Principal Civil Engineer

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Principal Civil Engineer to join our New York City office and help lead the delivery of major infrastructure programs across New York City. This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced seller-doer who can drive excellent project delivery, support work-winning efforts, strengthen client relationships, and help grow a high-performing civil engineering practice across multiple markets. 

In this role, you will lead complex infrastructure projects and multidisciplinary teams, providing technical leadership and strategic direction throughout the project lifecycle—from planning and design through construction. You will work closely with clients, project partners, and internal teams to deliver innovative and practical solutions across roadway, bridge, transit, energy, and urban infrastructure programs. In addition to successful project delivery, you will contribute to business development activities, help expand key client relationships, and support the growth of our presence in strategic markets. 

This opportunity is ideal for a highly experienced project manager and engineering leader with a proven track record of delivering complex infrastructure projects, leading multidisciplinary teams, and building trusted client relationships. You will be passionate about developing people, strengthening technical capability, sharing industry knowledge, and creating the conditions for consistent project success. Working alongside some of the industry's most talented professionals, you will help shape the future of our civil engineering practice while delivering impactful projects for some of the region's most significant public and private sector clients. 

Job Duties Includes but not limited to;  

• In collaboration with transportation leadership, project principals, and business development teams, help define and implement the delivery strategy, technical direction, and growth objectives for the civil engineering team across New York City. 

• Lead the successful delivery of complex roadway, transit, bridge, utility, and urban infrastructure programs, providing strategic oversight, technical leadership, and project governance to achieve client objectives and business outcomes. 

• Identify capability, capacity, and resource gaps within the New York City civil engineering team and help address them through targeted recruitment, strategic workforce planning, mentoring, and development of technical staff. 

• Drive business development by developing key client and industry relationships, leveraging market intelligence and client insight to identify opportunities, anticipate emerging needs, and inform business strategy to convert market presence and client trust into successful project wins. 

• Lead and sponsor major pursuits and strategic initiatives, providing technical, commercial, and delivery leadership while helping position the firm for long-term growth in priority transportation markets. 

• Lead the successful delivery of complex infrastructure programs by strengthening client partnerships, collaborating across regions and disciplines, and championing best practices in quality, project controls, risk management, and technical excellence. 

• Stay informed of evolving transportation agency priorities, funding programs, design standards, and digital delivery requirements, positioning the practice to capitalize on emerging opportunities and industry trends. 

• Mentor and develop engineering, project management, and technical staff, strengthen leadership capability, succession planning, and overall team performance while fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture. 

• Leverage the firm's broader resource and skills network to assemble and lead high-performing multidisciplinary teams, ensuring the right technical expertise is aligned with project and client needs.  

Qualifications:  

• Extensive experience leading delivery of civil projects/programs in New York City  (typically, 20+ years). 

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, including staffing, mentoring, and performance management. 

• Proven project/program management leadership, including scope definition, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, change control, and performance reporting. 

• Contract and commercial management acumen with respect to scope clarity, deliverables, payment milestones, claims/change management, and contractor performance oversight. 

• Strong client-facing leadership and communication skills; able to engage effectively with senior stakeholders, partners, contractors, and internal teams. 

• Familiarity with Federal Highway Administration, New York State and New York City Departments of Transportation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and/or the Port Authority of NY & NJ standards and procedures.  

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering; advanced degree preferred. Professional Engineer (PE) registration in New York State required. 

• High-quality interpersonal skills, including organizational and attention to detail. 

• Strong communication skills, both written and oral.