Senior Project Manager-Highways Roads- Ontario/Inland Empire

GHD Group Pty Ltd•Eureka, CA

131d•$138,000 - $207,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Bring your curiosity and determination to make a positive impact on the future of transportation in the communities you live and work! The US West Region is looking for a motivated Senior Project Manager - Highways Roads- Ontario/Inland Empire to support GHD’s established Highways, Roads, Bridges practice throughout the California and the US West. We are seeking a proactive Senior Transportation Project Manager with the skills to help take our practice to the next level in the delivery of highways, interchanges, local roads, roundabouts, trails / active transportation, bridges, and other enriching and vital improvements. Through a broad network of clients, GHD has exposure to these transportation projects through Federal, State, Regional, County, and Municipal agencies and private sectors. This is a unique opportunity to join a large, well-established organization with a culture that promotes teamwork, integrity, and respect. You will work closely with our highly skilled multi-disciplinary teams throughout the organization and our clients to efficiently deliver projects and provide high value consultancy services. This position will work remotely from the Ontario/Inland Empire, but will be networked through our offices across the West Region with a focus on our offices in California. Our Hybrid Work Model: Be part of the dynamic culture! Our workplace thrives on a hybrid model, combining in-office collaboration and flexibility. Join us in the office three days a week to contribute, connect and excel in our vibrant environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering or related field, master's degree preferred
12+ years of experience in transportation project management, with a strong background in planning, design and delivery of highway, roadway, and active transportation projects.
Registered Civil Engineer in the State of California Required
Demonstrated success in business development, client management, and securing major project wins.
Extensive experience managing projects for Caltrans, local agencies, and federally funded programs.
Advanced proficiency with project management software and tools (e.g. MS Project, Earned-Value Management).
Deep knowledge of Caltrans and AASHTO standards, and expertise in PS&E package development.
Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with alternative delivery methods (e.g., Design-Build, CMGC) is highly desirable.
Construction phase and program management experience is desirable.
Experience managing multi-office or multi-disciplinary teams is preferred.
Experience working in a consulting environment and managing multiple concurrent projects is preferred.

Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Delivery: Direct the planning, design, and execution of transportation projects, including highways, interchanges, local roads, roundabouts, trails, and bridges, ensuring delivery excellence, innovation, and client satisfaction.
Business Development & Market Growth: Proactively identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities with public and private sector clients. Lead the development of winning proposals, presentations, and interviews. Build and maintain a robust pipeline of work through strategic networking and market intelligence.
Client Relationship Management: Serve as a trusted advisor to key clients, agencies, and stakeholders. Develop long term partnerships and ensure exceptional client service throughout the project lifecycle.
Team Management & Development: Lead, mentor, and inspire multidisciplinary project teams. Fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Support staff development through coaching, training, and succession planning.
Financial and Risk Management: Oversee project budgets, schedules, and resource allocation. Drive project profitability and manage financial performance, including forecasting, earned value tracking, and variance analysis. Proactively identify and mitigate project risks.
Technical Excellence & Quality Assurance: Provide senior technical oversight and ensure quality compliance with Caltrans, AASHTO, and local agency standards. Champion quality assurance and control throughout all project phases.
Innovation & Best Practices: Lead the adoption of emerging technologies, digital delivery tools, and industry best practices to enhance project outcomes and client value.
Change & Risk Management: Implement structured change management and risk mitigation strategies to ensure successful project outcomes.
Strategic Leadership: Contribute to regional business planning, market analysis, and the development of long-term growth strategies for the transportation group.
Project Governance: Clarify roles and responsibilities within the project team and ensure project compliance with the organization's wider program and/or portfolio management decision-making structures and processes.
Portfolio Management: Plan and manage the delivery of projects within an area of professional expertise, using an appropriate project management methodology to give assurance that intended outcomes are achieved.
Project Team Management: Lead large project teams (or multiple small- to medium-sized teams); define the project vision, communicate the necessary outcomes, and provide guidance to achieve these outcomes; coordinate team actions across project activities; coordinate the flow of additional team members on and off the team, as needed; and build the capability of the team through training, coaching, and mentoring.
Project Risk and Issue Management: Manage identification of risks, issues, dependencies, and constraints associated with the project, escalating these matters where appropriate. Where necessary, develop, agree on, and implement solutions to overcome these concerns.
Project Resource Management: Negotiate and manage deployment of project resource budgets, providing forecasts and presenting variances with narrative at appropriate review points to ensure effective utilization.
Leadership and Direction: Communicate the actions needed to implement the function's strategy and business plan within the team; explain the relationship to the broader organization's mission, vision, and values; motivate people to commit to these and to do extraordinary things to achieve local business goals.
Personal Capability Building: Develop own capabilities by participating in assessment and development planning activities as well as formal and informal training and coaching; gain or maintain external professional accreditation, where relevant, to improve performance and fulfill personal potential. Maintain an in-depth understanding of technology, external regulation, and industry best practices through ongoing education, attending conferences, and reading specialist media.
Transformational Change Management: Manage projects or substantial workstreams within a transformational change program, ensuring integration with related projects; use structured change management methodologies to build acceptance of change and to embed desired culture and behaviors.
Stakeholder Management: Develop and implement stakeholder engagement plans for projects to identify relevant stakeholders, to develop positive stakeholder relationships, and to ensure that each stakeholder has an appropriate share of voice.
Project Scope Definition: Plan and lead the delivery of a range of information gathering, analysis, and stakeholder consultation activities and specify, negotiate, and agree on project deliverables.
Project Assurance: Manage the delivery of assurance reviews within a project, enable the delivery of assurance reviews by independent third parties, and take appropriate action to resolve any issues identified, to give senior stakeholders confidence that the project can deliver according to time, budget, and quality.