Bridge Manager

French & Parrello•Wall Township, NJ

17h•Onsite

About The Position

French & Parrello Associates (FPA) is hiring a Bridge Department Manager to lead its Bridge Department at the Wall Township, New Jersey headquarters. The role combines department leadership with service as a Senior Project Manager on major transportation and bridge assignments in New Jersey and the Northeast. The manager will oversee project delivery, staff development, client relationships, and growth of FPA’s bridge practice. The department’s work includes bridge replacements, deck replacements, structural rehabilitations, bridge widenings, load ratings, inspections, staged construction projects, and infrastructure improvements involving steel plate girders, rolled steel beams, prestressed concrete structures, culverts, pedestrian bridges, and specialty structures. The manager will work with FPA’s Highway, Traffic, Geotechnical, Environmental, Water Resources, and Construction Services departments on multidisciplinary projects. FPA is an employee-owned, mid-sized engineering and consulting firm. It describes its culture as collaborative and focused on technical excellence, mentorship, professional development, and employee growth. The position includes opportunities to shape the department’s direction, build a team, strengthen client relationships, and contribute to business development. Sponsorship for U.S. employment authorization and relocation assistance are available. The projected compensation range is $165,000 to $200,000, depending on experience, education, qualifications, and skills. The position is eligible for an annual bonus program and a signing bonus for qualified candidates.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
At least 15 years of progressive experience in bridge, structural, transportation, or related infrastructure engineering.
Demonstrated experience managing complex bridge and transportation projects from design through construction.
Strong technical background in bridge design, rehabilitation, replacement, inspection, load rating, and/or transportation infrastructure.
Strong understanding of project management, including scope, schedule, budget, staffing, quality control, and risk management.
Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain client relationships and contribute to business development.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for communicating with clients, agencies, staff, and multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated leadership skills, including providing technical direction, mentoring staff, and building high-performing teams.
Strong organizational and decision-making skills, including managing multiple projects and competing priorities while maintaining quality and client satisfaction.
Experience with proposal development, client presentations, interviews, and business development initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Structural Engineering or a related discipline.
New Jersey PE license, or ability to obtain one through reciprocity.
Experience leading and mentoring engineering teams and/or managing a technical department.
Experience working with NJDOT, transportation authorities, counties, municipalities, and other public-sector clients.
Proficiency with structural and transportation design software; experience with LEAP Bridge, LARSA, MIDAS, CSiBridge, STAAD, or similar platforms.
Strong knowledge of NJDOT design standards, AASHTO requirements, and applicable transportation and structural engineering standards.
Established relationships with NJDOT, NJ Turnpike Authority, DRJTBC, Garden State Parkway, PennDOT, counties, municipalities, or other transportation agencies.
Experience growing a bridge or transportation engineering practice.
Experience with strategic planning, department budgeting, workload forecasting, and resource management.
Proven ability to recruit, retain, mentor, and develop engineering professionals.
Active involvement in professional engineering organizations and industry associations.
Experience with alternative delivery methods, including Design-Build and other progressive project delivery approaches.

Responsibilities

Lead the Bridge Department, overseeing project delivery, staffing, resource allocation, technical quality, and overall department performance.
Serve as Senior Project Manager and/or Project Manager on complex bridge, transportation, and infrastructure projects from planning and concept development through final design, permitting, bidding, and construction support.
Provide technical leadership on bridge design, rehabilitation, replacement, inspection, load rating, and transportation infrastructure projects.
Lead multidisciplinary project teams and coordinate bridge, roadway, traffic, geotechnical, environmental, water resources, and other technical professionals.
Develop, mentor, and manage bridge engineering staff through technical guidance, career development, performance feedback, and professional growth opportunities.
Assist with recruiting and building the Bridge Department.
Manage project scope, schedule, budget, staffing, quality control, risk, and client expectations.
Serve as a senior point of contact for NJDOT, transportation authorities, counties, municipalities, and other public-sector agencies.
Build and maintain long-term client relationships and identify opportunities for additional work.
Oversee preparation and review of engineering plans, specifications, cost estimates, technical reports, calculations, and other project documentation.
Provide technical direction on engineering solutions, design approaches, project delivery strategies, and complex technical issues.
Ensure projects comply with applicable AASHTO, NJDOT, MUTCD, local agency, and other applicable standards, codes, and requirements.
Participate in project pursuits, proposal development, scope and fee preparation, interviews, presentations, and other business development activities.
Identify opportunities and support expansion of FPA’s Bridge practice across state, county, municipal, and transportation authority markets.
Represent FPA at industry events, professional organizations, client meetings, and other business development opportunities.
Support department forecasting, workload planning, project staffing, and financial performance.
Collaborate with FPA leadership to establish and execute strategic goals for the Bridge Department.
Conduct site visits, field investigations, inspections, and structural assessments as needed.
Promote FPA’s culture of collaboration, accountability, technical excellence, and employee development.