Project Management Director – Utility Investment Planning – 1898 & Co

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction to the Utility Investment Planning project management team, ensuring efficient and cost-effective utilization of staff.
• Recruit, hire, develop, and retain high-performing employee-owners supporting utility planning and advisory engagements.
• Conduct performance evaluations for direct reports and selected department staff, providing clear feedback and professional development guidance.
• Interpret and communicate organizational goals, policies, and priorities to department personnel.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement aligned with Burns & McDonnell values.
• Lead the development and execution of Project Management strategic initiatives supporting utility investment planning programs and portfolios.
• Oversee delivery of complex, multi-disciplinary planning engagements, including capital investment planning, infrastructure prioritization, and long-range utility planning efforts.
• Guide the development and use of project management tools, workflows, and standards to improve consistency and efficiency across the UIP business line.
• Provide oversight of quality control processes and ensure adherence to the Burns & McDonnell Quality Control program in collaboration with the project delivery managers.
• Ensure compliance with company and site safety policies across all project management activities.
• Support alignment across regional offices related to project management development, quality, and resource coordination.
• Provide direct oversight and management of Project Management budgets, including expenditure of funds and financial performance.
• Achieve stated financial targets for utility investment planning engagements, including revenue, margin, and utilization goals.
• Present monthly financial reporting to leadership, including revenue forecasts and portfolio performance metrics.
• Collaborate with leadership to implement firmwide initiatives and drive continuous operational improvement.
• Support integration of project management best practices across planning, engineering, financial, and regulatory advisory teams.
• Develop and oversee project management onboarding and development plans for project managers within the business line.
• Provide direction and support for business development efforts related to utility investment planning, including identification and vetting of prospective clients and engagements.
• Lead and support project-related business development activities aligned with utility capital planning, modernization, and regulatory initiatives.
• Apply deep expertise in client development to support proposal development, pursuit strategy, and contract negotiations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with utility clients to support long-term advisory partnerships and repeat engagements.
• Support strategies for cross-selling engineering, planning, and advisory services across Burns & McDonnell and 1898 & Co.

Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree in engineering, business or related degree from an accredited program.
• 13 years relevant consulting experience, preferably in the engineering or construction industry or project management.
• Expert experience in client and business development.
• Expert experience in managing projects, which includes proposal development, contract negotiations, project planning, design team coordination & communication, budgeting, schedule management, and client coordination.
• Expert facilitation, collaboration, organization, and problem solving skills.
• Demonstrated success as to budget, savings and/or profit margins in completed projects.
• Ability to thoughtfully and positively influence, lead and manage.
• Excellent planning and analytical skills.
• Must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills; strong interpersonal skills; and the ability to clearly and effectively present complex information to all levels of employees, management, and clients.
• Expert knowledge of project management methodologies and tools including the use of Microsoft Project or equivalent.
• Professional Engineer (PE) License.