Structures Bridge Group Leader

STV is seeking a Structures Bridge Group Leader to join our Transportation department at our Chicago, IL office.
Your New Role
Join STV as our Structures Bridge Group Leader and shape the future of our Illinois Transportation practice. Based in Chicago, this leadership opportunity puts you at the center of complex bridge, highway, transit, and rail infrastructure work. Bring your Illinois Structural Engineer (S.E.) and Professional Engineer (P.E.) credentials to grow client relationships, guide technical delivery, develop a high-performing structural engineering team, and expand our regional presence.
The Opportunity
Combine practice leadership, project and design management, technical oversight, staff development, client engagement, and business development. Partner directly with IDOT, Illinois Tollway, CTA, Metra, Amtrak, Class I railroads, municipalities, and multidisciplinary teams in Chicago and across STV’s national Transportation practice.
Success in this role calls for deep bridge and structural transportation expertise, knowledge of Illinois agency standards, and a record of winning work, delivering quality projects, mentoring technical professionals, and building a regional practice.
Your Impact
Lead and grow STV’s bridge and structural transportation group in Illinois, aligning team priorities with strategic and financial objectives.
Serve as Project Manager and/or Design Manager for highway, transit, and rail structural projects from planning through construction.
Guide bridge design, rehabilitation, inspection, load rating, retaining wall, culvert, and related transportation structure assignments.
Oversee calculations, technical reports, design memoranda, plans, specifications, cost estimates, schedules, and construction documents.
Manage scope, budget, schedule, quality, safety, resources, and financial performance.
Build trusted relationships with IDOT, Illinois Tollway, CTA, Metra, Amtrak, Class I railroads, municipalities, and regional stakeholders.
Drive capture planning, win strategies, proposals, interviews, client presentations, and contract negotiations.
Coordinate resources and workshare across offices to support large multidisciplinary transportation programs.
Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain structural engineers at all career levels.
Advance design standards, quality processes, technical tools, and innovative solutions.
Represent STV in client meetings, industry organizations, stakeholder engagements, and project site visits.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or Structural Engineering from an accredited program.
Active Professional Engineer (P.E.) license and active Illinois Structural Engineer (S.E.) license.
15+ years of progressive structural transportation engineering experience, including at least five years leading or supervising engineers and technical staff.
Demonstrated success leading highway, transit, and/or rail bridge projects from planning and design through construction.
Strong technical background in structural analysis and the design, rehabilitation, inspection, and load rating of steel and concrete bridges and related transportation structures.
Deep knowledge of AASHTO LRFD, IDOT and Illinois Tollway standards; working knowledge of AREMA standards for rail structures.
Project or task management experience encompassing scope, budget, schedule, staffing, quality, client coordination, invoicing, and financial performance.
Proven ability to lead, mentor, recruit, and develop structural engineering teams while coordinating effectively across disciplines and offices.
Experience supporting proposals, interviews, capture planning, client presentations, and other business development activities.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to engage clients, public stakeholders, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams.
Ability and willingness to travel to client meetings and project sites as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
Established relationships and successful project history with IDOT, Illinois Tollway, CDOT, CTA, Metra, Amtrak, Class I railroads, municipalities, or other Illinois transportation clients.
Illinois NBIS Bridge Inspection Team Leader qualification or comparable bridge inspection credentials.
Experience managing a group budget, utilization targets, backlog, resource forecasting, and recruiting plans.
Demonstrated success winning and expanding structural transportation work in the Illinois market.
Experience with MicroStation, OpenBridge Modeler or OpenBridge Designer, AutoCAD, Mathcad, Midas Civil, LARSA 4D, CSI Bridge, STAAD, or related structural design platforms.
Experience leading large, complex, multidisciplinary transportation programs or managing workshare across multiple offices.
Active involvement in professional organizations and visibility within the Chicago and Illinois transportation market.
Compensation Range:
$179,064.64 - $204,645.30
STV offers the following benefits • Health insurance, including an option with a Health Savings Account • Dental insurance • Vision insurance • Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care and Transit and Parking where applicable) • Disability insurance • Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment • 401(k) Plan • Retirement Counseling • Employee Assistance Program • Paid Time Off • Paid Holidays • Back-Up Dependent Care • Parental Leave • Continuing Education Program • Professional Licensure and Society Memberships
STV is committed to paying all of its employees in a fair, equitable, and transparent manner. The listed pay range is STV’s good-faith salary estimate for this position. Please note that the final salary offered for this position may be outside of this published range based on many factors, including but not limited to geography, education, experience, and/or certifications.
Not sure this role is the perfect match? We encourage you to apply if STV’s work and values resonate with you. We know great candidates don’t always meet every qualification, and research shows women and people of color are less likely to apply unless they do. At STV, we believe strong talent comes from a wide range of backgrounds, and your skills and experience may align with this or another opportunity as we continue to grow.