Project Director- Transportation-Southern, CA

About the role

The Project Director-Transportation-Southern, CA position is part of GHD’s municipal business in Water and Transportation, which is experiencing accelerated growth. This role is crucial for driving the expansion of the Transportation practice, focusing on delivering projects that align with client expectations and commitments made during pursuit phases.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to existing clients through direct project leadership and consistent delivery performance.
• Maintain a deep understanding of client priorities, funding realities, and community outcomes.
• Represent client and community voices internally, shaping solutions and pursuits based on real delivery insight.
• Build long-term client partnerships rooted in credibility, responsiveness, and results.
• Lead or play a senior role in the delivery of key projects, ensuring outcomes align with client expectations and commitments made during pursuits.
• Convert successful delivery into repeat work, expanded scope, and follow-on opportunities.
• Identify growth opportunities emerging from active projects and ongoing client engagements.
• Use delivery experience to inform strategy, pricing, risk assessment, and positioning.
• Shape and lead pursuits where delivery experience, technical judgment, and client trust are critical differentiators.
• Partner with Relationship Managers, Market Leads, and technical teams to pursue targeted opportunities.
• Contribute to proposal strategy, messaging, and interviews with a focus on credibility and execution confidence.
• Participate in contract negotiations with a clear understanding of delivery risk, resourcing, and outcomes.
• Oversee and be accountable for project performance, including scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client satisfaction.
• Track and manage key performance indicators such as backlog, margin, and client health for assigned accounts.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, procurement requirements, and internal governance.
• Provide clear communication and reporting to internal leadership on client performance and growth outlook.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s Degree in Engineering, Environmental Science, or similar.
• Professional Engineer license preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in municipal or public sector project delivery and client relationship management.
• Strong Seller/Doer experience with strong business development, proposal preparation, and marketing skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence at senior levels.
• Proficiency in CRM tools (Salesforce in particular) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strategic thinker with a client-centric mindset.
• Strong understanding of municipal operations, governance, and procurement.
• Experience in client engagement and business development, with a track record of building relationships across government, industry, and community stakeholders.

Key Performance Indicators

• Client portfolio performance (bookings).
• Project portfolio performance (NLM).
• Client satisfaction scores.

Pay

$152,000-$253,000 based on location and experience.

Schedule

Hybrid model, combining in-office collaboration and flexibility. Three days a week in the office.