Senior Civil Engineering Associate – Bay Area Technical Lead

Trilon Group; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental & Vision

Life Insurance

401(k) Match

PTO 21 days

Holidays 11

Parental Leave

Wellness Reimbursement

Job summary

Alta Planning + Design in Oakland, CA is seeking a Senior Civil Engineering Associate and Bay Area Technical Leader to guide sustainable transportation design across the Bay Area and Northern California. You will lead multi-office technical efforts and manage projects from inception to construction, aligning with Alta’s mission and client goals.

The role requires extensive leadership in roadway design, QA/QC oversight, and staff mentorship, with a focus on delivering high-quality,

Qualifications

• 15+ years as Transportation Engineer in consulting or public entity.
• 5+ years as Project Manager and 3+ years managing staff.
• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering; P.E. license in California.
• Experience in active, non-motorized transportation.
• Ability to supervise staff and manage multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development across the Bay Area with clients and partners.
• Provide technical leadership on roadway design across offices.
• Oversee QA/QC and ensure high-quality design deliverables.
• Mentor staff and support professional development.
• Manage transportation projects from design through construction.

Skills

Leadership

Transportation Engineering

QA/QC

Mentoring

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

GEOPAK

InRoads

AutoCAD

Civil 3D

OpenRoads Designer

MicroStation

Job description

Senior Civil Engineering Associate – Bay Area Technical Lead

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Oakland, CA

Compensation: $170,000 - $210,000 / year

Description

Alta Planning + Design is looking for an experienced Senior Civil Engineering Associate to join our team in Oakland and serve as our Bay Area Technical Leader.

This is a unique opportunity for somebody passionate about sustainable transportation and positively impacting our communities who's ready to take the next step in their career with a rapidly growing company in Oakland. In this role, you will provide technical leadership on the design of a variety of sustainable transportation projects, with a focus on making a positive impact on communities around the Bay Area and Northern California.

About Alta Alta is a mission-driven company working to mitigate climate change and advance safety and social justice by shaping sustainable, people-centered communities. We bring together expertise across planning, design, engineering, education and encouragement programs, and community engagement to help communities thrive. Our work is grounded in the belief that how places are designed and experienced has a profound impact on equity, health, and opportunity—and that people should always be at the heart of those decisions.

Founded in 1996, Alta was at the forefront of the active transportation movement and has spent nearly 30 years partnering with communities to imagine a more connected, resilient, and inclusive future. Today, with more than 225 staff across the United States and beyond, we are a global leader in creating environments that support everyday life, strengthen human connection, and respond to the challenges of a changing world. Alta offers the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, contribute to meaningful work at every scale, and be part of a team committed to making lasting, positive change for people and the places they call home.

Day to Day

Our Senior Civil Engineering Associate will help foster livable communities across the Bay Area and Northern California. Projects range from natural surface trails to large arterial multi-use paths, and from Complete Streets to regional and multi-state bicycle and trail networks.

Day-to-day responsibilities for this role include:

• Lead business development activities across the Bay Area market, nurturing relationships with clients and partners.
• Provide technical leadership across offices, serving as a senior resource on roadway design and engineering approach.
• Lead and oversee QA/QC processes to ensure design deliverables meet high standards of quality, accuracy, and constructability.
• Mentor staff across offices, supporting their professional development and career growth.
• Manage a variety of transportation projects from design through construction, driving the success of engineering projects and influencing the sustainability of the work we do.
• Prepare schedules, budgets, and scopes of services for projects, and manage project budgets.
• Implement best practices and process improvements to enhance project delivery efficiency and effectiveness.
• Balance staff workload across projects.
• Attend industry conferences and professional organization meetings to conduct business development and present on Alta's work.
• Collaborate closely with staff from Alta's other offices and with Alta's colleagues within the Trilon Group of companies.

Qualifications

Required This position requires a combination of skills, experience and education including, but not limited to

• 15+ years of experience as a Transportation Engineer in a consulting environment or public entity; 5+ years as a Project Manager; 3+ years managing staff.
• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
• Professional Engineering (P.E.) license in the State of California.
• Demonstrated technical leadership in roadway design, including senior-level design review and QA/QC of multidisciplinary deliverables.
• Experience in, and knowledge of, the field of active, non-motorized transportation.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience preparing Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) packages for roadway projects, and a detailed understanding of project management principles, methods, and techniques.
• Ability to guide staff members and manage internal team expectations.
• Exhibits strong initiative and ability to capitalize on opportunities to enhance Alta's position in the marketplace.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and multiple simultaneous projects involving cross-functional project teams within budgetary and schedule constraints.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Excellent professional ethics, leadership skills, accountability, and decision-making capabilities.
• Good presentation skills.
• Working knowledge of MS Excel, Word, MS Project or equivalent.
• Proficiency in civil engineering software such as GEOPAK, InRoads, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, OpenRoads Designer, and MicroStation.
• Proficiency in an enterprise-wide resource planning and project management tool.

There are a number of additional skills, experience, and education that would be beneficial to this position including, but not limited to:

• Master's degree in Civil Engineering or a related field of study.
• Experience developing or implementing QA/QC programs for design projects.
• Experience working with Bay Area cities, counties, transit agencies, and Caltrans.
• Experience managing large projects for both private and public clients.
• Experience using Deltek Vantagepoint.
• Active participation in industry-relevant professional associations and committees.

What We Offer

Flexible Schedule

Alta offers a flexible, hybrid work schedule where most employees work from home three days per week. In-office days support our collaborative culture, one of our core values.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role is indicated in the posting. This range reflects the company’s good faith estimate of the compensation for this position at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and geographic location.

Benefits

Alta offers comprehensive benefits to all full-time employees:

• Medical: PPO or HSA medical plans
• Dental/Vision: PPO
• Life Insurance: Alta pays 100% of the premium for life and AD&D, equal to your base compensation
• 401(k): Alta provides a match up to 3%
• PTO: 21 days accrued annually to start
• Holidays: 11 total company paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave/Short-Term Disability
• Additional Benefits: Wellness reimbursement up to $800 annually, Alta Gets Around benefit of up to $900 annually, 5-year travel award, and professional development opportunities