Senior Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Project Manager

ESP Associates, Inc.; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

PTO & 10 paid holidays

Health, Vision & Dental Insurance

Teladoc - Behavioral Medicine

Short-Term Disability Insurance

Job summary

ESP Associates, Inc. is seeking an experienced Senior Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Project Manager to lead SUE delivery across Texas. You will coordinate with clients, agencies, and project teams, manage budgets and schedules, and drive staff development and quality control from planning through construction.

This role emphasizes leadership in utility coordination, risk management, and successful project delivery for transportation and municipal projects in a growing firm environment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading SUE projects and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong budget management, scheduling, and quality control capabilities.
• Proven ability to develop client relationships and pursue new business.

Responsibilities

• Lead SUE project delivery for transportation and infrastructure projects across Texas.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, staffing, and client expectations.
• Support marketing, proposals, and business development activities.

Skills

SUE project management

Client coordination

Staff development

Budgeting

Business development

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Bentley View

Bluebeam

Adobe Acrobat Pro

KMZ/KML development

Job description

Celebrating 40 years of success and continual growth, ESP Associates is currently seeking an experienced Senior Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Project Manager to join our team in Texas.

We’re proud to offer more than a place to build your career; we offer a team you can be part of. Our multidisciplinary environment brings together professionals across engineering, surveying, planning, environmental, geosciences, SUE, and CEI, with plenty of opportunities to connect beyond the workday. From team outings and volunteer events to company-wide step challenges, summer celebrations, and friendly competitions, there’s always an opportunity to get involved, get to know your coworkers, and have a little fun along the way!

As a Senior SUE Project Manager, you will lead SUE project delivery, client coordination, staff development, budgeting, and business development for transportation, roadway, municipal, and infrastructure projects across Texas. Serving as a senior representative of ESP, you will manage scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client expectations while coordinating with utility owners, public agencies, consultants, contractors, and right-of-way stakeholders from planning through construction. This is an opportunity for an experienced SUE leader to further their career within a dynamic and growing Engineering, Surveying and Planning firm.

Responsibilities:

• Lead SUE project delivery for roadway, drainage, bridge, transit, municipal, and civil infrastructure projects throughout Texas.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, staffing plans, deliverables, and client expectations.
• Develop and manage project budgets, monitor financial performance, and coordinate corrective action when budget, schedule, or staffing risks arise.
• Support marketing and business development, including client relationship development, pursuit strategy, proposal input, scope development, level-of-effort estimates, and presentations.
• Train, mentor, and develop SUE staff in field procedures, documentation standards, safety awareness, client communication, and quality control.
• Review plans, utility records, as-builts, survey data, and SUE deliverables to identify potential utility conflicts and guide investigation strategies.
• Coordinate with utility owners, TxDOT, local governments, engineers, right-of-way staff, environmental teams, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate SUE and utility coordination meetings, document action items, maintain utility status reports, and track commitments through resolution.
• Oversee utility conflict analysis, investigation planning, test hole coordination, utility mapping, relocation support, cost estimates, reimbursement documentation, utility agreements, and permitting.
• Prepare, submit, track, and review RULIS applications and related documentation to support utility permitting, relocation, and project clearance.
• Monitor SUE production and utility relocation coordination during design and construction, escalating schedule or coordination issues as needed.
• Interpret and apply Texas utility accommodation requirements, TxDOT utility coordination procedures, right-of-way processes, and federal, state, and local requirements.
• Learn and apply SUE, utility coordination, and agency criteria for other states as ESP’s market grows.
• Prepare professional correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, exhibits, conflict matrices, and proposals.
• Support quality control of SUE deliverables and promote consistent standards across project teams.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in SUE, utility coordination, utility engineering, right-of-way, roadway design, construction coordination, or related infrastructure project delivery required.
• High school diploma or GED required; associate or bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, planning, geography, geomatics, business, or a related technical field preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing SUE projects, including scope, schedule, budget, staffing, client coordination, deliverable review, and quality control.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary SUE teams, coordinating field crews, and balancing workload across multiple active projects.
• Working knowledge of SUE Quality Levels A through D, utility designation, test hole coordination, utility mapping, conflict identification, utility permitting, and right-of-way coordination.
• Experience developing and tracking project budgets, including level-of-effort estimates, labor planning, and financial performance monitoring.
• Experience supporting business development, including proposal preparation, scope narratives, fee development, client meetings, and pursuit strategy.
• Experience training and mentoring technical staff in SUE procedures, documentation, safety awareness, and client service.
• Experience preparing, submitting, tracking, and reviewing RULIS applications.
• Experience supporting TxDOT transportation projects, with familiarity with TxDOT utility coordination milestones, utility adjustment processes, and Texas Administrative Code requirements for utility accommodation and right-of-way use.
• Ability to read, interpret, and redline civil construction plans, utility plans, roadway schematics, and survey information; CADD experience for plan review a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Bentley View, Bluebeam, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and KMZ/KML development for map-based utility exhibits.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to lead meetings and represent ESP professionally with clients and project partners.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project sites, client meetings, and staff training as needed.
• Candidate must be able to pass a drug screen, background check, and have a satisfactory driving record in accordance with the company’s driving (MVR) policy.

Corporate Information:

ESP is a multi-discipline engineering design and consulting firm providing our clients with civil engineering, surveying, planning/landscape architecture, geosciences, environmental, subsurface utility engineering, and construction engineering inspection.

Through years of dedicated service to our clients, ESP has received a designation of 186 on the 2026 ENR Top 500 Design Firm rankings. For the firm’s primary territory, the ENR Texas & Southeast Top Design Firms, ESP received a 2026 ranking of 53.

ESP offers an excellent employee benefits package including:

• Competitive compensation with yearly performance reviews and discretionary annual bonuses
• 401(k) (Traditional & Roth plans) with a guaranteed employer match of 100% up to the first 3% and 50% on the next 2% (eligibility after 60 days)
• PTO (Paid Time Off) & 10 Paid Holidays
• VTO (Volunteer Time Off) of 4 hours each year (prorated during first year based on hire date)
• Tiered Health, Vision & Dental Insurance Options (eligibility after 30 days)
• Behavioral Medicine through Teladoc
• Short-Term Disability Insurance (Employer paid)