Federal Project Manager

NCSL International; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Surveying And Mapping, LLC seeks a Federal Project Manager to lead wide-area aerial lidar and remote sensing programs for federal clients. You will oversee flight planning, data processing, QA/QC, and final delivery while coordinating internal teams and subcontractors.

The role requires strong communication, rigorous project controls, and the ability to scale a growing federal program, reporting to the Federal Operations Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Geography, GIS, Geomatics, Surveying, Civil Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in aerial lidar or remote sensing, including 3+ years leading projects with budget/schedule/client management.
• Demonstrated track record delivering wide-area lidar projects for federal clients (USGS 3DEP/GPSC, USACE, NOAA, FEMA).
• Knowledge of full aerial lidar workflow: flight planning, ground control, calibration, classification, DEM/breakline generation, accuracy assessment.

Responsibilities

• Lead wide-area aerial lidar and remote sensing projects for federal clients from award to delivery.
• Serve as primary point of contact for project stakeholders and contracting officers.
• Coordinate flight operations, survey teams, processing staff and subcontractors across phases.
• Own budgets, schedules, earned value, and status reporting including invoicing.

Skills

Client communication

Budget & scheduling

Project coordination

MS Project / Planner / Smartsheet

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Geography, GIS, Geomatics, Surveying, Civil Engineering or related field

Tools

TerraSolid

Bentley MicroStation

GeoCue LP360

Esri ArcGIS Pro

Global Mapper

Job description

Surveying And Mapping, LLC

Federal Project Manager

US--

Job ID: 26-8081 | # of Openings: 1 | Category: Aerial-GIS | Continental United States

Overview

Founded in 1994, Surveying And Mapping, LLC (SAM) is a nationwide leader in geospatial and construction-phase solutions. With more than 50 offices and 1,600 professionals, we deliver the scale, technology, and expertise needed to support projects of any size.

SAM streamlines project delivery through a single, coordinated team, offering in-house capabilities across land surveying, aerial mapping, subsurface utility engineering (SUE), utility coordination (UC), GIS, BIM, and construction engineering inspection (CEI).

By combining advanced technology, digital workflows, and decades of experience, we provide accurate, actionable data that helps clients move critical infrastructure projects forward with confidence.

At SAM, you'll be part of a team that values innovation, growth, and the opportunity to make a tangible impact on the built environment.

Responsibilities

The Project Manager owns SAM's wide-area aerial lidar and remote sensing projects for federal clients, from task order award through final delivery and acceptance. The work centers on USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP) task orders under the GPSC contract, and on topographic, topobathymetric, and hydrographic programs for the USACE St. Louis District.

This is an autonomous, client-facing role. You will be the primary point of contact for your customers and be accountable for scope, schedule, budget and quality. You will drive work across every phase (flight planning and acquisition, ground and hydrographic survey, calibration, lidar and imagery processing, QA/QC, and delivery) and coordinate the internal teams and subcontractors who perform it. You will report to the Federal Operations Manager.

You will help us scale our rapidly-growing federal program by spotting capacity gaps early, recommending where the team needs to grow, and instituting repeatable project controls.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage multiple concurrent federal aerial lidar and remote sensing projects from kickoff through final delivery, closeout and customer acceptance.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customer project manager and contracting officer representatives on projects.
• Coordinate flight operations, survey crews, processing teams and subcontractors so work hands off cleanly between phases.
• Own project budgets, schedules and earned value; track cost, hours and percent complete and forecast estimate-at-completion. Handle all project status reporting and invoicing.
• Identify scope, schedule and cost risks early; develop mitigation plans and prepare change requests or requests for equitable adjustment when needed.
• Contribute to proposals, cost estimates, staffing plans and technical approaches for new USGS and USACE task orders.
• Communicate priorities, deadlines and changes to field, acquisition, processing and QC staff, and keep project tracking tools current.
• Assess workload against capacity and flag where the team needs additional staff, skills, equipment or subcontract support.
• Mentor technicians and team leads, and contribute to hiring and onboarding as the program grows. Will directly manage 8+ staff.
• Help develop and improve standard procedures, templates and project controls for the federal program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Geography, GIS, Geomatics, Surveying, Civil Engineering, Remote Sensing or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in aerial lidar or remote sensing, including 3+ years managing projects with responsibility for budget, schedule and client communication.
• A demonstrated record of delivering wide-area lidar projects for federal clients (USGS 3DEP/GPSC, USACE, NOAA, FEMA or similar). Candidates should be ready to describe specific projects, their size, role, and outcomes against budget and schedule.
• Working knowledge of the full aerial lidar workflow: flight planning, ground control, calibration, classification, DEM and breakline generation, and accuracy assessment.
• Familiarity with the USGS Lidar Base Specification (LBS) and ASPRS Positional Accuracy Standards for Digital Geospatial Data.
• Proven ability to work independently, set priorities and make sound decisions with limited direction.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues to non-technical audiences.
• Proficiency with project tracking and scheduling tools (MS Project, Planner, Smartsheet or similar) and the Microsoft Office suite.
• Ability to travel up to 15%, if needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, ASPRS Certified Photogrammetrist (CP), Certified Mapping Scientist Lidar, or GISP certification.
• Experience with topobathymetric lidar, including integration with single-beam or multibeam hydrographic survey. Specifically on riverine, floodplain or navigation projects.
• Hands-on familiarity with TerraSolid, Bentley MicroStation, GeoCue LP360, Esri ArcGIS Pro or Global Mapper.
• Experience with federal contract mechanics: IDIQ task orders, modifications, CPARS, and FAR-based cost reporting.
• Experience managing subcontractors and teaming partners on multi-vendor contracts.
• A record of helping a team scale, including hiring, onboarding and standing up project controls.

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