Construction Manager

At Mott MacDonald, we are a global engineering, management, and development consultancy driven by a shared purpose to improve society through innovative and sustainable solutions. As a proudly employee-owned business, our success enables us to invest in our people, our communities, and the projects that make a lasting difference.

We employ brilliant people and trust them to do brilliant things. Working alongside industry-leading experts across our global network, you will have the opportunity to deepen your expertise, broaden your experience, and contribute to some of the most complex infrastructure challenges of our time. We foster an inclusive and collaborative environment where integrity, respect, wellbeing, and professional growth are central to how we work.

As our transportation portfolio grows across the Pacific Northwest, we are seeking an experienced Construction Manager to lead owner-side construction management for a major, multi-package light rail and heavy-civil program in the Seattle region.

This is a leadership opportunity for an accomplished construction professional who is passionate about delivering complex transportation projects that strengthen communities and improve mobility. You will play a pivotal role from procurement and construction planning through project completion, helping shape delivery strategies while leading multidisciplinary construction management teams in the field.

Working on the owner side with program leadership, designers, collaborative-delivery contractors, systems teams, utilities, regulatory agencies, and community partners, you will oversee construction across multiple work packages and complex physical, contractual, and operational interfaces. You will protect safety, quality, cost, schedule, environmental commitments, and operational readiness while maintaining clear accountability among the parties.

You will be expected to provide visible field leadership, surface problems early, make timely recommendations, and establish a disciplined no-surprises culture across the construction management team.

What you'll do

Construction leadership and contract administration

• Build, mobilize, and lead a field organization that may include multiple resident engineers, construction and office engineers, inspectors, contract administrators, quality and safety specialists, document controls, and technical advisers.
• Lead owner-side administration and construction oversight for major GCCM, GC/CM, CMAR, design-build, progressive design-build, and related construction packages, with particular emphasis on collaborative delivery and open-book commercial discipline.

Oversee contract administration activities, including:

• Submittal reviews
• Requests for Information (RFIs)
• Change order management
• Progress payment applications
• Schedule reviews and updates
• Claims avoidance and resolution
• Project closeout and turnover
• Ensure consistent contract interpretation, documentation, delegation of authority, and compliance with technical requirements, permits, environmental commitments, safety obligations, quality plans, and third-party agreements.
• Drive early identification, escalation, and resolution of field issues; distinguish design deficiencies, changed conditions, contractor means and methods, and owner-retained risks; and support defensible change and claims decisions.

Construction planning and project delivery

• Participate during design, procurement, and preconstruction to shape packaging, early works, contractor-selection criteria, construction execution plans, staffing, field offices, inspection strategy, and contract-administration procedures.
• Evaluate constructability, temporary works, access and laydown, traffic and work-zone controls, utility relocations, restricted work windows, major-structure erection, labor and equipment needs, schedule logic, and operational constraints.
• Translate preconstruction decisions into executable field plans and verify that package-release assumptions, interface obligations, permits, property access, and acceptance criteria are understood before work begins.
• Integrate field intelligence with cost, schedule, risk, change, and interface controls; challenge recovery plans; and provide concise, decision-ready reporting to program leadership.

Corridor and stakeholder coordination

• Direct corridor-wide construction logistics and interface management across adjacent civil, station, bridge, utility, roadway, rail-systems, and third-party work packages.
• Coordinate construction impacts with transportation agencies, local jurisdictions, utilities, freight and passenger rail operators, emergency services, businesses, and community and Tribal partners.
• Manage phased construction, restricted access and environmental windows, night work, major event conflicts, active-roadway constraints, and tie-ins or cutovers affecting adjacent or operating infrastructure.
• Build credible working relationships across the owner, contractors, designers, utilities, regulators, jurisdictions, rail operators, and affected communities while protecting contractual clarity and owner interests.

Safety and quality leadership

• Champion a culture where safety and wellbeing remain the highest priorities.
• Coordinate with independent safety leadership to verify contractor compliance, field implementation, hazard controls, incident response, and corrective actions without displacing the contractor’s responsibility for safety.
• Coordinate with the independent Quality Manager to verify contractor quality-control implementation, inspection and testing coverage, nonconformance resolution, records completeness, and acceptance readiness across package interfaces.
• Establish risk-based inspection and surveillance plans, lead field reviews, and ensure timely resolution of nonconformances, deficient work, punch-list items, and corrective actions.

