Senior Project Manager

We are seeking a confident and motivated Senior Project Manager to lead and manage projects of varying scope and complexity within our Stream and Stormwater Group. This role will be responsible for managing client relationships, directing project teams, and ensuring successful delivery of projects on time and within budget. The ideal candidate will be both a strategic leader and a hands-on problem solver with proven experience working in engineering consulting and successfully delivering projects.

As an Ayres Project Manager, you will work closely with our highly experienced river and stormwater engineering staff in our Fort Collins, Colorado office to deliver technically sound, sustainable solutions for resilient drainage system design, stream stabilization, post-wildfire recovery, and groundwater assessments to municipal, state, federal, and private-sector clients.

On any given day, you’ll:

• Lead complex hydrology and hydrologic engineering projects from concept to completion, ensuring technical excellence and client satisfaction.
• Act as a strategic partner to clients, building trusted relationships and uncovering opportunities to add value.
• Manage the five phases of project delivery: initiating, planning, execution, monitoring & control, and closing.
• Oversee project execution, ensuring compliance with contracts and quality standards, and delivering projects within defined financial performance metrics.
• Partner closely with technical leads to develop a project plan that identifies the resources and time needed to successfully deliver the scope of work.
• Identify and mitigate project risks, proactively addressing challenges and developing mitigation strategies.
• Drive project delivery innovation through new technologies, ways of working, sustainable practices, and creative solutions.
• Serve as primary client contact and coordinate with internal experts and external stakeholders.
• Support business development, including proposals, fee estimates, presentations, and marketing materials.
• Negotiate contracts and change orders within established limits.
• Identify and pursue new project opportunities with existing and prospective clients.
• Provide supervision or mentoring for less experienced project managers.
• Champion accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across teams.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (i.e., engineering, hydrology, geology, environmental studies or closely related discipline) or project management.
• 10+ years of experience in engineering consulting, with at least 5 years in project management role.
• Proven ability to independently monitor project budgets to a successful outcome and manage multiple projects and lead multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and client management skills, including experience developing and maintaining clients and obtaining new and repeat work.
• Strong technical writing and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency in project management tools and software.
• If not located in Fort Collins, ability to travel to the office at least once a week.
• Valid driver’s license and good driving record.

Desired skills and experiences:

• Professional registration in related discipline (i.e., PE, PG, CFM, CEM) or project management (i.e., PMP, PgMP).
• Experience in watershed health projects, stream restoration, post-fire mitigation, water resources, hydraulic or hydrologic engineering.
• Progressive experience managing engineering projects in Colorado, with the ability to create and maintain working relationships with clients, funding partners and permitting agencies.  

Not sure you meet every single requirement?
We understand that no candidate is likely to match every qualification listed. If you live in the Fort Collins area or are willing to relocate and are passionate about sustainable water management, community resilience, and leading impactful projects, we encourage you to apply—even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every detail in the posting. Your unique perspective and skills could be a great fit for our team and the work we do in our Rivers and Water Resources group.

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 upon hire, 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 $95000 - $135000. 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.

Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer