Senior Project Manager - Construction Materials Testing

Terracon; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

Terracon is seeking a senior materials engineering project manager to lead complex initiatives across multiple Iowa offices. The role focuses on safety, quality, schedule, and budget, with client interaction and cross-team collaboration.

You will oversee project plans, resource allocation, and change orders, while mentoring staff and ensuring contractual deliverables meet expectations. A PE or equivalent is preferred.

Qualifications

• This role requires a technical degree with 10+ years of related experience, or 14+ years without a degree.
• Strong project-management skills with scope, schedule, and budget ownership.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and communicate with clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex materials engineering projects from planning through completion.
• Manage schedules, budgets, forecasts, resources, and risks to keep projects on track.
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary teams and mentor staff to support success.
• Communicate project status, risks, and milestones to clients and teams.

Skills

Project management

Client relations

Team leadership

Risk management

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

MS Project

Primavera P6

Job description

General Responsibilities:

This position can report to any of the following Iowa offices: Ames, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Quad Cities/Bettendorf

Ready to grow your career as part of a down-to-earth team with the freedom to explore and develop solutions on rewarding, large-scale projects? Want a flexible work environment and a culture where your ideas are valued and your safety is paramount? How about having access to a nationwide bench of expertise, and opportunities to learn and lead? This is life at Terracon, a 100% employee-owned company where we chart our course together and everyone benefits when our hard work creates success.

Manage materials engineering projects from initiation through completion, ensuring work is performed safely, on schedule, within scope, and on budget. Monitor project progress, track performance against project plans, and proactively resolve issues to minimize delays. Coordinate project resources, schedules, budgets, forecasts, subcontractors, and vendors as needed. Lead project meetings and prepare reports to communicate status, risks, and milestones to clients and project teams. Establish priorities, assign tasks, and oversee project staff to achieve project objectives. Maintain strong client relationships, ensuring deliverables meet expectations and contractual requirements. Collaborate with the APR throughout all phases of the project, particularly at key decision points and critical milestones. Approve invoices, manage project financials, and prepare change orders as necessary.

Essential Roles and Responsibilities:

• Lead complex materials engineering projects from planning through completion, ensuring safety, quality, schedule, and budget objectives are met.
• Partner with clients and stakeholders to define project scope, develop solutions, and deliver successful outcomes.
• Manage project plans, schedules, budgets, forecasts, resources, subcontractors, and project risks.
• Monitor project performance, resolve issues proactively, and keep projects on track and within budget.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, assign priorities, and mentor project staff to support development and project success.
• Lead project communications, including client meetings, status updates, reports, and presentations.
• Collaborate with APRs and technical experts to ensure quality standards, oversight, and risk management requirements are met.
• Champion a strong safety culture by promoting safe work practices, pre-task planning, and compliance with company safety standards.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in technical discipline practices by the Firm and a minimum of 10 years’ related experience. Or, in lieu of a degree, a minimum of 14 years’ related experience.
• A valid driver’s license with acceptable violation history may be required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional Engineer (PE), or similar professional registration/certification relevant to the type of services and projects being managed