Principal Structural Project Manager

Mott MacDonald•Los Angeles, CA

5d•$169,000 - $207,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Mott MacDonald is seeking an experienced Principal Structural Project Manager for its Southwest Buildings design team in the Los Angeles office. The role will lead delivery of architectural and structural designs from concept through construction and help grow the Buildings practice across California and the broader Southwest. The position works closely with the Southwest Buildings Practice Leader, Division Leadership, Global Discipline Leaders, and Market Leaders to expand the company’s presence in sectors including light rail, aviation, major events and venues, and data centers, as well as civic buildings, healthcare, and higher education. The successful candidate will combine technical leadership, client relationship management, business development, operational management, and people leadership. They will oversee complex building projects and multidisciplinary teams, maintain strong client relationships, advance business growth, and support the development and retention of technical professionals. The role requires limited travel to regional project sites and client locations as needed. The position follows a hybrid approach centered on in-office collaboration, with a minimum of three days per week in the office. The expected salary is $169,000–$207,000. Eligible employees may receive performance-based bonuses and access to a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering from an accredited institution.
Licensed Civil or Structural Engineer (PE and/or SE) in California, or able to obtain a California license within six months of hire.
15+ years of architectural design and project delivery experience.
Proven experience leading multiple projects of varying size and complexity.
Strong understanding of building systems, California building codes, construction methods, and technical detailing.
Experience developing complete contract documents, including drawings, specifications, and bid packages.
Excellent communication, organization, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to lead project teams and manage priorities.
Willingness to travel on a limited basis to regional project sites and client locations as required.
Demonstrated success delivering building projects in California.
Experience leading innovative and technically complex building projects, including sustainable and high-performance facilities.
Strong client management skills and a proven ability to develop long-term relationships and grow strategic accounts.
Experience managing staffing, resource planning, recruitment, performance management, and team development.
Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Ability to independently lead multidisciplinary design teams to deliver client projects on time, within budget, and to high-quality industry standards.
Proficient structural engineering, leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
Solid technical expertise and comprehensive attention to detail.
Collaborative, client-focused approach to project teams.
Ability to solve complex design and construction challenges.
Passion for delivering sustainable and innovative solutions.
Ability to mentor and develop others.
Proficiency with Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), BIM coordination and documentation workflows, and Procore or comparable construction project management software.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of one or more building markets and facility types, including aviation, ports, transit stations, maintenance facilities, major events venues, and data centers.
Texas project experience.
Established industry relationships and/or a regional client program network.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage the Southwest Buildings structural design discipline, delivering projects on schedule, within budget, and to high quality standards.
Coordinate design integration among structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, civil, and specialty building disciplines.
Serve as a senior client manager, build trusted relationships, and provide exceptional client service and project delivery.
Lead structural design and technical delivery for complex mid-size and large-scale projects.
Set project design direction, technical standards, and quality expectations, and develop structural design strategies with other design disciplines.
Oversee production and quality review of design submissions, construction documents, BIM models, drawings, and specifications.
Manage project scope, schedule, budget, and multidisciplinary coordination.
Provide technical leadership during construction, including responses to RFIs and construction administration support.
Ensure compliance with applicable building codes, zoning requirements, industry standards, and best practices.
Conduct quality assurance reviews to support constructability and design excellence.
Coordinate with cost estimating and scheduling teams, specialty consultants, contractors, and project stakeholders to align scopes with client criteria and objectives.
Lead client presentations and serve as a trusted advisor through project delivery.
Support business development, proposals, pursuit interviews, and capture strategies.
Mentor and guide junior structural engineers.
Conduct site visits and field reviews to verify alignment with design intent.
Develop and execute growth strategies for Buildings design services across the Southwest Division, initially focused on California.
Partner with Division and Global Leadership to identify, pursue, and secure business opportunities in targeted sectors.
Develop client relationships, identify upcoming capital programs, position the company for pursuits, and contribute to capture strategies.
Help develop proposal and pursuit win themes and differentiators.
Drive operational excellence through project planning, resource management, quality assurance, risk management, and performance monitoring.
Monitor business performance and staffing resources to improve utilization, profitability, and delivery outcomes.
Foster collaboration across offices, disciplines, regions, and business units.
Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain technical professionals, supporting career progression, succession planning, and workforce growth.
Establish training and development programs for technical excellence and professional growth.
Build internal and external networks supporting project delivery, resource sharing, innovation, and business growth.
Represent Mott MacDonald at industry events, conferences, and professional organizations.
Promote safety and wellbeing, comply with established processes, and demonstrate positive safety leadership.
Champion PRIDE Values, Our Code, and Inclusion & Diversity, fostering an inclusive, collaborative, high-performing team.