Midwest Transportation Growth & P&L Leader

GFT; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 196,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Comprehensive benefits package

401(k) plan

Paid time off (PTO)

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development & training

Incentive compensation

Job summary

GFT is seeking a Transportation Area Manager for the Midwest region to lead strategy, growth, and P&L for a defined geographic area. You will drive area plans, manage the pipeline, and build key client relationships to deliver profitable, high‑quality projects.

You will oversee budgets, staffing, and delivery, guiding teams across regions and practices while ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, planning, architecture, or a related field.
• Professional licensure, registration, or relevant certification.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive transportation consulting, design planning, program management, or related experience, including at least 5 years leading staff and managers.
• Strong financial acumen and business judgment, with excellent communication, negotiation, collaboration, and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the Area business plan and growth strategy, including market, client, practice sales, investment, and hiring priorities.
• Own the area pipeline and sales forecast; identify, position, prioritize, and advance opportunities from lead through pursuit, win, booking and project start.
• Lead or approve go/no-go recommendations, teaming, capture plans, pursuit investments, pricing inputs, proposal reviews, and interview preparation within the delegated authority.
• Build trusted relationships with priority clients, industry partners, and community stakeholders; serve as client service leader or executive sponsor for selected accounts.
• Monitor client capital programs, funding, market trends, and competitors; convert insight into focused growth actions and measurable sales results.
• Collaborate across Regions, Business Lines, Practices, and the Growth Office to cross-sell services, share resources, and pursue the best opportunities for GFT.
• Own Area Financial and operating results, including net revenue, sales, wins, bookings, backlog, profitability/EBITDA, utilization, cash performance.
• Build and manage annual budgets for the area; review performance through disciplined operating cadence and take timely corrective action.
• Lead workload, capacity, and resource planning; deploy and share staff across workgroups, Areas, Regions, and Practices to support utilization and delivery.
• Hold Org Leaders, Project Principals, and Project Managers accountable for scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, client satisfaction, invoicing, and cash.

Job description

GFT is seeking a Transportation Area Manager for the Midwest region to lead strategy, growth, and P&L for a defined geographic area. You will drive area plans, manage the pipeline, and build key client relationships to deliver profitable, high‑quality projects.

You will oversee budgets, staffing, and delivery, guiding teams across regions and practices while ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities and safety standards.