Project Manager - Municipal Water / Wastewater

Professional Engineering Consultants; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Professional Engineering Consultants seeks a Project Manager to lead municipal water and wastewater projects from planning through construction, while building strong client relationships. You will work with cities and utilities to deliver projects on time and on budget, coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and managing scope, schedule, and risk to ensure client satisfaction.

This role requires a solid background in public-sector project delivery and an ABET-accredited engineering education,

Qualifications

• ABET-accredited engineering degree required.
• Minimum two years as a discipline lead.
• Minimum two years’ experience in project management or related field.
• Minimum five years’ experience in engineering design preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage project scope, schedule and cost to meet contracts and budgets.
• Lead project teams from planning through delivery and contract administration.
• Identify and manage risks, communicating mitigation strategies to clients and teams.
• Maintain regular updates to stakeholders on timelines and progress.
• Ensure quality control processes are followed and documented.
• Foster client relationships and ensure satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Teamwork

Risk management

Client management

Scheduling

Budgeting

Decision making

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

Tools

Microsoft Project

Bluebeam

AutoCAD / CADD

REVIT

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Teams

Job description

We’re looking for a Project Manager who can lead municipal water and wastewater projects from planning through construction while building strong client relationships along the way. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys both the technical side of infrastructure and the responsibility of delivering projects on time and on budget.

At PEC, you’ll work directly with cities, utilities, and public agencies to improve essential infrastructure—water distribution, wastewater collection, and treatment systems that support growing communities.

Do you have experience in municipal water/wastewater design and project management, a strong understanding of public-sector work, and the ability to balance technical quality with client service and financial responsibility? If so, this is the position for you!

Position Summary:

The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for the management and delivery of projects in accordance with each project’s client contract and to the expectations of PEC. This position is expected to manage the project scope, schedule, and cost while also assessing and managing risks and for client satisfaction. The Project Manager will coordinate and communicate with all appropriate project stakeholders, ensuring deliverables and milestones are on time and within budget.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Competent to make all business decisions on projects from opportunity identification through project completion with minimal guidance or oversight.
• Anticipate and productively resolve discrepancies between client expectations and contracted scope
• Manage project scope, cost, and schedule for the planning, execution, and delivery of projects on-time and within budget
• Lead project teams throughout pre-contract phase. Collaborating with internal and external team members to develop fee proposals and when needed, establish project budgets. Thereafter preparing proposed contracts and sub-consultant contracts as appropriate
• Responsible for assembling the project team with the approval of each project team member’s supervisor
• Manage the flow of project work for all disciplines
• Manage the application of resources to the project
• Provide direction to project team for all project activities to keep them on schedule
• Update project timeline and adjust scheduling and provide regular project updates to the project team and others as appropriate
• Ensure Quality Control processes are followed, performed, and documented
• Identify risk (client service risks, contract risks, technical risks, staffing risks, etc.), appropriately communicates risk and risk management strategies internally, and diplomatically and effectively navigate risk management with clients and project teams
• Lead project teams through forecasting estimates to complete and assessing work progress
• Communicate effectively with the project team, Market VP, and other internal stakeholders as necessary to accomplish the project goals and the expectations of PEC
• Effective and appropriate client communication and client management
• Adhere to all adopted business practices and quality procedures
• Represent themselves and PEC in a professional, strategic, and courteous manner
• Project assignments and responsibilities may be added at the company’s discretion.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Considerable knowledge and understanding of consulting design and construction standards and practices
• Strong skills using project management tools and systems, including but not limited to scheduling software, including Microsoft Project
• Proficient Microsoft Office and Bluebeam skills
• Familiar with CADD and REVIT software applications and processes
• Proven experience working in collaborative environments using Microsoft Teams
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with internal and external project teams, the client and other stakeholders
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate and guide others, build effective and cohesive relationships
• Proven experience in planning, organizing, prioritizing, coordinating, training, supporting, assigning and evaluating the work of a project team

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field from ABET Accredited University required
• Minimum two (2) years’ experience as a discipline/task lead required
• Minimum two (2) years’ experience in Project Management or related experience/field preferred
• Minimum five (5) years’ experience in Engineering Design preferred

License and Certification:

• Licensure by the applicable State Board of Technical Professions preferred

PEC values working efficiently and collaborativelyfor quality and productive work. The work environment is business casual, friendly, respectful, and team oriented with daily peer interactions regarding work progress, client needs and project-specific technical issues. We strive to create an enjoyable work environment with support and opportunities for positive career growth. Much of the work will be conducted within an office setting with frequent sitting, reaching and manipulation of objects, tools and/or controls. The position requires mobility. Duties involved require moving materials that weigh up to 10 pounds on a regular basis and up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis. Manual dexterity and coordination are required over 50% of the work period while operating equipment such as computer keyboard, mouse, calculator and similar machines. At times, bending, reaching, standing, and walking may be required.

Supervisory Responsibilities(if there are no supervisor responsibilities, put N/A):

• N/A

PEC is an AA/EEO/Veteran/Disabled employer.