Team leadership and development

• Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing owner-side construction management organization through mobilization, peak construction, systems installation, and closeout.
• Provide guidance and support to field and project delivery staff.
• Establish clear decision rights, escalation paths, consistent field procedures, lessons-learned practices, and accountability across resident-engineer and package teams.
• Support professional development through coaching, training, and career growth opportunities.
• Help create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels empowered, supported, and valued.

Candidate specification

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive construction management or resident engineering experience, including senior responsibility for field delivery of major transit, rail, or heavy-civil infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience leading a large owner-side or PMCM field organization on a complex transit or heavy-civil program involving multiple contracts, major structures, utilities, and active transportation interfaces.
• Experience as Construction Manager, Resident Engineer, or equivalent senior field leader administering at least one major construction contract or coordinated package of contracts valued at $500 million or more.
• Strong knowledge of collaborative-delivery contract administration, baseline and recovery scheduling, cost control, earned progress, change management, records, claims avoidance, negotiation, and dispute resolution.
• Deep understanding of heavy-civil construction means and methods, temporary works, major bridge or elevated-guideway construction, traffic control, utilities, work-zone logistics, and construction in active public environments.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary and multi-location teams, coordinate across multiple contractors and resident-engineer groups, and resolve complex technical, commercial, and stakeholder issues.
• Excellent field leadership, judgment, written documentation, negotiation, executive communication, and problem-solving skills, with a record of raising difficult issues early and constructively.

Preferred qualifications

• Washington Professional Engineer license, or ability to obtain one, where appropriate to the candidate’s discipline and responsibilities.
• Certified Construction Manager (CCM) certification.
• DBIA certification or comparable alternative delivery experience.
• Direct experience delivering major infrastructure, light rail or transit construction, preferably including elevated guideway, stations, major bridges, rail systems, and work adjacent to operating infrastructure.
• Direct experience with GCCM, GC/CM, CMAR, progressive design-build, or design-build from preconstruction through construction, commercial commitment, change management, and closeout.
• Working familiarity with Primavera P6, Unifier or comparable cost and change platforms, construction management information systems, electronic document control, field inspection tools, and turnover databases.

What you'll bring

You are a trusted owner-side construction leader who combines field authority with commercial and program judgment. You understand how early packaging, constructability, access, temporary works, contract language, and interface decisions determine what happens in the field.

You balance safety, quality, schedule, cost, environmental and community commitments, and operational readiness without blurring accountability. You develop strong teams, maintain disciplined records, challenge unsupported assumptions, and keep the owner informed with clear recommendations and early warning.

Why join Mott MacDonald?

At Mott MacDonald, you will help deliver high-profile transportation projects while developing your career in an environment that values both personal and professional growth.

You will benefit from:

• Opportunities to work on complex and impactful infrastructure projects across the Pacific Northwest.
• Access to a global network of experts who collaborate, share knowledge, and support one another's success.
• The flexibility to deepen your technical specialization or broaden your career experience across our business.
• A culture built on integrity, mutual respect, inclusion, and shared purpose.
• Ongoing investment in learning, development, wellbeing, and professional achievement.
• Competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.
• The opportunity to shape your own career path within a successful employee-owned organization.

Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is a place where you can grow, contribute, and be brilliant. Mott MacDonald is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.

Bring your expertise, curiosity, and drive to make a difference. If you are ready to join a collaborative consultancy where your perspective is valued, your growth is supported, and you are empowered to lead with integrity, we would love to hear from you. 

Benefits & Rewards 

The expected salary for this position is $185,000 - $226,000. 

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

In addition to base salary, Mott MacDonald offers performance-based bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package, giving employees a direct connection to our success.

Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support the health, wellbeing, financial security, and professional growth of our employees. Eligible employees have access to medical, dental, and vision coverage, FSA and HSA accounts, company-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, and a competitive 401(k) plan with company matching. We also provide paid time off, paid holidays, caregiver leave, employee referral bonuses, professional registration and membership reimbursements, and tuition assistance to support continued learning and career development.

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 clients, 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.

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.