Senior Civil Engineering Associate - Puget Sound Market Leader

CME Associates; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical PPO/HSA

Dental/Vision

Life Insurance

401(k) match

PTO 21 days

11 holidays

Parental Leave

Wellness reimbursement

Alta Gets Around

5-year travel award

Professional development

Job summary

Alta Planning + Design in Seattle seeks an experienced Senior Civil Engineering Associate to lead the Puget Sound market, shaping sustainable transportation projects and communities.

You will mentor staff, drive business development, and oversee multi‑year programs from design to construction, with a hybrid schedule balancing in‑office and remote work.

Qualifications

• 12+ 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 Washington.
• Experience in active, non-motorized transportation.
• Knowledge of Plans, Specifications and Estimates packages for roadway projects.
• Ability to guide staff and manage internal expectations.
• Strong initiative to enhance Alta’s position in the marketplace.
• Ability to manage multiple projects within budget and schedule constraints.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development across the market area and nurture client relationships.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to staff across offices.
• Manage transportation projects from design through construction and manage budgets.
• Implement best practices and improve project delivery efficiency.
• Prepare schedules, budgets, and scopes of services for projects.
• Balance workloads and coordinate industry conference participation.
• Collaborate with Alta offices and Trilon Group colleagues.

Skills

Project management

Staff leadership

Communication

Technical leadership

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering

Tools

GEOPAK

InRoads

AutoCAD

Civil3D

OpenRoads Designer

MicroStation

Job description

Alta Planning + Design is looking for an experienced Senior Civil Engineering Associate to join our team in Seattle, and serve as our Puget Sound Market 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 the Seattle metro area. In this role, you will work on the design of a variety of sustainable transportation projects and work on projects focused on making a positive impact on communities around the Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest.

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 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 be involved in helping foster livable communities across Washington. Projects would range from natural surface trails to large arterial multi use paths; from Complete Streets to regional/multi-state bicycle and trail networks.

Day To Day Responsibilities For This Role Would Include

• Lead business development activities across the market area, nurturing relationships with clients and partners.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to staff across offices, helping their professional development and career growth.
• Managing a variety of transportation projects from design through construction. Drive the success of engineering projects and provide influence to the sustainable projects we work on. Manage project budgets.
• Implementing best practices and process improvements to enhance project delivery efficiency and effectiveness.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to staff across offices, helping their professional development and career growth.
• Prepare schedule, budgets, and scope of services for projects.
• Workload balancing
• 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

• 12+ 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 Washington
• Experience in, and knowledge of, the field of active, non-motorized transportation.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience preparing Plans, Specifications and Estimates 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, 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.
• Proficient in civil engineering software: GEOPAK, InRoads, AutoCAD, Civil3D, OpenRoads Designer, MicroStation, InRoads, etc.
• Proficiency in an enterprise-wide resource planning and project management tool.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, or a related field of study.
• 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 pay range for this job in Seattle is $150,000-$200,000 annually. Placement within the range is based upon experience, skill-sets, and qualifications.

Benefits

• Medical: PPO or HSA medical plans, Alta pays 75% of the cost
• Dental/Vision: PPO, Alta pays 90% of the cost
• 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