Director/Program Director-Construction

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Job Description:

Parsons is seeking an experienced Program Director to lead and expand major water and wastewater programs throughout the State of Texas. Based in Houston, this executive-level role will be responsible for program strategy, client relationship management, delivery oversight, construction management, team leadership, and business development.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience delivering complex water and wastewater infrastructure programs, managing multidisciplinary teams, overseeing construction and program controls, and developing trusted relationships with public-sector and private-sector clients. This position requires a strategic leader who can balance technical delivery, operational excellence, financial performance, and long-term client growth.

Key Responsibilities

Construction Management

• Provide oversight of construction management activities for water and wastewater treatment plants, collection and distribution systems, pipelines, pump stations, reservoirs, lift stations, storage facilities, and related infrastructure.

• Review contractor performance, construction schedules, payment applications, change orders, claims, safety performance, and quality compliance.

• Support constructability reviews, procurement strategies, bid evaluations, and contract negotiations.

• Manage construction risks and facilitate timely resolution of field, contractual, and technical issues.

• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure that construction activities align with project safety plans and corporate standards.

• Support the development and implementation of alternative delivery methods, including design-bid-build, design-build, construction manager at risk, progressive design-build, and public-private partnership approaches where appropriate.

Program Delivery

• Provide executive leadership for large, complex water and wastewater programs across Texas.

• Establish program vision, goals, governance structures, delivery strategies, and performance objectives.

• Direct the planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout of infrastructure programs.

• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with contractual, regulatory, and quality requirements.

• Lead program controls, including scope, schedule, cost, risk, change management, quality, and document control.

• Oversee the coordination of engineering, construction management, program management, environmental, permitting, procurement, and commissioning teams.

• Identify and resolve project and program-level issues before they affect cost, schedule, quality, or client satisfaction.

• Implement best practices, standardized processes, and performance metrics across the program portfolio.

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including environmental, utility, procurement, and construction requirements.

Client and Stakeholder Relationships

• Serve as the senior point of contact for key clients, including municipalities, water authorities, regional agencies, utilities, industrial clients, and other public-sector entities.

• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with client executives, elected officials, board members, regulators, contractors, consultants, and community stakeholders.

• Lead executive-level client meetings, program reviews, strategic planning sessions, and issue-resolution discussions.

• Anticipate client needs and proactively identify opportunities to improve program outcomes.

• Develop communications strategies that clearly convey program status, risks, financial performance, accomplishments, and upcoming priorities.

• Represent Parsons at industry events, professional associations, community meetings, and client-facing forums throughout Texas.

Business Development and Growth

• Develop and execute strategic growth plans for water and wastewater services across Texas.

• Identify, qualify, and pursue new program management, engineering, construction management, and infrastructure opportunities.

• Lead client account planning and maintain an active pipeline of potential pursuits.

• Develop capture strategies, pursuit plans, teaming arrangements, and win strategies.

• Participate in proposal development, including technical approaches, staffing plans, project understanding, pricing strategies, presentations, and interviews.

• Establish and maintain relationships with owners, utilities, engineering firms, contractors, and industry partners.

• Monitor market trends, capital improvement programs, funding opportunities, regulatory developments, and infrastructure investment priorities.

• Position Parsons for long-term program and project opportunities through differentiated technical, management, and delivery solutions.

Team and Operational Leadership

• Recruit, mentor, and lead high-performing program and project teams.

• Establish clear expectations for accountability, collaboration, communication, and professional development.

• Coordinate with regional, national, and corporate leadership to align resources and business objectives.

• Manage staffing plans, utilization, financial performance, and resource requirements across the program.

• Foster an inclusive work environment that values safety, integrity, innovation, teamwork, and client service.

• Support succession planning and development of future program and project leaders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Management, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Typically 20+ progressive experience in water/wastewater infrastructure, program management, construction management, engineering delivery, or a related field.

• Significant experience leading major water and wastewater programs, preferably for municipal, regional, state, industrial, or utility clients.

• Demonstrated experience with the delivery of complex capital improvement programs involving multiple projects, stakeholders, funding sources, and delivery methods.

• Extensive construction management experience, including contractor oversight, contract administration, schedule management, cost control, claims, change management, and quality assurance.

• Proven success managing senior-level client relationships and serving as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders.

• Demonstrated business development and capture experience, including leading pursuits, developing proposals, and securing new work.

• Strong understanding of water and wastewater treatment facilities, conveyance systems, pump stations, pipelines, storage, resiliency, and related infrastructure.

• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and geographically dispersed project personnel.

• Strong financial management skills, including budget development, forecasting, earned value, profitability, and performance reporting.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to travel throughout Texas and occasionally to other locations as business needs require.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer license, preferably in Texas.

• Project Management Professional certification.

• Design-Build Institute of America certification or comparable alternative delivery experience.

• Certified Construction Manager certification.

• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related field.

• Experience with Texas municipalities, regional water authorities, utility districts, state agencies, or other public-sector clients.

• Familiarity with Texas regulatory and permitting requirements related to water and wastewater infrastructure.

• Experience with major program funding mechanisms, including state revolving funds, federal infrastructure programs, grants, bonds, and public financing.

• Experience delivering programs using alternative delivery methods such as design-build, CMAR, progressive design-build, or public-private partnerships.

• Established professional network within the Texas water, wastewater, infrastructure, and construction markets.

Core Competencies

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic leadership: Ability to set direction and translate organizational goals into successful program outcomes.

• Client service orientation: Commitment to developing trusted, long-term client partnerships.

• Business acumen: Ability to manage program performance while identifying opportunities for growth.

• Construction expertise: Strong understanding of field execution, contractor management, and delivery risk.

• Communication: Ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, executives, public officials, and community stakeholders.

• Collaboration: Ability to lead across disciplines, organizations, and delivery partners.

• Accountability: Consistent focus on safety, quality, ethics, financial performance, and commitments.

• Adaptability: Ability to manage changing priorities, complex issues, and high-visibility programs.

• Integrity: Demonstrated commitment to ethical conduct, transparency, and professional standards.

Work Environment

This position will be based in Houston, Texas, with responsibility for programs and client relationships throughout the State of Texas. The role will include a combination of office, field, and client-site work, as well as regular travel to project locations, meetings, presentations, and industry events.

Why Join Parsons

At Parsons, you will have the opportunity to lead transformational water and wastewater infrastructure programs that support resilient, sustainable, and thriving communities across Texas. This role offers the ability to influence major infrastructure investments, work with prominent public and private clients, lead talented technical professionals, and contribute to the growth of a nationally recognized engineering and infrastructure organization.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Parsons is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to legally protected characteristics and are based on qualifications, performance, business needs, and organizational requirements.

Security Clearance Requirement: None

This position is part of our Critical Infrastructure team.

For more than 80 years, our experts have designed and delivered the critical infrastructure that connects and protects communities around the world. We work in collaborative teams, both within the company and with our partners and customers, to plan, design, build, and modernize infrastructure. We take special pride in projects and solutions that improve communities as well as people’s quality of life by promoting economic growth, enhancing mobility, and increasing sustainability and resiliency. Powered by our people, we provide the imagination necessary to support our customers’ visions—and to help them see what's next!

Salary Range: $157,500.00 - $283,500.00

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!

Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!

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