Senior Project Manager – Buildings (Cities & Places)

Jacobs; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 226,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, and basiclife

401(k) with stock purchase option

Unlimited PPTO

Seven paid holidays

Caregiver leave

Performance bonus

Job summary

Jacobs in California is seeking a Senior Project Manager with deep experience in vertical building projects to lead a diverse portfolio across Southern California from design through construction. You will guide multidisciplinary teams, manage scope, budgets, schedules, and risk, while mentoring staff and maintaining client relationships to deliver projects on time and to the highest standards.

The role offers a hybrid work model, access to extensive benefits, and opportunities to support

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of experience in project management within the AEC industry.
• Demonstrated success delivering vertical building projects (core & shell, renovations, and tenant improvements).
• Experience with life sciences / laboratory facilities, science and technology buildings, or office TI.
• Proven ability to manage projects through both design and construction phases (not limited to conceptual design).
• Extensive experience working directly with general contractors and construction teams.
• Strong understanding of building systems, design coordination, and construction methodologies.
• Ability to manage multiple large or complex projects simultaneously.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of vertical building projects across design and construction phases.
• Serve as the primary client interface, building trusted relationships and ensuring successful project outcomes.
• Manage and mentor project teams, including coordination across architecture, engineering, and consulting disciplines.
• Oversee project scope, budgets, schedules, and risk management strategies.
• Drive collaboration between design teams and general contractors, ensuring constructability and efficient execution.
• Lead construction phase activities, including contractor coordination, RFIs, submittals, and issue resolution.
• Facilitate executive-level reporting, stakeholder meetings, and decision-making processes.
• Support business development, including client engagement, proposals, and identification of new opportunities.
• Ensure adherence to quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Project management

Risk management

Mentoring teams

Client relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Our Cities & Places team partners with clients to deliver high-performance, sustainable buildings that enable innovation across life sciences, technology, and commercial sectors. We are seeking a Senior Project Manager with deep experience in vertical building projects to lead and grow our project portfolio across Southern California.

Your Impact

As a Senior Project Manager, you will lead the delivery of complex building projects from early planning and design through construction and closeout. You’ll guide multidisciplinary teams, working closely with architects, engineers, and contractors to deliver projects that meet scope, budget, schedule, and quality objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of vertical building projects across design and construction phases
• Serve as the primary client interface, building trusted relationships and ensuring successful project outcomes
• Manage and mentor project teams, including coordination across architecture, engineering, and consulting disciplines
• Oversee project scope, budgets, schedules, and risk management strategies
• Drive collaboration between design teams and general contractors, ensuring constructability and efficient execution
• Lead construction phase activities, including contractor coordination, RFIs, submittals, and issue resolution
• Facilitate executive-level reporting, stakeholder meetings, and decision-making processes
• Support business development, including client engagement, proposals, and identification of new opportunities
• Ensure adherence to quality, safety, and regulatory requirements

Here’s what you’ll need

• 10-15 years of experience in project management within the AEC industry
• Demonstrated success delivering vertical building projects (core & shell, renovations, and tenant improvements)
• Strong experience in one or more of the following
• Life sciences / laboratory facilities
• Science and technology buildings
• Office tenant improvement (TI)
• Proven ability to manage projects through both design and construction phases (not limited to conceptual design)
• Extensive experience working directly with general contractors and construction teams
• Strong understanding of building systems, design coordination, and construction methodologies
• Ability to manage multiple large or complex projects simultaneously
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills

Ideally, You’ll Also Have

• Experience delivering projects across Southern California markets
• Familiarity with local jurisdictional requirements, permitting, and construction practices
• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field

Benefits

• Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount.
• Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan.
• Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave.
• And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $144,900.00 to $226,450.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Job posted on November 03, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.