Principal Engineer / Senior Project Manager - Transportation

Stanley Consultants, Inc.; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanley Consultants in Des Moines, IA, seeks a Principal Engineer / Project Manager, Transportation, to lead multi-disciplinary teams on highway projects. The role covers plan development, earthwork modeling, and coordination with utilities, with emphasis on QA/QC and client liaison.

You will drive staffing decisions, contribute to marketing strategies, and manage scoping, proposals, and schedules, ensuring successful project delivery from concept to completion.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience; 5 years as a Project Manager on large/complex highway projects.
• Iowa PE license required or obtainable within 6 months.
• PM experience with IDOT/local gov agencies for highway design projects.
• PM experience with city projects including public engagement from concept to completion.
• Experience with Iowa DOT/Iowa SUDAS design methods, plans, standards & specs.
• Proven ability to manage medium to large multi-disciplined/multi-office projects.
• Working knowledge of roadway design software used to prepare documents.
• Familiar with virtual collaboration tools (ProjectWise, Bluebeam Studio).
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience writing technical approaches/work plans to support RFQs/technical proposals.
• Proven leadership, communication, mentoring, and client liaison skills.
• Strong business acumen including negotiation and client relationship skills.
• Established relationships with key clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead, direct, and mentor project teams on transportation projects, including plan development and earthwork modeling.
• Assist in staffing requirements and hiring recommendations.
• Develop marketing strategies for transportation opportunities and build client relationships.
• Adhere to QA/QC standards per the quality manual.
• Participate in scoping, fee estimating, proposals, interviews, and negotiations.
• Review projects post-award to plan procedures, budgets, staffing, and progress billings.
• Attend on-site and off-site client meetings and resolve issues with client management.
• Prepare and modify reports, specifications, schedules, cost estimates, and designs.
• Submit documents to agencies for code compliance and permits when required.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Client liaison

Negotiation

Business acumen

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Iowa Professional Engineer license (or ability to obtain in 6 months)

Tools

ProjectWise

Bluebeam Studio

Roadway design software

Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint

Job description

Job Title

Principal Engineer / Project Manager, Transportation

Location

Des Moines, IA

Job Type

Hybrid

Requisition ID

11275

What You Will Be Doing:

• Lead, direct, and mentor project team design staff on transportation projects, including plan development for horizontal and vertical geometry, cross sections, earthwork modeling, 3D roadway modeling, quantities calculations, construction specifications, and utility coordination.
• Assist in staffing requirements and make recommendations for hiring staff.
• Assist in the development of marketing strategies for transportation project opportunities, contacting new and existing clients to build relationships leading to more work for the department.
• Adhere to company standards for quality assurance and quality control as defined in the quality manual.
• Participate in project scoping, fee estimating and proposal preparation, interviews, and negotiations.
• Review department project(s) after award to collaborate on work procedures/sequences and developing schedules, budgets, staffing, sub consultant involvement, and progress billings.
• Attend on-site and off-site client meetings.
• Evaluate client needs and identify requirements.
• Meet with client management as necessary during the term of a project to resolve issues and to obtain approvals at the project’s completion.
• Prepare and modify reports, specifications, plans, construction schedules, cost estimates, environmental studies, and designs for projects.
• Evaluate need for design changes and make appropriate recommendations.
• Submit documents to federal, state, and local agencies for code compliance review and obtain permits when required.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant experience; 5 years of experience as a Project Manager on large or complex highway projects.
• Iowa Professional Engineer (PE) license required or ability to obtain within 6 months.
• Project Management experience with the Iowa Department of Transportation and/or local government agencies developing, delivering, and managing highway design projects.
• Project Management experience with City projects including public engagement throughout the project from concept through completion.
• Experience with Iowa DOT and Iowa SUDAS design methods, plan preparation, standards and specifications.
• Demonstrated capabilities and success in managing medium to large multi-disciplined projects, multi-office projects, and/or multiple projects.
• Working knowledge of roadway design software used to prepare engineering and design documents.
• Knowledge of virtual collaboration tools such as ProjectWise and Bluebeam Studio.
• Experienced in using the Microsoft software suite including Word, Excel, and Power Point.
• Experienced in preparing technical approaches and work plans (write ups) to support RFQ’s and technical proposals.
• Proven leadership, communication, mentoring and client liaison skills.
• Business acumen including negotiation skills.
• Established relationships with key clients.

Work-Life Balance

We realize there’s more to life than just work. We help you meet the demands of work, family and personal life through several flexible options.

What we offer:

• Member-Owned – Member-ownership is at the heart of our culture, aligning client satisfaction, company performance, and personal reward.
• Paid Time Away – Stanley Consultants offers numerous paid holidays, generous paid time off (PTO), parental leave, and professional development leave.
• Health Insurance – We provide a comprehensive insurance package including medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, Doctor On Demand, wellness reimbursement, and mental health resources.
• Financial Health – We offer life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, identity theft protection, and many other benefits.
• Professional Growth – When your skills grow, so do we, which is why we offer tuition assistance, professional society membership, and more.
• Financial Rewards – We share our prosperity with members through company stock ownership, a generous 401K match, incentive compensation, and profit‑sharing contributions to retirement 401K plans.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)