Structural Asset and Program Manager

WSP•Lisle, IL

About The Position

WSP is seeking a Structural Asset and Program Manager for its Illinois Tollway General Engineering Consultant (GEC) Team. The role provides program-level ownership and stewardship of the Illinois Tollway’s structural assets, including bridges, structural walls, overhead sign structures, plaza canopies, communication towers, and other structural systems. It connects inspection findings and asset condition with maintenance needs, repair programming, capital planning, project scoping, and annual reporting to support a coordinated structural asset management program and keep assets in a state of good repair. The manager combines structural engineering judgment with asset-management, project-management, data-informed decision-making, team leadership, and stakeholder-coordination capabilities. They lead inspection and condition-assessment programs, develop prioritized maintenance and capital recommendations, support project scoping and concept development, maintain reliable asset data, lead annual reporting, and coordinate with Illinois Tollway departments and partner agencies. The role is supported by inspection teams, engineers, technical specialists, and subject matter experts, and reports through and works in close partnership with the GEC Trust Indenture Manager. The position also supervises and develops GEC structural asset, inspection, and engineering staff; coordinates structural asset response and recovery after major incidents; and supports Trust Indenture reporting responsibilities related to structural assets.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or Structural Engineering from an accredited university.
Certified Illinois Bridge Team Leader.
Illinois Professional Engineer (PE) license.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in structural engineering, roadway engineering, construction engineering, structural inspection, or related transportation infrastructure work.
Demonstrated experience leading bridge or structural inspection, condition assessment, repair, rehabilitation, or capital-planning programs for a transportation agency or major infrastructure owner.
Strong understanding of bridge and structural asset deterioration, inspection findings, condition ratings, load considerations, repair development, rehabilitation strategies, lifecycle planning, and risk-based prioritization.
Ability to translate technical findings into clear recommendations, scopes, priorities, schedules, and planning-level investment needs.
Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams across inspection, design, construction, maintenance, planning, and operations.
Experience leading technical staff and consultants, managing competing priorities, and maintaining accountability for quality and delivery.
Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate with agency leadership, technical specialists, partner agencies, and nontechnical stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Illinois Tollway project experience and familiarity with Illinois Tollway structural criteria, manuals, specifications, inspection practices, policies, procedures, and review processes.
Experience managing multiple structural asset classes, particularly bridges, retaining or noise walls, and overhead sign structures.
Experience developing annual asset-condition reports, multi-year repair programs, renewal and replacement outlooks, executive dashboards, or similar program-level deliverables.
Experience with transportation asset-management systems, GIS-based asset inventories, work-order tracking, condition data, and data-informed capital planning.
Strong understanding of IDOT and FHWA bridge inspection and reporting requirements and applicable AASHTO guidance.
Experience coordinating structural work with railroads, transit agencies, municipalities, counties, or other public infrastructure owners.

Responsibilities

Provide program-level ownership and stewardship of assigned structural assets throughout inspection, condition assessment, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement.
Manage structural asset inspections in partnership with the GEC Trust Indenture Manager and coordinate with the Agency Program Manager on IDOT and FHWA bridge inspection and reporting requirements.
Establish a coordinated view of asset condition, risk, priority needs, planned work, and gaps across maintenance and capital programs.
Translate structural condition information into practical recommendations that balance operational needs and lifecycle performance.
Coordinate structural asset priorities across inspection, design, construction, maintenance, planning, and programming stakeholders.
Establish and maintain program governance, procedures, roles, quality expectations, and controls for structural inspection and condition-assessment programs; evaluate and improve related workflows and business processes.
Lead and coordinate inspection programs, aligning inspection cycles, assignments, deliverables, and follow-up actions.
Promote consistent inspection practices, documentation, engineering judgment, quality control, data entry, and escalation of urgent or high-risk conditions.
Ensure deficiencies are documented, prioritized, assigned, and tracked through resolution, with appropriate interim monitoring or risk-reduction measures.
Coordinate with technical specialists and inspection leaders regarding findings, deterioration trends, and needs for additional evaluation or testing.
Coordinate acceptance and transition of new, reconstructed, and rehabilitated structural assets into the asset program.
Lead structural asset response and recovery following major incidents, coordinating assessments, stabilization, and repairs with technical and operational teams.
Evaluate inspection findings and asset-condition data to develop prioritized maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement recommendations.
Develop and maintain near-term and long-range outlooks for structural asset needs, including recommended timing, conceptual repair approaches, and planning-level costs.
Define intervention strategies that preserve service life, address deterioration before conditions become critical, and support lifecycle-based investment decisions.
Identify recurring conditions, systemic vulnerabilities, and opportunities for preservation, standard repairs, bundling, or programmatic delivery.
Provide structural asset input to capital program development, project identification, and prioritization.
Lead or support structural scoping and concept development, including problem statements, asset needs, anticipated work limits, preliminary alternatives, risk considerations, and planning-level cost and schedule input.
Provide continuity from inspection and asset planning into design and construction, communicating the condition-based rationale, priority, and intended outcome of structural work.
Lead annual reporting for assigned structural asset classes, covering inventory, age, condition, inspection activity, completed repairs, open deficiencies, renewal and replacement needs, and recommended actions.
Maintain confidence in structural asset data through consistent inventories, condition ratings, repair priorities, ownership information, and status updates in asset-management systems.
Support Trust Indenture reporting responsibilities related to structural assets.
Coordinate with partner agencies regarding shared, adjacent, or jurisdictionally complex structural assets and identify opportunities to align inspections, repairs, rehabilitation, replacement, access, traffic control, agreements, and delivery schedules.
Supervise and develop GEC structural asset, inspection, and engineering staff; establish priorities, balance workloads, and support accountability for quality and delivery.
Build collaboration among inspection teams, design engineers, asset managers, maintenance personnel, and subject matter experts.
Mentor staff in structural engineering judgment, asset-management thinking, risk communication, documentation, and program leadership.
Identify staffing, succession, and technical training needs and help attract and develop talent.
Foster an environment where staff raise risks early, challenge assumptions constructively, and develop practical solutions collaboratively.