Transportation Design Project Manager

Ayres Associates Inc.; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

401K with company match

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

Ayres Associates Inc. is seeking a Transportation Design Project Manager in St. Paul, Minnesota, to lead transportation projects and cultivate client relationships. You'll enjoy meaningful autonomy, mentor early-career employees, and work closely with seasoned professionals.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering with a transportation emphasis, a PE license in Minnesota, and at least 6 years of relevant experience. This role offers a competitive salary between $120,000 and $155,000, along with excellent benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 6 years of transportation design and project management experience.
• Experience delivering transportation projects for MnDOT and/or Minnesota.
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, pursuit, and winning of transportation projects.
• Prepare, review, and negotiate contract documents with clients.
• Manage clients as a trusted advisor throughout project delivery.

Skills

Transportation design

Client relationship management

Project management

Business development

Education

Bachelor's degree in civil engineering with transportation emphasis

Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in Minnesota

Tools

Civil 3D

OpenRoads Designer

Job description

St. Paul
1700 Highway 36 West
Suite 700
St. Paul, MN 55113, USA

Work doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing what you love, and doing it alongside people who support, challenge, and inspire you. At Ayres, that’s our everyday reality, and it could be yours too.

We’re looking for a confident, motivated Transportation Design Project Manager to play a key role in the continued growth of our transportation group throughout Minnesota. In this role, you’ll enjoy meaningful autonomy and access to highly experienced roadway, structural, traffic, and construction engineering professionals who are committed to supporting your success. You’ll also collaborate closely with fellow project managers and leadership who share your passion for high-quality project delivery and client service.

Success in this position means cultivating strong client relationships; identifying, pursuing, and winning transportation projects; helping shape the growth of our regional team; and mentoring early-career employee-owners as they develop into the next generation of engineering leaders.

Join Ayres – a USA TODAY Top Workplace recognized in both 2025 and 2026 – where people-first leadership, collaboration, and professional growth create an environment where great teams do their best work.

On Any Given Day, You’ll:

• Lead the strategy, pursuit, and winning of transportation projects with clients including MnDOT, counties, municipalities, and private‑sector partners, including client communications and proposal development.
• Prepare, review, and negotiate contract documents with clients and partners.
• Manage clients and serve as a trusted advisor throughout project delivery.
• Direct and oversee project execution, ensuring work is completed on schedule, profitably, and in alignment with Ayres’ quality standards and contract requirements.
• Build respectful, collaborative working relationships with colleagues, technical staff, and leaders across the company.
• Mentor developing engineers and contribute to a positive, growth‑focused team culture.
• Participate in regular team meetings to align on project pursuits, resource allocation, workload distribution, and team needs.
• Provide input during the annual business planning and budgeting process.
• Engage actively in professional organizations at the local, state, or national level to support visibility, networking, and business development.
• Participate in office‑wide events supporting community, culture, and team connection.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a transportation emphasis.
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Minnesota.
• Minimum of 6 years of transportation design and project management experience.
• Experience delivering transportation projects for MnDOT and/or Minnesota.
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally to company offices or client locations.
• Valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.

Desired Skills and Experiences:

• Strong interest in business development, including client relationships, pursuit strategy, and partner engagement.
• Enthusiasm for representing Ayres at industry events and supporting our brand through professional visibility.
• A collaborative mindset and passion for contributing to an inclusive, supportive team culture where ideas are welcomed and people feel valued.
• Knowledge of Civil 3D and/or OpenRoads Designer engineering software.

Benefits of being part of the Ayres team:

• Health, dental, and vision Insurance.
• Short and long‑term disability and life insurance.
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and 401K with company match.
• PTO, paid holidays including two floating holidays, and a flexible work schedule.

Our good‑faith compensation approach is fair and equitable, and takes into consideration only permissible factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, training, skills, and experience, and geographic location where the work is performed. A salary range for this posting is $120000 - $155000. The foregoing salary range represents what the company believes, in good‑faith, it will pay for the posted opportunity. The individual selected for this role will be evaluated with the compensation factors in mind and placed appropriately.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.