Project Manager, IDOT Programs
Title may be extended to Senior Project Manager, Director, or Vice President depending on the selected candidate's experience, licensure, and portfolio. The scope of work described below does not change with the title.
Location: Chicago, Illinois (onsite, 5 days per week) Department: Transportation / Infrastructure Employment type: Full time, exempt Compensation: $175,000 to $250,000 base, plus annual performance bonus
Travel: Local and regional travel to project sites
Position Summary
We are hiring a transportation leader to own our delivery record and growth with the Illinois Department of Transportation. This is state system work: expressways, interstates, state routes, and the structures that carry them, delivered under a formal process with a long memory.
You will lead IDOT projects across Phase I preliminary engineering and environmental, Phase II contract plan preparation, and Phase III construction engineering. You will own the agency relationship, technical delivery, budget and schedule performance, and the pursuit strategy that keeps the backlog full.
The successful candidate knows the IDOT process from the inside out, not just from the manuals. You know how a Phase I approval actually gets earned, what a poorly assembled ESR does to a schedule, and why the answer to most review comments is a phone call before it is a resubmittal.
This role is onsite in our Chicago office.
Key Responsibilities
Project Delivery
- Serve as Project Manager of record on IDOTcontracts spanning highway and interstate reconstruction, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, interchange improvements, intersection and traffic signal work, and corridor studies.
- Direct Phase I preliminary engineering and NEPA documentation (CE, EA, EIS), including purpose and need, alternatives analysis, Environmental Survey Request coordination, and Section 4(f) and Section 106 clearance.
- Manage Phase II contract plan preparation, special provisions, quantity takeoffs, engineer's estimates, and PS&E submittals conforming to the IDOT Bureau of Design and Environment Manual, the Bureau of Local Roads and Streets Manual, and the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction.
- Oversee Phase III construction engineering, including resident engineering staff, documentation of contract quantities, change orders, and project closeout.
- Own project financial performance: fee development, budget, earned value, multiplier and profitability targets, invoicing accuracy, and subconsultant management.
- Hold schedule accountability across IDOT review cycles, land acquisition, utility coordination, railroad agreements, and permitting milestones.
- Enforce quality control and quality assurance on every deliverable. IDOT review comments are a permanent record of how your team works.
Agency and Stakeholder Management
- Act as the primary point of contact for IDOT District One project managers and bureau staff across Programming, Design, Local Roads and Streets, Bridges, Traffic, and Construction.
- Manage federal aid requirements including Local Public Agency processes, FHWA coordination, and compliance documentation on federally funded projects.
- Coordinate with local agencies, municipalities, townships, and counties where IDOT projects intersect local jurisdiction.
- Coordinate with Class I railroads, CTA, Metra, Pace, and utility owners.
- Lead public involvement: context sensitive solutions coordination, public information meetings, and formal public hearings.
Business Development
- Identify, position for, and capture IDOT pursuits, including monitoring the multi year program and bulletin postings.
- Maintain and expand the firm's IDOT prequalification categories, and manage the prequalification renewal process.
- Lead SOQ and proposal development, interview preparation, and teaming strategy, including DBE partner selection consistent with IDOT participation goals.
- Contribute to annual revenue and backlog targets.
Team Leadership
- Supervise, mentor, and develop engineers and technical staff.
- Allocate staff across a project portfolio, resolve resource conflicts, and forecast utilization.
- Support recruiting and retention in a competitive Chicago labor market.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related discipline from an ABET accredited program.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in Illinois, or ability to obtain by reciprocity within six months.
- Minimum 12 years of transportation design or construction engineering experience, with a demonstrated delivery record on IDOT projects specifically.
- Working command of the IDOT BDE Manual, BLRS Manual, Standard Specifications, and standard drawings.
- Direct experience with IDOT prequalification categories and the consultant selection process.
- Demonstrated Phase I, Phase II, or Phase III leadership with responsibility for budget, schedule, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience with federal aid projects and FHWA oversight requirements.
- Strong written and verbal communication, including the ability to present at public hearings.
- Ability to work onsite in Chicago and travel to project sites and District One offices.
Preferred Qualifications
- Structural Engineer (SE) license in Illinois for bridge focused candidates.
- PMP certification.
- Experience across all three phases rather than a single phase.
- Experience with Local Public Agency projects and the local agency to state interface.
- Prior experience inside IDOT or another state DOT, which we treat as an asset rather than a detour.
- MicroStation, OpenRoads Designer, ICORS, and AASHTOWare Project.
- Track record growing a client relationship from a single project into a program.
Compensation and Benefits
- $175,000 to $250,000 base salary, plus annual performance bonus.
- Benefits include medical, 401k, PTO, and more
The posted range is a good faith estimate for this role in the Chicago market. Actual offer depends on experience, licensure, and portfolio.
