Senior Manager, Digital Delivery and Innovation

Hill international•Irvine, NY

About The Position

Hill International is posting for a Senior Manager, Digital Delivery & Innovation, for GISI Ignite in New York, NY, Arlington, VA, Denver, CO, or Newport Beach, CA, with potential client travel. Palladium, another GISI Company, is the hiring platform for this role. If you are interested in the role, please apply directly at: Palladium Career Site . GISI is a global, employee-owned family of companies focused on construction, infrastructure, earth and environment, and global development. GISI Ignite is GISI's newly launched centralized technology and innovation team, built to strengthen how our operating companies deliver projects and provide expert guidance on AI, data, and digital solutions. GISI Ignite develops scalable platforms, drives workflow modernization, and helps operating companies apply cyber-physical solutions that strengthen the performance, resilience, and safety of major capital programs. Palladium, a GISI company, works to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. Palladium operates in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 2,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff around the world. This role is hired through Palladium, the operational platform for Ignite. This Opportunity: Support the delivery of technology-enabled solutions and innovation programs across GISI’s family of companies and client portfolio. The Senior Manager will advise design, engineering, and construction management projects on the use of technology to enhance delivery. The role helps internal and external clients define problem statements, evaluate options, and implement impactful solutions across architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) domains for application in infrastructure and mobility, government and society, and the natural world (earth and water). The ideal candidate brings experience and understanding of AEC disciplines, combined with the application technologies such as: design automation, PMIS workflows, BIM/VDC, digital twins, agentic AI, and other emerging technologies. The practitioner will translate real-world workflows into scalable, technology-driven solutions. This person will operate as a seller–doer, operating across strategy and execution. Assignments will span internal operational efficiency initiatives and external client engagements, working closely with GISI Ignite Directors, Operating Companies (OPCOs), clients, and GISI’s technical teams to ensure innovation and digital transformation engagements are aligned with business needs and deliver measurable value.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in AEC delivery, engineering, construction program management, or technology strategy and delivery in a AEC environment.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related field
Deep understanding of AEC delivery workflows such as PMCM practices and BIM/VDC/model-based delivery
Ability to move fluidly between strategic framing and hands-on technical delivery
Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-disciplinary technology initiatives
Demonstrated knowledge in emerging technologies and innovation methodologies including familiarity with AI, automation, and data integration platforms
Proven ability to cultivate relationships and serve as a trusted advisor to internal and external clients, providing recommendations and solutions that produce business value
Demonstrated comfort leading projects across diverse industries and ability to engage with stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds
Systems-thinking mindset, capable of integrating people, process, technology, and governance
Curiosity and initiative to continuously explore emerging tools and methods in digital engineering
Demonstrated track record of solving complex, enterprise-level challenges through innovative, systems-based approaches.
Leads engagements fluidly between strategic framing and hands-on delivery, providing clarity, structure, and direction to teams and clients
Familiarity with a wide range of tools for BIM, VDC, PMIS and schedule controls
Automation, scripting, or software development applied to engineering workflows
AI, generative design, or data-driven decision support in AEC contexts
Agile delivery, design thinking, or change management methodologies
Data visualization and reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Excel, analytics dashboards)
Software prototyping tools (Figma, PowerApps, Cursor/Windsurf, Miro, or similar

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted advisor to client stakeholders internal and external to GISI operating companies
Lead discovery activities—including interviews, workshops, and field assessments—that surface project delivery, coordination, data, and workflow challenges
Identify cross-company and cross-sector patterns related to digital delivery, model-based workflows, automation, and data integration
Assess and improve project delivery workflows using technology, while balancing standardization with project realities
Lead strategy and development of innovation concepts, digital transformation pathways, and solution requirements, translating business needs into actionable solutions
Translate business and operational needs into actionable requirements for software, data, and automation solutions, including BIM-enabled and model-based approaches
Evaluate and advise on technology acquisition and delivery pathways, shaping the organization’s innovation and digital transformation roadmap and investment priorities
Evaluate and devise strategies that account for people, process, technology, and governance components for each engagement
Conceptualize and deliver proofs of concept, prototypes, and pilot implementations, including model-driven, automation-enabled, or analytics-based solution
Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership for multi-phase digital delivery and innovation programs across projects engagements, coordinating workstreams across GISI operating companies, technical teams and vendors
Partner with OPCO and business stakeholders to define and develop standards for program controls and reporting
Lead configuration, integration, and adoption of PMIS and data pipelines to enable reliable program reporting and decision-making
Develop and manage project plans, milestones, dependencies, and risk mitigation strategies
Ensure alignment between technical delivery, business objectives, and client expectations
Identify risks, issues, and mitigation strategies, escalating complex challenges appropriately
Establish mechanisms to ensure quality and consistency in deliverables and client communications
Lead production of client-ready deliverables, including solution architectures, roadmaps, assessments, business cases, and implementation plans
Define and track KPIs related to engineering efficiency, delivery quality, and adoption of digital tools
Capture lessons learned and feed insights into GISI Ignite’s innovation roadmap
Represent GISI Ignite in client briefings, industry forums, webinars, and thought leadership
Mentor technical contributors and support the development of best practices across Ignite