Associate Project Director - Mass Transit, for COWI in North America

Description

Create Solutions that will enable a better tomorrow

• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with public agency clients (LA Metro, OCTA, Caltrans Districts, municipalities) and key stakeholders, including Design & Build Contractors, third-party utility agencies and community groups.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for client project managers, responsible for contract management, fee negotiations, schedule performance, and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with internal global centers of excellence to leverage specialized expertise and ensure high-quality project delivery while managing local compliance and permitting requirements.
• Consistently support business development pursuits in collaboration with Transit Market Director, including strategy, positioning, proposal development, interviews, and client engagement for major transit programs across California.
• Direct the development of civil, structural, and systems integration components of transit projects, including alignment, utility relocations, grading and drainage, ventilation, and platform configurations.
• Oversee and coordinate complex transit and rail infrastructure projects for agencies such as LA Metro, OCTA, Metrolink, Caltrain, and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System.
• Mentor and guide junior project managers and technical staff, supporting professional growth and promoting high standards in transit delivery.
• Provide leadership within a multidisciplinary team environment that includes civil, structural, geotechnical and architectural disciplines.
• Ensure strict compliance with internal quality management systems, overseeing project controls, financial reporting, resource allocation, and stakeholder communication.
• Manage project teams of 5–25+ staff and subcontractors, ensuring adherence to project scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards on infrastructure programs exceeding $100M in construction value.
• Oversee all phases of transit project delivery, including conceptual design, preliminary engineering, final design, and construction support for rail, underground tunnels, elevated/underground structures, and stations.

Requirements

We are seeking a highly motivated Associate Project Director – Mass Transit to join our growing North American team. In this leadership role, you will manage the design and delivery of complex transit infrastructure projects across California, including projects within heavy civil, underground/elevated stations, tunnels, and associated civil structures. Our projects are delivered through a mix of traditional and Alternative Project Delivery methods. You will be responsible for assisting with management of multidisciplinary teams as well as managing the delivery of your own tasks in terms of budget, quality, and timelines. Advanced project management and technical skills required.

• Experience delivering projects through Alternate Project Delivery methods such as Design build, Progressive Design build or CMGC.
• Ability and willingness to travel, predominantly in North America.
• Ability to work with staff located remotely.
• Effective team building skills, solid leadership skills and able to manage multiple stakeholders.
• Experience working with LA Metro, OCTA, Metrolink, Caltrain.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering (Master’s preferred)
• Minimum 15 years of experience in transit or rail infrastructure projects, with at least 5 years in a senior project management role.
• Self-motivated, skilled in navigating change, and able to handle multiple tasks in an evolving workplace
• High organizational and time management skills.
• Proven ability in preparing proposals and review agreement terms.
• Experience in coordinating and managing multi-disciplinary design teams.
• Comprehensive written and oral communication skills.
• Hold Professional Engineer status in CA. Licenses in other US states considered an asset.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangement | Top-up parental and childbirth recovery leave | Fantastic close-knit team with a wealth of knowledge to share | Full time hires get minimum 5 weeks’ vacation to start | Floating holiday to celebrate employee diversity | Paid sick leave | Annual fitness subsidy - yes, you can use this for a ski pass, yoga, or gym membership | 401K contribution matching with generous company match | Personal and professional development fund | Parking or public transit allowance | Medical, dental, and vision insurance 80% employer-paid premiums | Employee Assistance Program (EAP) | STD, LTD, AD&D, and Life Insurance | Referral incentive program| Frequent social events

Base compensation: $172,000 to $262,000 for California locations. Actual compensation is subject to variations due to education, experience, skill set and/or location.

Do you want the opportunity to co-create with our experts on some of the most prestigious infrastructure programs in North America? Can you navigate the dynamic landscape of the market by adapting strategies swiftly, capitalizing on emerging opportunities, and mitigating risks? And are you committed to accelerating growth, promoting innovation, and delivering tangible results?

A place to work and so much more

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance