Senior Program Manager - Utilities

Parsons Corporation

$134K — $241K *
Energy & Utilities
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in Owner's Engineer or EPC oversight roles
  • Proven track record in managing large transmission and substation projects
  • Demonstrated ability to lead multidiscipline technical teams
  • Experience with mega projects and capital programs with complex interfaces
  • Strong knowledge of project controls, risk management, and change processes
  • Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
  • Ability to work independently and proactively solve problems

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the lead on owner-side project management for a portfolio of utility projects
  • Coordinate effectively as an extension of the client's office with various stakeholders and contractors
  • Lead project readiness and decision-support activities to ensure accurate project advancement
  • Oversee technical deliverables from suppliers to align with project and quality standards
  • Monitor EPC contractor performance across key metrics including cost, schedule, and compliance
  • Review cost and change information to guide owner-side decisions effectively
  • Facilitate communication and problem resolution among engineering and project teams

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid time off and flexible work schedules
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) participation
  • 401(k) retirement plan with contributions
  • Life insurance coverage
  • Holidays that cater to employee lifestyles
Full Job Description
Job Description:

Parsons is seeking a Senior Program/Project Manager to support the delivery of Owner's Engineer services for a major utility transmission and substation capital portfolio. This is a senior leadership role requiring deep experience in owner-side program/project delivery, EPC oversight, and utility infrastructure execution across large, complex capital programs.

The successful candidate will serve in an Owner's Engineer capacity, operating as an extension of the client's office to support project leadership, coordination, oversight, and decision-making across multiple concurrent projects. This role requires a leader who can bring structure, clarity, and momentum across engineering, project controls, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout activities while maintaining close alignment with client goals, standards, and governance processes.

This is not a conventional project management role. The position requires strong executive presence, sound judgment, proactive leadership, and the ability to identify risks and opportunities early, communicate clearly, drive alignment, and add value beyond baseline scope. The ideal candidate is collaborative, highly responsive, solutions-oriented, and comfortable leading in a fast-paced environment with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities
  • Serve as the senior owner-side program/project management lead supporting a portfolio of transmission and substation projects delivered under an EPC model
  • Act as an extension of the client's office, coordinating with internal stakeholders, EPC contractors, consultants, and support teams to align project objectives, priorities, and execution activities
  • Lead project readiness, stage-gate coordination, action tracking, and decision-support activities to help ensure projects advance with complete, accurate, and timely information
  • Provide owner-side technical oversight of Parsons' multidiscipline team and independent oversight of EPC contractor engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning activities to ensure deliverables and execution are aligned with project requirements, Company standards, and quality expectations
  • Oversee EPC contractor performance across scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, and contract compliance, and work with project teams to identify risks, gaps, and corrective actions early
  • Support review of cost, schedule, risk, change, and open-book pricing information to inform owner-side decisions and improve project execution outcomes
  • Lead communication, coordination, and issue resolution across engineering, project controls, procurement, construction, and client leadership teams
  • Support construction readiness, commissioning readiness, turnover, and closeout activities, including documentation, punch list, and handover coordination
  • Provide leadership in client meetings, executive briefings, and working sessions, and mentor supporting team members across project management, technical, controls, and field functions


Required Qualifications
  • Demonstrated experience in Owner's Engineer, owner advisor, utility owner-side, or EPC oversight roles
  • Demonstrated experience supporting large, complex transmission and substation projects
  • Experience with mega projects or major capital programs involving multiple stakeholders, complex interfaces, and high levels of coordination
  • Demonstrated ability to lead multidiscipline technical teams and provide effective owner-side oversight of EPC contractor engineering and technical deliverables for transmission and substation projects
  • Strong experience overseeing or integrating:
    • project scope and execution planning
    • cost and schedule performance
    • project controls, risk, and change management
    • engineering and design coordination
    • procurement and construction interfaces
    • commissioning, turnover, and closeout
  • Strong leadership, collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills
  • Proven ability to work with initiative, operate independently, solve problems proactively, and bring forward recommendations that improve outcomes
  • Ability to function effectively in a client-facing environment requiring diplomacy, responsiveness, accountability, and sound judgment

Preferred Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or advanced degree in engineering preferred
  • PMP and/or PE preferred
  • 15+ years of relevant experience in utility infrastructure, major capital project delivery, or program management
  • Experience with transmission and substation EPC delivery models
  • Experience supporting multiple concurrent projects within a program or portfolio environment
  • Experience with project controls, integrated scheduling, change management, and cost validation
  • Familiarity with Primavera P6, cost systems, dashboards, and project reporting tools
  • Experience with extra-high-voltage transmission and substation projects
  • Experience supporting executive governance, reporting, and decision-making processes

Leadership Profile

The ideal candidate will bring:
  • a collaborative leadership style
  • strong written and verbal communication
  • the ability to build trust quickly with client and team stakeholders
  • a forward-leaning, initiative-driven mindset
  • sound judgment under pressure
  • out-of-the-box thinking grounded in practical execution realities
  • a commitment to delivering value-added solutions, not just meeting minimum requirements
  • the presence and maturity to operate as a trusted extension of the client's team


Education
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management, or related field


Security Clearance Requirement:
None

This position is part of our Critical Infrastructure team.

Salary Range: $134,100.00 - $241,400.00

We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!

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