Florida Transportation Leader

Pape-Dawson; Jacksonville (FL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Pape-Dawson seeks a Transportation Leader Florida to guide and grow the firms transportation practice across the state. The role combines practice leadership, client relationship management, and strategic project delivery to advance roadway, drainage, and planning services.

Ideal candidate has deep Florida experience, strong FDOT and public-sector ties, and a proven track record in marketing, sales, staff development, and project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering required.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in Florida required.
• Demonstrated success developing client relationships and winning transportation work.
• Strong leadership and business development skills in a public-sector transportation practice.

Responsibilities

• Market Leadership and Practice Growth: Develop and execute a Florida transportation market strategy aligned with growth objectives; identify priority clients, geographies, service lines, and project opportunities.
• Client Development and Relationship Management: Maintain and grow trusted relationships with transportation clients and partners across Florida; lead senior-level client meetings and pursuit discussions.
• Business Development and Strategic Pursuits: Lead strategic pursuits, including capture planning, proposals, interviews, and contract negotiations; build relationships with prime consultants and teaming partners.
• Project Delivery and Technical Leadership: Provide senior-level technical guidance and ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to client satisfaction.
• Operations and Financial Leadership: Support revenue, backlog, utilization, and project performance goals; participate in planning, forecasting, and staffing.
• Team Leadership and Staff Development: Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop transportation staff; foster a high-performing team with clear career growth.
• Culture and Leadership Expectations: Lead with integrity and professionalism; align decisions with long-term relationships and technical excellence.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Client relationships

Strategic planning

Public sector partnerships

Education

Bachelor7s degree in Civil Engineering

Licensed Professional Engineer in Florida

Job description

Job Description

Position Summary

Pape-Dawson is seeking a Transportation Leader – Florida to help lead and grow, the firm’s transportation practice across the state. This role is designed for a senior transportation professional who can operate as a practice builder, client relationship leader, project delivery advisor, and business leader.

The Transportation Leader will be responsible for executing a Florida transportation growth strategy, building relationships with public-sector clients and teaming partners, leading strategic pursuits, supporting project delivery, mentoring staff, and helping Pape-Dawson expand its reputation in roadway, drainage, planning, traffic operations, and design services.

The ideal candidate has a strong Florida transportation background, proven relationships among FDOT, municipalities, counties, MPOs, or regional transportation agencies, and experience in the transportation practice with marketing, sales, project delivery, operational leadership, and staff development.

This is a strategic leadership role for someone who can expand a Florida transportation platform while modeling Pape-Dawson’s values of respect, integrity, excellence, responsiveness, hard work, and family.

Key Responsibilities

Market Leadership and Practice Growth

• Develop and execute a Florida transportation market strategy aligned with Pape-Dawson’s growth objectives.
• Identify priority clients, geographies, service lines, and project opportunities across Florida.
• Build and expand Pape-Dawson’s transportation presence in key Florida markets.
• Lead business planning efforts for the Florida transportation practice, including sales goals, revenue targets, backlog growth, and staffing needs.
• Monitor transportation funding, state work programs, municipal capital improvement plans, regional mobility priorities, and market trends.
• Position Pape-Dawson for long-term growth in transportation planning & design, traffic operations, and related infrastructure services.
• Represent Pape-Dawson at industry events, conferences, client meetings, professional associations, and community forums.

Client Development and Relationship Management

• Leverage, maintain, and grow trusted relationships with transportation clients and partners across Florida.
• Serve as a senior relationship lead for state, municipal, county, MPO, and public infrastructure clients.
• Develop client account plans for strategic transportation clients.
• Identify client needs early and position Pape-Dawson with practical, responsive, and technically credible solutions.
• Lead senior-level client meetings, pursuit positioning discussions, and relationship development efforts.
• Support client satisfaction by ensuring clear communication, quality delivery, responsiveness, and follow-through.
• Build and strengthen Pape-Dawson’s reputation as a trusted advisor and long-term transportation partner in Florida.

