Major Projects Director

Job Description

At Mott MacDonald, we trust our brilliant people to do brilliant things in engineering, management, and development services, supporting multisector project work in over 150 countries. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world, we pride ourselves on our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes through our network of 20,000+ talented consultants. With sustainability and innovation at the heart of all our sectors in North America, including, Buildings, Energy, Transportation, and Water.

We believe in empowering our people to excel, learn, and grow, offering diverse opportunities to contribute to career-defining work. Join us and be part of a collaborative environment where your ambitions are united with ours, and you can truly shape your story.

If you share that vision, even if you don’t meet every requirement listed, we’d still love to hear from you. We value potential and diverse perspectives as much as experience. Let’s explore how we can support your growth and help you take the next step in your career, while contributing to an exciting new chapter for Mott MacDonald in North America.

The Major Projects Director will serve as the senior technical authority and design leadership manager for a large, multi‑billion‑dollar underground transit capital program in California. This role is responsible for providing strategic technical leadership across a complex, highly regulated public‑sector program environment, supporting agency staff and partner entities in the successful delivery of final design and transition into construction.

The position provides management of engineering services, establishing the program’s technical framework, design criteria, and quality management expectations in accordance with agency standards and industry best practices. The Major Projects Director will lead and coordinate large, multi‑disciplinary consultant teams, manage technical risk, and ensure consistency and integration across all design packages and contract elements.

Operating within a governance structure that includes agency leadership, governing boards, regulatory oversight bodies, and third‑party stakeholders, the Major Projects Director will act as a key technical advisor and public‑facing representative. The role requires the ability to clearly communicate complex engineering issues, tradeoffs, and recommendations to decision‑makers, oversight committees, and community stakeholders, supporting informed program decisions and maintaining public confidence.

The successful candidate will bring sound professional judgment, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong understanding of how design development aligns with capital delivery strategies, funding requirements, and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) expectations. This role is suited to an experienced transit professional with a proven record of delivering final designs of major underground infrastructure projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Project Manager and senior technical authority for the delivery of complex underground transit infrastructure, including tunnels, stations, shafts, systems, utilities, and supporting civil works
• Provide management of engineering services through final design and into construction, ensuring compliance with agency standards, design criteria, and applicable codes
• Maintain the program’s technical framework, including design standards, quality management processes, and technical governance across multiple contract packages
• Lead, coordinate, and mentor large, multi‑disciplinary consultant design teams, ensuring effective integration across civil, structural, geotechnical, architectural, systems, and construction support disciplines
• Manage complex internal and external technical interfaces, including coordination with third‑party stakeholders such as utility owners, municipalities, regulatory agencies, and adjacent projects
• Identify, evaluate, and mitigate technical and constructability risks, supporting informed decision‑making at key program milestones
• Support development of contract packaging strategies and ensure alignment of design deliverables with project delivery methods (e.g., design‑bid‑build, CM/GC, design‑build)
• Serve as a key technical advisor to agency leadership, capital program management, and oversight bodies
• Represent the design team in public‑facing settings, including agency board meetings, interagency coordination forums, and community outreach engagements
• Clearly communicate complex engineering issues, tradeoffs, and recommendations to technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• Support compliance with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements, including documentation and coordination related to management capacity, capability, and federal oversight activities

Candidate Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent required; California licensure preferred or ability to obtain
• Minimum 20+ years of progressive experience in the design and construction of complex heavy civil and underground transit projects
• Proven experience leading large, multi‑disciplinary engineering teams on major public‑sector infrastructure programs
• Demonstrated expertise in underground transit infrastructure within dense urban environments and constrained right‑of‑way conditions
• Strong understanding of technical interfaces associated with underground transit, including systems integration and third‑party coordination
• Working knowledge of capital project delivery models and contract packaging approaches used by transit agencies
• Ability to operate effectively within a public‑sector governance structure involving agency staff, governing boards, regulators, and community stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts clearly and credibly in public and executive‑level settings
• Familiarity with FTA processes and procedures, including management capacity and capability considerations for federally funded projects

Benefits & Reward

At Mott MacDonald, our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, providing them with a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses. We provide a comprehensive benefit package that includes 401k, medical, dental and vision insurance, short-term/long-term disability, paid holidays, PTO, parental leave, and company paid life insurance.

Individual pay is determined based on several factors such as work location, education, experience, and unique skills.

The expected salary for this position is $230,000 - $280,000

Collaboration at Our Core
At Mott MacDonald, we believe great ideas happen when we’re together. Our hybrid approach centers on an in-office culture, with most of your time spent collaborating face-to-face and a minimum of three days per week in the office. We balance flexibility with connection, so you and your manager can choose how to meet client, team, and personal commitments.

Equal opportunity is the law.

We seek to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status or disability status.