Buildings Design Manager

Mott MacDonald; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Team collaboration culture

Job summary

Mott MacDonald in Los Angeles is seeking a Buildings Design Manager to lead and grow our Buildings practice across the Southwest. Based in LA, the role serves as the senior technical and operational leader for the Buildings design team, driving project delivery excellence and client satisfaction.

The successful candidate will combine technical leadership, business development, and people management to expand projects in transportation, energy, civic facilities, and data centers while mentoring

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in California or Texas required; California registration strongly preferred.
• Minimum 20 years of experience delivering building systems engineering and design consulting services.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary building engineering design teams and managing complex delivery programs.
• Experience in sectors such as transportation, aviation, rail, civic facilities, healthcare, or data centers.

Responsibilities

• Lead Southwest Buildings design practice, ensuring projects meet schedule, budget and quality.
• Provide leadership across mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, structural, civil and related disciplines.
• Develop and execute growth strategies for Buildings design services in the Southwest, starting with California.
• Lead proposals, client relationships, and pursuit activities to win work.
• Drive operational excellence with planning, risk management, and performance monitoring.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop technical professionals and support career growth.

Skills

Leadership

Client management

Strategic growth

Project delivery

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline

Job description

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water.

We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story.

If you share that vision, even if you don't meet every requirement listed, we'd still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let's explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America.

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Buildings Design Manager (BDM) to lead and grow our Buildings practice across the Southwest Division. Based in Los Angeles, this role serves as the senior technical and operational leader for the Buildings design team, responsible for driving project delivery excellence, business growth, and team development across a diverse portfolio of building and infrastructure projects.

Reporting to the Vice President of Facilities Design and Program Management, the Buildings Design Manager will work closely with Division Leadership, Global Discipline Leaders, and Market Leaders to expand Mott MacDonald's presence across key sectors including transportation, aviation, rail, data centers, civic facilities, healthcare, higher education, energy, and major infrastructure programs.

The successful candidate will combine technical leadership, client relationship management, business development, and people leadership to strengthen Mott MacDonald's Buildings practice throughout California and the broader Southwest region.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Southwest Buildings design practice, ensuring the successful delivery of projects on schedule, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.
• Provide leadership and oversight across multidisciplinary engineering teams, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, structural, civil, and related building disciplines.
• Serve as a senior client manager, building trusted relationships and ensuring exceptional client service and project delivery performance.
• Develop and execute growth strategies for Buildings design services across the Southwest Division, with an initial focus on California.
• Partner with Division and Global Leadership to identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities across targeted market sectors.
• Support business development efforts by developing client relationships, identifying upcoming capital programs, positioning for pursuits, and contributing to capture strategies.
• Lead major proposals, presentations, interviews, and pursuit activities, helping to develop compelling win themes and differentiators.
• Drive operational excellence through effective project planning, resource management, quality assurance, risk management, and performance monitoring.
• Monitor business performance through key operational and financial metrics and implement strategies to improve utilization, project profitability, and delivery outcomes.
• Foster collaboration across offices, disciplines, regions, and business units to deliver integrated, client-focused solutions.
• Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain high-performing technical professionals while supporting career progression, succession planning, and workforce growth.
• Establish training and development programs that promote technical excellence and professional growth across the Buildings team.
• Build strong internal and external networks to support project delivery, resource sharing, innovation, and business growth.
• Represent Mott MacDonald at industry events, conferences, and professional organizations to strengthen market presence and industry reputation.
• Lead and promote safety and wellbeing culture, ensuring compliance with established processes and demonstrating positive safety leadership.
• Champion PRIDE Values, Our Code, and Inclusion & Diversity by fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.

Candidate Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related discipline required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in California or Texas required; California registration strongly preferred.
• Minimum 20 years of experience delivering building systems engineering and design consulting services for public and private sector clients.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary building engineering design teams and managing complex project delivery programs.
• Strong technical expertise in building systems engineering, including mechanical, electrical, power, energy, sustainability, and infrastructure-related systems.
• Experience delivering projects within one or more of the following sectors: transportation, aviation, rail, civic facilities, healthcare, higher education, data centers, energy, major venues, or critical infrastructure.
• Demonstrated success delivering public-sector building projects in California; Texas experience is highly desirable.
• Experience leading innovative and technically complex building projects, including sustainable and high-performance facilities.
• Knowledge of decarbonization strategies, renewable energy systems, energy storage technologies, and resilient building design.
• Experience delivering Net Zero, LEED, WELL, Envision, or other sustainability-focused projects is preferred.
• Strong client management skills with a proven ability to develop long-term relationships and grow strategic accounts.
• Demonstrated success developing pursuit strategies, winning work, and expanding market presence.
• Commercial awareness across buildings, transportation, energy, and infrastructure markets.
• Experience managing staffing, resource planning, recruitment, performance management, and team development.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Established industry relationships and a strong professional network within the Southwest region are highly desirable.
• Passion for growing teams, developing people, and shaping the future of Mott MacDonald's Buildings practice.

Benefits & Reward

At Mott MacDonald, our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, providing them with a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses. We provide a comprehensive benefit package that includes 401k, medical, dental and vision insurance, short-term/long-term disability, paid holidays, PTO, parental leave, and company paid life insurance.

Individual pay is determined based on several factors such as work location, education, experience, and unique skills.

The expected salary for this position is: $250,000 - $300,000

Collaboration at Our Core
At Mott MacDonald, we believe great ideas happen when we're together. Our hybrid approach centers on an in-office culture, with most of your time spent collaborating face-to-face and a minimum of three days per week in the office. We balance flexibility with connection, so you and your manager can choose how to meet client, team, and personal commitments.

Equal opportunity is the law.

We seek to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status or disability status.