Project Manager - Water/Wastewater Services

CDM Smith • Concord, CA

6d

About The Position

CDM Smith is seeking an experienced Project Manager to join its West Pacific group and lead municipal drinking water, wastewater treatment, and pump station projects in Northern California. The position may be based in Concord or Sacramento, California. The Project Manager serves as the principal client contact, leads multidisciplinary teams, and applies technical credibility to guide decisions from planning and design through construction administration and program management.

The role provides accountable leadership through project closeout; manages client relationships and communications; guides technical reviews and quality; defines project scope, plans, budgets, schedules, and success measures; and manages project financials, risks, changes, resources, and team development. The Project Manager also collaborates on business development and represents CDM Smith in relevant professional and industry activities. Domestic and/or international travel may be required, with travel expected to be 10% or less.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree; equivalent additional directly related experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 7 years of related experience.
• 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, depending on duties, responsibilities, workload, and project demands.

Nice To Haves

• Current Professional Engineer (PE) license in California.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary project teams and managing scope, schedule, budget, risk, quality, and client expectations.
• Bachelor's degree in Civil, Environmental, or Chemical Engineering.
• 15 years of related experience in engineering consulting.
• Experience managing Northern California municipal water or wastewater projects valued at more than $1 million.
• Established relationships and successful project experience with municipal clients in Northern California.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams through planning, design, and construction-phase services.
• Strong technical knowledge of municipal water and/or wastewater systems and the judgment to lead technical decisions and quality reviews.
• Executive-level communication, facilitation, negotiation, networking, and team-building skills.
• A record of developing staff, building accountable teams, and earning client trust through reliable project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from initiation through closeout, establishing priorities, roles, decision paths, and performance expectations; make timely decisions, resolve conflicts, coach staff, and escalate issues as needed.
• Serve as the principal day-to-day client contact and trusted advisor; communicate with clients, regulators, partners, and stakeholders; lead meetings and presentations; manage expectations and follow through on commitments.
• Apply engineering judgment and technical knowledge in municipal water and wastewater planning, design, and construction; lead technical reviews and ensure deliverables are accurate, coordinated, practical, and responsive to client needs.
• Define project objectives, scope, approach, deliverables, schedules, budgets, governance, and success measures; prepare statements of work and work breakdown structures; identify risks and mitigation plans.
• Manage project costs, revenue, profitability, cash flow, and forecasts; monitor performance and variances; manage billings, collections, and subcontractor and vendor invoices; obtain authorization for out-of-scope work.
• Monitor project status, critical path, dependencies, risks, and commitments; implement recovery actions, escalate material concerns, manage changes, document decisions, and address safety plans and audit corrective actions.
• Develop and maintain resource plans; secure expertise and coordinate subcontractors and vendors; assign work and provide direction, coaching, recognition, and feedback to support staff development.
• Partner with sales and technical leaders to identify and shape opportunities; support proposals, interviews, and presentations; develop scopes, staffing plans, schedules, and fees; pursue additional services and repeat business through strong delivery.
• Represent CDM Smith through participation in relevant professional societies and industry activities.

What This Job Offers

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