive planning, design, and implementation. In this role, you will provide senior leadership across project delivery, client relationships, and business development, while contributing to the growth of our presence in the Los Angeles/Long Beach market.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree in Civil, Structural, or Coastal Engineering (Master’s preferred) with 12–15+ years of experience in marine, waterfront, or heavy civil infrastructure.
A Professional Engineer (PE) license (or ability to obtain in California), with demonstrated technical credibility and delivery expertise.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, multidisciplinary projects with full accountability for scope, schedule, budget, and commercial performance.
Demonstrated success in senior client relationship management, including contract negotiations, risk management, and delivering high client satisfaction.
Demonstrated success in financial and commercial performance, including managing margins and securing follow-on work.
Background in business development and team leadership, including pursuing proposals, expanding markets on the West Coast, and mentoring and building effective teams.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Civil, Structural, or Coastal Engineering

Responsibilities

Lead and deliver complex waterfront and marine infrastructure projects for public and private clients, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget from planning through delivery.
Provide project management leadership across multidisciplinary teams (civil, structural, coastal, geotechnical) to achieve high-quality, coordinated outcomes.
Serve as the primary client interface, managing contracts, fee negotiations, schedules, and risk while maintaining strong client relationships.
Manage project commercial performance with a focus on profitability, technical excellence, innovation, and securing follow-on work and change orders.
Support business development activities including go/no-go decisions, teaming strategies, and proposals, with a focus on growing the California (LA/Long Beach) market.
Mentor and develop staff while contributing to local office growth, including team building, hiring decisions, and expanding COWI’s presence in the region.