Director of Transportation, Civil Engineering

Description
JOB DESCRIPTION
Michael Baker International, a nationally recognized leader in transportation services and ranked in the Top 20 by Engineering News-Record, is seeking a dynamic and visionary Director of Transportation to lead and grow our practice across Southern California. This highly visible executive role is based in Santa Ana and offers a unique opportunity to influence the development of critical infrastructure in one of the most vibrant and complex transportation markets in the country.

As the Director of Transportation, you will oversee and integrate our Highways, Municipal, Traffic/ITS, and Transportation Planning disciplines. You will be responsible for driving strategic growth, leading high-impact projects, and fostering strong relationships with key clients and stakeholders across Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, and Kern Counties.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Define and execute a growth strategy for transportation services in collaboration with regional leadership.
• Client Engagement: Cultivate and expand relationships with regional transportation agencies (e.g., OCTA, TCA, LA Metro, SBCTA, RCTC, VCTC) and local municipalities.
• Business Development: Lead pursuits for major transportation projects, including design-build and public-private partnerships. Oversee proposal development, interviews, fee negotiations, and project delivery strategies.
• Project Oversight: Provide executive-level oversight on complex transportation projects, ensuring quality, budget, and schedule adherence.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner with other practice areas (e.g., Environmental, Planning, Structures, Water Resources, GIS, Surveying) to deliver integrated solutions and expand service offerings.
• Team Building & Mentorship: Recruit top talent, mentor staff, and foster a collaborative, high-performance culture. Support career development and staff engagement.
• Industry Leadership: Represent Michael Baker in professional organizations such as WTS, APWA, ASCE, and ACEC. Pursue leadership roles to enhance visibility and influence.
• Innovation & Vision: Champion innovation in transportation planning and design, including smart mobility, ITS, and sustainable infrastructure.
• Internal Collaboration: Work closely with the Southern California Transportation Leadership Team to align staff assignments, mentorship, and quality of deliverables.
• Community & Political Engagement: Cultivate strategic connections with elected officials, industry leaders, and partner firms to support business development.

Professional Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or related field (Master's preferred).
• California Professional Engineer (PE) license required.
• 20+ years of progressive experience in transportation/public works, including design-build and design-bid-build delivery.
• Proven success managing large-scale transportation projects and teams.
• Deep knowledge of California transportation agencies, policies, and funding mechanisms.
• Strong leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for growth and innovation.

Compensation
The approximate compensation range for this position is $155,521-$269,422 per year. This compensation range is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation is dependent upon factors such as education, qualifications, experience, skillset, and physical work location.

Benefits
We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Life, AD&D, short-term, and long-term disability
• Professional and personal development
• Generous paid time off
• Commuter and wellness benefits

About Us
Michael Baker International, a leading provider of engineering and consulting services, including design, planning, architectural, environmental, construction and program management, has been solving some of the world's most complex infrastructure challenges for more than 85 years with a legacy of expertise, experience, innovation and integrity.

Based in Pittsburgh and with nearly 100 offices nationwide, we partner with clients on everything from roads, bridges, tunnels, mass transit, and airports, to water treatment plants, arctic oil pipelines, environmental restoration and specialized overseas construction. We serve as a trusted adviser to the communities we serve, making them safer, more accessible, more sustainable and more prosperous.

We provide visionary leadership in facilitating transformational change for our clients. Our work delivers differentiating innovations and dedicated experts who challenge the status quo and share a world of diverse experience and an impassioned entrepreneurial spirit. We deliver quality of life.

We Make a Difference.

Michael Baker International is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Michael Baker International provides equal employment opportunity for all persons, in all facets of employment. Michael Baker International maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply for any open position for which they feel they are qualified and all will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, familial status, pregnancy or childbirth, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, status with regard to public assistance, or membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or any other legally protected status.

EEO is the Law. Applicants to and employees of Michael Baker International are protected under Federal law from discrimination.

• It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
• There is no current application deadline. Michael Baker will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis until the position is filled or no longer needed.

About The Team
HIGHWAY/TRANSPORTATION PRACTICE

A safe and efficient transportation system is critical to providing access and connections for people and goods to spur economic growth and improve quality of life for users. The highway and roadway system is a crucial part of that transportation system and is at the heart of services Michael Baker provides to our clients and partners. We work with entities to enhance and maintain roadways across the country to serve all modes of transportation. For nearly 80 years, we have helped to shape America's highway network. We provide comprehensive highway planning, design and construction services from conceptual and preliminary engineering studies through final design, construction management, inspection and closeout.