Senior Manager Design and Engineering

Senior Manager Design and Engineering
Company: Verra Mobility
Location: AZ_Mesa_HQ
Department: GS Construction
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Overall, this position is responsible for: (1) leading the quality assurance (QA) program to ensure the integrity and consistency of all site plans, (2) owning the vendor management strategy and performance of design, engineering and permitting firms across our multi-state footprint, (3) providing senior technical and organizational leadership for the Design and Engineering team, and (4) establishing scalable standards, processes, capacity plans and performance measures that support business growth and successful project delivery. More specifically this position will:
Lead, develop and manage the in-house Design and Engineering team, establishing clear priorities, performance expectations, technical standards and accountability for QA prior to submittals, updated redlines and as-built finalization.
Provide senior-level oversight and direction for engineering matters including design, planning, permitting, traffic studies, reporting and artifact management, serving as an escalation point for complex technical issues.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with consultants, municipalities, development communities, regulators and industry groups, representing the organization on complex or high-impact engineering matters.
Partner with project managers and cross-functional leaders to establish delivery strategies and execute internal and external projects from design through completion, proactively addressing risks, dependencies and resource constraints.
Establish and govern engineering techniques, procedures, criteria and design standards, applying advanced analysis, interpretation and judgment to complex or non-routine engineering challenges.
Provide leadership across functional elements of the company's engineering and project execution initiatives, ensuring Design and Engineering priorities are aligned with operational and business objectives.
Oversee review of infrastructure and utility plans to ensure compliance with Design Guidelines, Specifications, applicable codes and regulatory requirements.
Develop and execute the Design and Engineering functional strategy, annual priorities and roadmap in alignment with Construction Operations and broader business objectives.
Own workforce and capacity planning for the function, including resource allocation, consultant utilization, workload balancing and recommendations for future staffing needs.
Establish key performance indicators and operating metrics for quality, cycle time, permitting performance, vendor performance and engineering delivery; use data to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.
Lead vendor strategy, selection, onboarding, performance management and governance for external design, engineering and permitting partners, including accountability for quality, responsiveness, cost and service levels.
Partner with leadership on departmental budgets, forecasts and cost-management initiatives, identifying opportunities to improve engineering efficiency and optimize internal and external spend.
Drive standardization and continuous improvement of design, engineering, permitting, document-control and QA/QC processes across markets while accommodating state and local requirements.
Identify and mitigate technical, regulatory, permitting and delivery risks; establish escalation paths and lead resolution of high-impact issues that may affect project schedules, cost, quality or compliance.
Serve as a senior technical advisor to Construction Operations and cross-functional business partners, providing recommendations that balance engineering requirements, operational needs, customer commitments and business objectives.
Lead, coach and develop managers and individual contributors as applicable; build technical depth, establish development plans, support succession planning and strengthen organizational capability.
Influence cross-functional planning and decision-making with Construction, Project Management, Operations, Sales, Legal, Procurement and other stakeholders to improve end-to-end project execution.
Evaluate emerging engineering practices, tools and technologies and sponsor improvements that increase scalability, quality, automation and productivity across the Design and Engineering function.
Provide executive-ready updates on engineering performance, major risks, resource needs, strategic initiatives and recommended actions.
Other duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of federal and key states law, as well as regulations governing engineering practices and techniques in states we do business.
Ability to interpret, understand, and apply engineering standards and procedures, applicable federal and state rules and regulations, and company policies and procedures.
Consults with municipal, county, state, and federal agency officials regarding plans and priorities for existing and future programs.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across multiple functions, geographies and levels of the organization.
Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to connect engineering decisions to cost, schedule, risk, customer and operational outcomes.
Ability to develop organizational strategy, translate strategy into measurable execution plans and communicate priorities effectively to technical and non-technical audiences.
Proven ability to build, coach and retain high-performing teams and develop future leaders.
Advanced vendor and consultant management skills, including performance governance, commercial awareness and accountability for service delivery.
Ability to communicate complex technical issues and recommendations clearly to senior leadership, customers, agencies and other stakeholders.
Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.
QUALIFICATIONS
B.S. in Civil Engineering, transportation planning or similar discipline
10+ years of progressive professional engineering experience, including traffic operations and engineering management, with significant experience leading teams and complex multi-market programs.
NY Professional Engineer (PE) license required (or ability to obtain)
5+ years of demonstrated people leadership experience, including developing technical talent, managing performance and leading through organizational growth or change.
Experience establishing and scaling engineering standards, QA/QC programs, vendor governance and operating processes across multiple jurisdictions.
Demonstrated success managing multiple concurrent priorities, complex stakeholder relationships and engineering programs with material schedule, cost, quality and compliance implications.
Experience with budgeting, resource planning, forecasting and performance metrics in an engineering, construction or project-delivery environment.
Additional state registration is highly desired (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Washington) or the credentials to achieve comity licensure in such states via a Model Law Engineer eligibility
Ability to get licensed in key states we operate in within a reasonable amount of time.
Proven success in the state & local government market sectors
Verra Mobility Values
An ideal candidate for this role naturally works in alignment with the Verra Mobility Core Values:
Own It. We focus on high performance and drive toward breakthrough outcomes. Our employees ensure accountability, optimize and align work, focus on the customer, and cultivate innovation.
Do What’s Right. We champion integrity and good character. Our team members model ethical behavior, demonstrate good judgment and are courageous.
Choose Courage Over Comfort. We lean into the conversations, decisions and actions that move the busin