Transportation Design Project Manager

Finding the Right Fit

Work doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing what you love, and doing it alongside people who support, challenge, and inspire you. At Ayres, that’s our everyday reality, and it could be yours too.

We’re looking for a confident, motivated Transportation Design Project Manager to play a key role in the continued growth of our transportation group throughout Minnesota. In this role, you’ll enjoy meaningful autonomy and access to highly experienced roadway, structural, traffic, and construction engineering professionals who are committed to supporting your success. You’ll also collaborate closely with fellow project managers and leadership who share your passion for high-quality project delivery and client service.

Success in this position means cultivating strong client relationships; identifying, pursuing, and winning transportation projects; helping shape the growth of our regional team; and mentoring early-career employee-owners as they develop into the next generation of engineering leaders.

Join Ayres – a USA TODAY Top Workplace recognized in both 2025 and 2026 – where people-first leadership, collaboration, and professional growth create an environment where great teams do their best work. 

On Any Given Day, You’ll:

• Lead the strategy, pursuit, and winning of transportation projects with clients including MnDOT, counties, municipalities, and private-sector partners, including client communications and proposal development.
• Prepare, review, and negotiate contract documents with clients and partners.
• Manage clients and serve as a trusted advisor throughout project delivery.
• Direct and oversee project execution, ensuring work is completed on schedule, profitably, and in alignment with Ayres’ quality standards and contract requirements.
• Build respectful, collaborative working relationships with colleagues, technical staff, and leaders across the company.
• Mentor developing engineers and contribute to a positive, growth-focused team culture.
• Participate in regular team meetings to align on project pursuits, resource allocation, workload distribution, and team needs.
• Provide input during the annual business planning and budgeting process.
• Engage actively in professional organizations at the local, state, or national level to support visibility, networking, and business development.
• Participate in office-wide events supporting community, culture, and team connection.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a transportation emphasis.
• Registered Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Minnesota.
• Minimum of 6 years of transportation design and project management experience.
• Experience delivering transportation projects for MnDOT and/or Minnesota
• agencies.
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally to company offices or client locations.
• Valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record.

Desired Skills and Experiences:

• Strong interest in business development, including client relationships, pursuit strategy, and partner engagement.
• Enthusiasm for representing Ayres at industry events and supporting our brand through professional visibility.
• A collaborative mindset and passion for contributing to an inclusive, supportive team culture where ideas are welcomed and people feel valued.
• Knowledge of Civil 3D and/or OpenRoads Designer engineering software.

Benefits of being part of the Ayres team: 

• Health, dental, and vision Insurance.
• Short and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and 401K with company match.
• PTO, paid holidays including two floating holidays, and a flexible work schedule.
• Professional development opportunities.

Please note, benefits vary depending on job status. To learn more about our great benefits, visit our website at https://www.ayresassociates.com/careers/the-ayres-advantage/

Our good-faith compensation approach is fair and equitable, and takes into consideration only permissible factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, training, skills, and experience, and geographic location where the work is performed. A salary range for this posting is $120000 - $155000. The foregoing salary range represents what the company believes, in good-faith, it will pay for the posted opportunity. The individual selected for this role will be evaluated with the compensation factors in mind and placed appropriately.