Director of Engineering - Transportation

Transportation Engineering Director, P.E. - Indiana Market Leader

Transportation & Infrastructure | Indianopolis, IN | Hybrid

This is a rare chance to own and build GAI's Indiana transportation market.

This is a leadership role with an opportunity to build and lead GAI's Indiana transportation practice with direct ownership of strategy, clients, people, growth, and delivery.

In this role you will own the strategic direction, profitability, staffing, and project delivery of the Indiana office while serving as the face of the firm to INDOT, municipalities, counties, MPOs, and transit agencies across the state. You will drive business development, lead executive-level client relationships, and build a multidisciplinary team delivering highway, bridge, traffic, and municipal infrastructure programs.

We are seeking a licensed Professional Engineer and proven seller-doer with 10+ years of transportation and infrastructure experience and 7+ years leading engineering teams, operations, or offices someone with real relationships in the Indiana transportation market and a track record of winning work, hitting revenue targets, and delivering complex public-sector projects on time and on budget.

At GAI you get direct access to leadership, a defined development program, and the stability of a firm that has been solving infrastructure challenges since 1958 plus the autonomy to shape an entire office's future.

What You Will Do

• You will help define GAI's position in the Indiana transportation market-deepening relationships with INDOT, counties, municipalities, MPOs, and transit agencies while expanding the firm's visibility across the state

• Provide overall leadership of the Indiana office, including strategic planning, operations, staffing, resource allocation, and financial performance.
• Develop and execute annual business plans, growth strategies, and operational objectives; manage profitability, utilization, and staffing forecasts.
• Build, mentor, and lead multidisciplinary teams of engineers, project managers, and technical staff, fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional development.
• Lead business development across Indiana and surrounding markets identifying, pursuing, and securing new transportation and infrastructure opportunities.
• Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with INDOT, local agencies, municipalities, counties, MPOs, transit agencies, and other key clients.
• Lead proposal development, presentations, interviews, and contract negotiations; meet or exceed annual sales and revenue growth targets.
• Provide executive oversight for transportation and infrastructure projects, including scope, schedule, financial performance, quality, and risk management.
• Direct technical teams delivering highways and roadways, bridges and structures, transportation corridors, traffic engineering, municipal infrastructure, drainage and stormwater systems, and design-build/alternative delivery projects.
• Represent the firm in public meetings, industry conferences, and professional organizations as a visible industry leader.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Civil Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in Indiana, or the ability to obtain Indiana licensure through reciprocity.
• 10+ years of progressive transportation and infrastructure engineering experience.
• 7+ years of leadership experience managing engineering teams, operations, or offices.
• Demonstrated success leading transportation engineering projects for public-sector clients.
• Proven business development experience with a history of winning and managing state and municipal client relationships.
• Experience developing strategic growth initiatives and achieving revenue goals.
• Strong understanding of transportation project delivery and the Indiana transportation market.
• Experience managing project budgets, contracts, staffing, and overall financial performance.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Valid driver's license.
• Ability to travel for client meetings, other offices, and business development activities.

Preferred Experience

• Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Established relationships with INDOT and local government agencies throughout Indiana.
• Prior service as an Office Manager, Practice Leader, Regional Leader, Transportation Director, or similar.
• Design-build and alternative delivery experience.
• Active participation in ACEC, ASCE, ITE, APWA, or related organizations.

Leadership and Management Expectations

• Make decisions with broad influence on the activities of the organization, receiving general administrative direction.
• Demonstrate a high degree of creativity, foresight, and mature judgment in planning, organizing, and guiding projects of major consequence.
• Provide leadership and engage others to create a common vision for projects and the organization.
• Perform advisory or consulting work across broad project areas or within specialized areas with innovative and complex aspects.
• Assess practices and requirements to achieve sustainable performance of complex engineering projects from a systems perspective.
• Oversee multiple large or multidiscipline project teams and develop the projects needed to accomplish organizational objectives.
• Evaluate project management plans and develop risk mitigation plans for complex engineering projects.
• Assess engineering economic analyses, evaluate solutions spanning multiple specialty areas, and resolve ethical dilemmas in complicated situations.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of leaders and teams; develop organizational strategy for staff development through mentored experience, continuing education, and self-development.
• Negotiate critical and controversial issues with leadership and represent the organization at important functions and conferences.
• May manage projects up to $250,000 in annual value without GAI President's approval.

Why This Role Stands Out

As the successful candidate you will get:

• autonomy to shape the market
• support from a larger multidisciplinary firm
• executive access
• compensation transparency
• hybrid flexibility
• relocation support
• chance to build a legacy practice

• Run the state. Full P&L ownership of GAI's Indiana office - strategy, staffing, growth, and delivery.
• Seller-doer, not sidelined. Stay technical while owning pursuits, INDOT relationships, and revenue targets.
• A team to build. Hire, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary transportation practice from the front.
• Full-service firepower. Bridge, highway, traffic, drainage, CEI, and civil infrastructure colleagues one call away for full-service pursuits.

Location, Travel, and Relocation

Based in our Fishers Indiana office on a hybrid work schedule. Travel is estimated at approximately 25 %, and may involve visits to other offices, onsite client meetings, project-specific meetings, and in-person business development activities. Must be authorized to work in the United States, without sponsorship.

Compensation

Salary range: $210,000 to $230,000 per year, plus an annual bonus. Actual compensation will depend on factors such as education, licensure, qualifications, relevant experience, and current skills.

Benefits

Relevant experience may include: Transportation Engineering, Civil Engineering, INDOT, Roadway Design, Highway Engineering, Bridge Engineering, Traffic Engineering, Municipal Infrastructure, Local Public Agency, Seller-Doer, Business Development, Transportation Practice Leader, Office Leader, P.E., Professional Engineer.

Ready to Lead GAI's Indiana Practice?

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