Director of Project Management

Leidos

4d • $116,350 - $210,325

About The Position

Leidos' EPC Solutions Team is seeking a Director of Project Management. This role requires previous experience managing engineering and EPC project portfolios within the electric utility industry. The Director of Project Management is a senior leadership position responsible for leading a team of Project Managers delivering complex engineering services for transmission, substation, distribution, and system planning projects across North America. This role provides strategic leadership for the successful execution of a portfolio of engineering projects performed primarily as a subcontractor to construction-led EPC prime contractors and directly for electric utility clients.
Reporting to Leidos EPC leadership, the Director partners closely with Regional Leadership, Engineering Directors, Operations, Project Controls, and Business Development to ensure safe, predictable, and profitable execution of projects while developing a high-performing project management organization.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience leading project management organizations, overseeing large multi-project portfolios, developing project managers, managing commercial risk, and building trusted executive relationships with utility clients and EPC partners. This individual will play a critical role in driving operational excellence, financial performance, organizational growth, and strategic initiatives across the business.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or related field.
• 12+ years of progressive experience managing engineering and EPC project portfolios within the electric utility industry.
• 7+ years leading Project Managers or project management organizations.
• Demonstrated success managing engineering services provided under EPC, Design-Build, or Engineering Services contracts.
• Experience supporting engineering organizations serving as subcontractors to construction-led EPC prime contractors is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of EPC project lifecycle including engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and project closeout.
• Demonstrated experience managing multimillion-dollar project portfolios with full financial accountability.
• Proven experience negotiating scope changes, managing commercial risk, and improving project profitability.
• Experience developing PMO processes, governance, and organizational standards.
• Strong understanding of project controls, forecasting, earned value management, and portfolio reporting.

Nice To Haves

• PMP certification preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• Executive presence with exceptional communication and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to lead through influence across matrix organizations.
• Strategic thinker capable of balancing client needs, operational priorities, and financial objectives.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to make sound business decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Excellent conflict resolution, negotiation, and executive presentation skills.
• High emotional intelligence with a passion for mentoring and developing future leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of Project Managers responsible for delivering a portfolio of complex transmission, substation, distribution, and system planning engineering projects for alternative delivery projects serving contractors, developers, and investor-owned and public utilities.
• Provide executive oversight of engineering execution for projects delivered under EPC, Progressive Design-Build, and Engineering Services contracts.
• Drive consistent project execution practices that improve safety, quality, schedule performance, client satisfaction, and profitability.
• Establish governance processes that enable early identification and resolution of project risks, scope changes, resource constraints, and commercial issues.
• Partner with Engineering leadership to ensure technical execution aligns with contractual obligations, construction sequencing, and client expectations.
• Provide executive-level decision making for critical project issues requiring cross-functional coordination.
• Lead engineering project execution supporting construction-led EPC prime contractors on large capital infrastructure projects.
• Ensure engineering deliverables support procurement, construction sequencing, commissioning, and overall EPC project milestones.
• Develop strategies to mitigate engineering-related schedule impacts while maintaining quality and contractual compliance.
• Partner with Construction, Procurement, and Project Controls organizations to proactively manage engineering interfaces throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead resolution of engineering changes, field issues, RFIs, and construction support activities.
• Maintain overall responsibility for the financial performance of a portfolio of engineering projects including revenue, gross margin, utilization, backlog, forecasting, and cash flow.
• Lead project managers in managing contract scope, commercial risk, change orders, and claims avoidance.
• Review project forecasts and financial performance to identify trends and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure consistent application of project controls, earned value principles, forecasting methodologies, and PMO governance.
• Participate in contract negotiations and executive commercial discussions with clients and EPC partners.
• Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a high-performing team of Project Managers, Project Controls professionals, and Project Coordinators.
• Establish performance expectations and provide ongoing coaching, performance management, and career development.
• Build organizational capability through training, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Drive accountability for project execution, financial performance, client satisfaction, and employee engagement.
• Foster collaboration across Engineering, Operations, Project Controls, Business Development, and Executive Leadership.
• Monitor project health across multiple programs and implement portfolio recovery strategies where necessary.
• Lead executive project reviews.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives throughout the PMO.
• Standardize project management tools, procedures, governance, and reporting.
• Lead strategic workforce planning across multiple project portfolios.
• Partner with Engineering leadership to optimize resource utilization and staffing.
• Forecast future staffing requirements and support recruiting efforts for Project Management personnel.
• Balance workload across programs to maximize utilization and project performance.
• Develop long-term strategic relationships with utility clients and EPC partners.
• Support account management activities and identify opportunities for portfolio expansion.
• Develop capture strategies that differentiate the company based on technical expertise, execution approach, schedule, commercial strategy, and client value.
• Evaluate competitive positioning, client drivers, procurement strategies, and project risks to develop winning pursuit strategies.
• Participate in capture planning, proposal strategy, pricing reviews, and executive presentations.
• Present pursuit strategies, pricing recommendations, commercial assumptions, and risk assessments to executive leadership during bid approval and investment review meetings.
• Recommend bid/no-bid decisions based on strategic alignment, resource availability, commercial risk, and financial objectives.
• Support contract negotiations to ensure scope, commercial terms, risk allocation, and execution expectations align with company objectives.
• Collaborate with Business Development to expand existing accounts and enter new markets.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and client meetings.

Benefits

• Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior