Senior Program Manager - Utilities

Parsons Corporation•Houston, TX

9d•$134,100 - $241,400•Onsite

About The Position

Parsons is seeking a Senior Program/Project Manager to support the delivery of Owner’s Engineer services for a major utility transmission and substation capital portfolio. This is a senior leadership role requiring deep experience in owner-side program/project delivery, EPC oversight, and utility infrastructure execution across large, complex capital programs. The successful candidate will serve in an Owner’s Engineer capacity, operating as an extension of the client’s office to support project leadership, coordination, oversight, and decision-making across multiple concurrent projects. This role requires a leader who can bring structure, clarity, and momentum across engineering, project controls, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout activities while maintaining close alignment with client goals, standards, and governance processes. This is not a conventional project management role. The position requires strong executive presence, sound judgment, proactive leadership, and the ability to identify risks and opportunities early, communicate clearly, drive alignment, and add value beyond baseline scope. The ideal candidate is collaborative, highly responsive, solutions-oriented, and comfortable leading in a fast-paced environment with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in Owner’s Engineer, owner advisor, utility owner-side, or EPC oversight roles
Demonstrated experience supporting large, complex transmission and substation projects
Experience with mega projects or major capital programs involving multiple stakeholders, complex interfaces, and high levels of coordination
Demonstrated ability to lead multidiscipline technical teams and provide effective owner-side oversight of EPC contractor engineering and technical deliverables for transmission and substation projects
Strong experience overseeing or integrating: project scope and execution planning, cost and schedule performance, project controls, risk, and change management, engineering and design coordination, procurement and construction interfaces, commissioning, turnover, and closeout
Strong leadership, collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills
Proven ability to work with initiative, operate independently, solve problems proactively, and bring forward recommendations that improve outcomes
Ability to function effectively in a client-facing environment requiring diplomacy, responsiveness, accountability, and sound judgment

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in engineering preferred
PMP and/or PE preferred
15+ years of relevant experience in utility infrastructure, major capital project delivery, or program management
Experience with transmission and substation EPC delivery models
Experience supporting multiple concurrent projects within a program or portfolio environment
Experience with project controls, integrated scheduling, change management, and cost validation
Familiarity with Primavera P6, cost systems, dashboards, and project reporting tools
Experience with extra-high-voltage transmission and substation projects
Experience supporting executive governance, reporting, and decision-making processes

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior owner-side program/project management lead supporting a portfolio of transmission and substation projects delivered under an EPC model
Act as an extension of the client’s office, coordinating with internal stakeholders, EPC contractors, consultants, and support teams to align project objectives, priorities, and execution activities
Lead project readiness, stage-gate coordination, action tracking, and decision-support activities to help ensure projects advance with complete, accurate, and timely information
Provide owner-side technical oversight of Parsons’ multidiscipline team and independent oversight of EPC contractor engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities to ensure deliverables and execution are aligned with project requirements, Company standards, and quality expectations
Oversee EPC contractor performance across scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, and contract compliance, and work with project teams to identify risks, gaps, and corrective actions early
Support review of cost, schedule, risk, change, and open-book pricing information to inform owner-side decisions and improve project execution outcomes
Lead communication, coordination, and issue resolution across engineering, project controls, procurement, construction, and client leadership teams
Support construction readiness, commissioning readiness, turnover, and closeout activities, including documentation, punch list, and handover coordination
Provide leadership in client meetings, executive briefings, and working sessions, and mentor supporting team members across project management, technical, controls, and field functions