PROJECT DIRECTOR

City of Chicago

$155K *
Transportation
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from an accredited institution
  • Minimum of five years' experience in public works project planning, design, and construction
  • At least three years in a supervisory role relevant to position's responsibilities
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license required
  • Strong knowledge of city, state, and federal engineering regulations

Responsibilities

  • Direct multi-disciplinary teams on large-scale construction projects
  • Oversee projects from conceptualization to completion, ensuring compliance
  • Conduct employee training, evaluations, and establish work priorities
  • Monitor construction projects on-site for adherence to specifications
  • Coordinate communication with stakeholders including public agencies and firms
  • Develop project control plans and manage safety metrics
  • Direct budgetary and project planning reports

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance
  • Retirement savings plans
  • Paid time off and holidays
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Tuition reimbursement programs
Full Job Description
. JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

PROJECT DIRECTOR

CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CDOT)

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $155,292; Grade: X-43

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm CDT on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

This position is within CDOT's Division of Engineering and serves as the City's Chief Electrical Engineer and the Electrical Engineering section head. The section is responsible for the design and construction of the arterial and residential street lighting program, pole replacements, small cell coordination and design review and approval of electrical submittals for lighting and traffic signals. In addition, the position develops electrical specifications and standards and coordinates electrical construction projects citywide.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Directs a multi-disciplinary project team responsible for the oversight of various large-scale construction, capital and facility maintenance projects
• Directs projects from conceptualization through completion working with various engineering, architectural, and design teams to ensure construction compliance with City, federal and state requirements and procedures
• Directs the training and evaluation of employees; prepares work schedules and assignments; determines work priorities; and administers disciplinary actions as required
• Conducts site visits to monitor and evaluate construction projects ensuring adherence to specifications and progress plans
• Communicates and coordinates with stakeholders (e.g., public, agencies, firms, etc.)
• Directs the development of project control plans and procedures for construction projects
• Manages projects performance and safety metrics
• Manages a portfolio of projects providing recommendations to division management on selection, performance, design features to ensure optimization of portfolio
• Directs the development of required budgetary, construction, procurement and comprehensive project plan reports
• Directs the work of staff responsible for ensuring appropriate permits are secured in a timely manner
• Participates in Request for Proposal (RFP) and Request for Qualification (RFQ) process coordinating with the Department of Procurement Services
• Manages the completion of construction projects in accordance with project plans, scope, schedule, budget, quality, and City, state, and federal regulations and requirements

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: 2 North LaSalle Street, Ste 820

Hours: 7:00 am - 3:00 pm, Monday - Friday

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering plus five (5) years of experience in the planning, design, and construction of public works projects, of which three (3) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position

Licenses
• Professional Engineer License

Disclaimer - "Accredited" means any nationally or regionally accredited college, university, or law school where the applicant is enrolled in or has completed an Associates, Bachelors, Masters, or Juris Doctorate degree program.

NOTE: You must provide your transcripts or degree, professional license at time of processing, if applicable.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires an applicant to successfully complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

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