Business Development and Strategic Pursuits

• Lead and support strategic transportation pursuits, including go/no-go decisions, capture planning, teaming strategy, proposal development, interviews, and contract negotiations.
• Partner with marketing, operations, technical leaders, and project managers to develop compelling pursuit strategies.
• Build relationships with prime consultants, subconsultants, contractors, DBE partners, and other strategic teaming partners.
• Identify opportunities in transportation planning and design, traffic operations, corridor studies, safety improvements, and final design.
• Maintain pursuit and marketing pipeline, backlog, client feedback, and lessons learned.
• Help establish a repeatable pursuit process that supports growth and quality selection decisions.

Project Delivery and Technical Leadership

• Provide senior-level technical guidance and project delivery oversight for transportation projects.
• Serve as project executive, senior advisor, project manager, or engineer of record as appropriate.
• Ensure projects are delivered with quality, on schedule, within budget, and to the client’s satisfaction.
• Support project risk reviews, scope development, staffing plans, schedules, quality control, and client communication.
• Promote technical excellence, practical solutions, and strong interdisciplinary coordination.

Operations and Financial Leadership

• Support revenue, sales, backlog, utilization, and project performance goals for the Florida transportation practice.
• Participate in business planning, forecasting, staffing, and workload management.
• Help build and manage a sustainable transportation operation.
• Partner with regional and operational leadership to monitor project performance, resource needs, and financial trends.
• Support office or practice-level management activities, including staffing plans, operational efficiency, client service, and financial accountability.
• Help integrate transportation work across Florida offices and other Pape-Dawson regions.

Team Leadership and Staff Development

• Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop transportation staff, project managers, technical specialists, and emerging leaders.
• Help build a high-performing Florida transportation team with clear roles, expectations, and career growth opportunities.
• Provide leadership to project managers and technical teams through coaching, quality expectations, and project delivery support.
• Create a collaborative team environment focused on accountability, responsiveness, technical excellence, and client service.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to identify priority hires, market talent, and develop recruiting strategies for hard-to-fill transportation roles.

Culture and Leadership Expectations

• Lead with integrity, professionalism, humility, and sound judgment.
• Model Pape-Dawson’s values in client relationships, team leadership, project delivery, and business decisions.
• Build trust with employees, clients, teaming partners, and leadership.
• Communicate clearly, respectfully, and proactively.
• Make decisions that support long-term relationships, technical excellence, and sustainable growth.
• Create a team environment where employees feel supported, challenged, and proud of their work.
• Serve as a visible culture carrier for Pape-Dawson.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Licensed Professional Engineer in Florida.
• Typically 20 years of progressive transportation engineering, planning, design, or infrastructure consulting experience.
• Strong Florida transportation market experience.
• Demonstrated success developing client relationships and winning transportation work.
• Experience working with or for FDOT, counties, municipalities, MPOs, tolling agencies, transit agencies, or other public infrastructure clients.
• Experience with transportation services such as:
• Roadway design
• Drainage design
• PS&E
• Transportation planning
• Corridor studies
• ITS
• Traffic operations
• Traffic engineering
• Final design
• Safety and mobility improvements
• Multimodal and intermodal planning
• Proven ability to manage or support complex transportation projects.
• Experience leading or developing teams, groups, offices, or practice areas.
• Strong business development, marketing, proposal, and interview experience.
• Strong understanding of project delivery, quality expectations, budgets, schedules, and client satisfaction.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and executive communication skills.
• Ability to lead collaboratively across offices, disciplines, and regions.

Preferred Qualifications

• 20+ years of transportation experience in Florida.
• Established relationships with FDOT, Florida municipalities, counties, MPOs, or regional transportation clients.
• Prior experience as a Transportation Practice Builder, Office Leader, Group Director, Program Manager, Market Leader, or similar senior leadership role.
• Experience managing roadway and drainage design projects, PD&E studies, planning studies, ITS, and traffic operations projects.
• Experience leading office or practice-level business planning, sales, revenue growth, and profit/loss performance.
• Experience growing a transportation office, group, or practice.
• Experience managing award-winning transportation planning, ITS, or final design projects.
• Active involvement in professional organizations such as ACEC, ASCE, ITE, FES, APWA, WTS, or related transportation organizations.
• Involvement in community based leadership roles
• Strong reputation for technical excellence, client service, integrity, and team development.

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants for Pape-Dawson Engineers will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.