Section Manager Structural - Transportation (Chicago)
Burns & McDonnell
Stand out for this role — generate a tailored resume and cover letter in about a minute.
Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Burns & McDonnell in Chicago seeks a Structural Section Manager to lead the Great Lakes transportation structural team. You will guide growth, manage staffing, and deliver high-quality bridge design and project delivery across disciplines.
The role emphasizes leadership, client development, and innovative practice improvements, with a focus on safety, quality, and profitability. This is a full-time, on-site leadership position in Chicago.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering from accredited program.
- Advanced degree in civil or structural engineering preferred.
- Illinois Structural License required (or able to get one if non-local).
- 8–15 years of related professional experience in bridge design and/or project management.
- Proven success in selling and business development: establishing and maintaining client relationships, developing opportunities, and leading successful pursuits.
- Demonstrated leadership in project delivery, staff development, and financial performance.
- Experience with alternative delivery and construction is a plus.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Recognized for technical excellence, innovation, and client service in transportation.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
- Ability to influence, lead, and manage change.
- Excellent oral and written communication; able to present complex information.
- Skilled in LEAP Bridge, Midas, RISA, STAAD.
- Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
Responsibilities
- Grow profitability of the section and support innovative initiatives.
- Allocate time and resources to achieve billable goals and staffing needs.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship within the team.
- Lead performance reviews and manage staff development and allocation.
- Drive business development activities with project managers and proposals.
- Oversee department budget, policies, and QC/QA adherence.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
At Burns & McDonnell, we are all employee-owners, connected by a shared commitment to our clients, our coworkers and the communities we serve. Safety and health come first in everything we do. We bring together people across disciplines to solve complex challenges, improve quality through innovation and deliver work that makes a difference. Our entrepreneurial spirit creates room to think boldly and grow, while our culture of ownership makes each of us accountable for building a great place to work and helping our clients succeed.
The Structural Section Manager provides leadership and direction for our Great Lakes transportation structural team. This role will guide the section’s strategy and profitable growth, develop and support employee-owners, and deliver high-quality work for our clients. The manager will strengthen collaboration across disciplines, advance innovative tools and approaches to project delivery, and help the team navigate a period of growth and opportunity while upholding Burns & McDonnell’s commitment to safety, client service and outstanding results.
Responsible for profitable growth of the section
Implement, apply and support company, global practice and/or regional office programs and initiatives; successfully navigating and managing change within the section.
Accountable to allocate time, resources, and leadership support to innovation efforts that improve long-term practice sustainability, scalability, and competitive positioning.
Oversee the development of department tools and work flows to increase efficiency in planning, designs, specification development, and project execution and deliverables.
Direct and coordinate work assignments to ensure the efficient, cost-effective utilization of staff and maintain billable goals.
Ensuring staff levels, staff loading, and staff assignments meet project requirements
Provide guidance relative to set-up and structure of staffing and execution approach on projects and the associated interface with other disciplines.
Provide expert level technical, design guidance and support.
Define and maintain clear role boundaries, decision authority, and escalation paths, among team leaders within the discipline.
Responsible for ensuring alignment and support of staff development, quality control and resource coordination.
Recruits, hires, develops, and retains outstanding employee-owners.
Responsible for conducting performance evaluations for department staff.
Review performance to ensure the efficient, cost-effective utilization of staff.
Achieve stated targets and standards for financial performance.
Prepare and present work load and monthly financial reports to global practice or regional management and applicable project managers.
Provide direction and oversight of efforts in identification and vetting of prospective clients and projects.
Responsible for collaborating with business development managers, business line leads, project managers, and proposal production staff on proposals to secure work for staff.
Responsible for business development activities aligning with business goals.
Provide industry expertise with respect to the competition.
Establish and review budgets and schedules for proposals.
Manage department budget and expenditure of funds.
Responsible for interpreting the organization's policies, purposes, and goals to staff.
Responsible for overall department QC/QA process adherence.
Ensure compliance with company and site safety policies.
Responsible for maintaining compliance with equal employment opportunity initiatives.
Complies with all policies and standards.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering from accredited program.
Advanced degree in civil or structural engineering preferred.
Illinois Structural License required (or able to get one in case of non-local candidates)
Minimum 8 to 15 years related professional experience in bridge design and/or project management required.
Proven success in selling and business development: establishing and maintaining client relationships, developing opportunities, and leading successful project pursuits.
Demonstrated leadership in project delivery, staff development, and financial performance.
Experience with alternative delivery and construction a plus.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. This position requires an individual capable of applying intensive and diversified knowledge of principles and practices to broad areas of assignments.
Recognized for technical excellence, innovation, and client service in the transportation industry.
Demonstrated ability to devise new approaches to problems encountered.
Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects and adhere to schedules and meet key deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to thoughtfully and positively influence, lead, and manage change.
Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to clearly and effectively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and clients.
Skilled in common bridge design software (i.e. LEAP Bridge, Midas, RISA, STAAD)
Must be proficient in the use of computer software (i.e., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
$100,000.00-300,000.00 Yearly
The expected compensation range for this position is displayed in compliance with all local/state regulations. The expected compensation range for this position is based on a number of factors, including but not limited to: individual education, qualifications, prior work experience and work location. The total annual compensation package will consist of a base salary and eligibility to participate in our discretionary year-end incentive bonus program.
Our extensive benefits package takes care of you so that you can focus on doing great work. From insurance and disability to time off and wellness programs, we provide the tools to meet your needs. As part of being 100% employee-owned, eligible employees participate in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in addition to our 401(k) retirement program. For more information, please visit the Benefits & Wellness page.
This job posting will remain open a minimum of 72 hours and on an ongoing basis until filled.
Job Engineering
Primary Location US-IL-Chicago
Other Locations United States
Schedule: Full-time
Travel: Yes, 25 % of the Time
Req ID: 263737
Job Hire Type Experienced #LI-DNI #TRN N/A
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M101.744%2012.4726L102.894%2016.1947L99.0021%2013.2201L101.744%2012.4726ZM105.3%208.40937H100.488L99.0026%203.59473L97.5116%208.41047L92.7%208.40385L96.5965%2011.3834L95.1055%2016.1942L99.0021%2013.2196L101.408%2011.3834L105.3%208.40992V8.40937Z'%20fill='white'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear_5593_1381'%20x1='90'%20y1='9.44471'%20x2='99'%20y2='9.44471'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%2300AD70'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='0.998594'%20stop-color='%2300B67A'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%23DCDCE6'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
