Area Leader-Transportation

Vaco; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco in Orlando, FL is seeking a Transportation Area Leader to guide the Central Florida transportation engineering practice. You will direct complex roadway projects, mentor staff, and drive client relationships with FDOT and local agencies.

The ideal candidate holds a P.E. license, a Civil Engineering degree, and 10+ years of transportation experience, with proven project management and business development skills enabling growth of the Orlando team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
• Active Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
• Minimum of 10 years of transportation engineering experience.
• Strong knowledge of FDOT design standards and public-sector projects.
• Experience leading business development and client interviews.
• Proven ability to manage budgets and multidisciplinary teams.
• Established ability to develop and maintain strong client relationships.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations and strategic growth of the Central Florida transportation engineering practice.
• Drive business development initiatives, expand client relationships, and identify new project opportunities.
• Manage project backlog, revenue, schedules, budgets, staffing, and deliverables.
• Lead pursuits: proposals, client presentations, and project interviews.
• Build and maintain relationships with FDOT, municipalities, counties, and other public-sector clients.
• Oversee the design and delivery of complex roadway and transportation projects.
• Direct projects through planning, feasibility, final design, permitting, bidding, and construction support.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams including survey, environmental, geotechnical, and GIS.

Skills

Project management

Business development

Client relationship management

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Job description

Vaco is hiring for a Transportation Area Leader in Orlando, Florida. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to lead an office and staff.

Transportation Area Leader - Civil Engineering

Location: Orlando, FL

Employment Type: Full-Time

Industry: Civil Engineering / Transportation Infrastructure

About the Opportunity

We are partnering with an established engineering consulting firm seeking an experienced Transportation Area Leader to lead and expand its transportation engineering practice in Central Florida. This senior-level leadership opportunity is ideal for a licensed Professional Engineer who combines strong technical expertise in roadway design with proven project management, client relationship management, and business development capabilities.

The selected individual will oversee complex transportation infrastructure projects for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and local government agencies while playing a key role in growing the Orlando transportation team.

This position offers the opportunity to take ownership of a regional practice, strengthen client partnerships, develop engineering talent, and contribute directly to the organization's continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

Practice Leadership & Business Development

• Lead the operations and strategic growth of the Central Florida transportation engineering practice.
• Drive business development initiatives, expand client relationships, and identify new project opportunities.
• Manage project backlog, revenue generation, resource planning, and overall practice performance.
• Lead pursuit efforts, including proposal development, client presentations, and project interviews.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with FDOT, municipalities, counties, and other public-sector clients.

Transportation Engineering & Project Management

• Oversee the design and delivery of complex roadway and transportation infrastructure projects.
• Provide technical leadership on projects involving roadway expansions, urban and rural roadways, interchanges, traffic safety improvements, and Maintenance of Traffic (MOT).
• Direct projects through all phases, including planning, feasibility studies, preliminary engineering, final design, permitting, bidding, and construction support.
• Develop and manage project scopes, schedules, budgets, staffing plans, and deliverables.
• Ensure engineering plans, specifications, calculations, and technical reports meet established quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams, including survey, environmental, geotechnical, and GIS professionals.

Team Development & Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and mentor engineers, designers, and technical support professionals.
• Build a high-performing transportation engineering team to support continued regional growth.
• Provide technical guidance, professional development, and leadership to engineering staff.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and client-focused work environment.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
• Active Professional Engineer (P.E.) license.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive transportation engineering experience, including significant roadway design and project management responsibilities.
• Strong knowledge of FDOT design standards, permitting requirements, and public-sector transportation projects.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple engineering projects, budgets, schedules, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven experience leading business development efforts, preparing proposals, and participating in client interviews.
• Established ability to develop and maintain strong client relationships.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing engineering professionals.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Leadership & Ownership: Take a key leadership role in shaping and expanding a transportation engineering practice in Central Florida.
• Growth Opportunity: Build and develop a team while driving strategic business development initiatives.
• High-Impact Projects: Lead meaningful transportation infrastructure projects that support growing communities.
• Client Engagement: Work directly with FDOT and local agencies on complex transportation initiatives.
• Professional Influence: Combine technical expertise, operational leadership, and business development to make a lasting impact.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Civil Engineering Degree and active P.E. license
• Business Development

Equal Opportunity Notice

Highspring LLC (d/b a Vaco by Highspring) and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable law. The company is also committed to ensuring that persons who need them are provided with reasonable accommodations; if an accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact [e-mail].

Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal.

Representation Notice

By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. Additionally, you agree to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. Lastly, you agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal.

For residents of Ontario, Canada only: to the extent the position for employment is not with Highspring or not otherwise noted as vacant above, candidate should be informed that this role is to replace a presently employed person at Vaco by Highspring's client.

Privacy Notice

Vaco by Highspring respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies.

• California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here.
• Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here.
• Residents of all other states may access our policies here.
• Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here.
• Residents of countries governed by GDPR and UK GDPR may access our policies here.

Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring's use of AI can be found here https://www.highspring.com/ai-use-notices/. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client's use of AI products in hiring.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

the individual's skill sets, experience and training;

licensure and certification requirements;

office location and other geographic considerations; and

other business and organizational needs.

With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).