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Senior Engineering Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Senior Manager, Engineering

Oak Brook, IL · On-site +1

$132K - $198K/yr

Senior Manager, Engineering About Us: TreeHouse Foods is a leading manufacturer of private label packaged foods and beverages, operating a network of over 20 production facilities and several ...

This is a hands-on Engineering Manager role for an experienced technical lead who wants to step ... You will serve as both the senior technical authority and the people leader: contributing code ...

Role Overview We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Senior Manager, Data Engineering to lead the strategy, architecture, and execution of Clarus' modern data platform. This role will be ...

Showing results 21-40

Senior Engineering Manager information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$65.4K

$140.3K

$204K

How much do senior engineering manager jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior engineering manager in Chicago, IL is $140,250.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $116,900.00 and $167,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior engineering manager?

A Senior Engineering Manager is a seasoned leader responsible for overseeing multiple engineering teams or large projects within an organization. They manage engineering managers or team leads, set technical direction, and ensure alignment with business goals. Their duties include mentoring staff, driving process improvements, managing budgets, and collaborating with other departments. Senior Engineering Managers play a key role in hiring, performance evaluations, and fostering a productive engineering culture. They typically have extensive industry experience and strong leadership skills.

What is a senior engineering manager?

Senior engineering managers oversee the project team to ensure each phase is completed accurately, on time, and within budget. They coordinate with the company’s marketing and sales departments to determine what products or services are offered to clients and then develop those offerings to specifications. As a senior engineering manager, you may also need to troubleshoot equipment or software. To become a senior engineering manager, you need a certificate or degree in computer science or a related field, several years of working in software development, and management experience.

How does a senior engineering manager typically balance technical leadership with people management responsibilities?

A Senior Engineering Manager often splits their time between guiding technical strategy and supporting their team’s professional development. This involves overseeing complex engineering projects, setting clear technical direction, and ensuring best practices are followed, while also mentoring engineers, conducting performance reviews, and fostering a collaborative team culture. Balancing these areas requires strong delegation, prioritization, and communication skills, as well as regularly collaborating with other departments like Product and Design to align goals. Most organizations expect Senior Engineering Managers to actively contribute to both technical and people-focused initiatives, which can be challenging but is essential for team and project success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior engineering manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Engineering Manager, you need a robust background in engineering principles, leadership experience, and a relevant degree, often complemented by prior management roles. Familiarity with project management tools (such as Jira or Asana), software development methodologies (like Agile), and technical certifications can be highly beneficial. Exceptional communication, conflict resolution, and mentoring skills set top performers apart in this role. These skills are vital for effectively guiding teams, delivering projects on time, and fostering an innovative and collaborative engineering environment.

What is the difference between Senior Engineering Manager vs Engineering Director?

AspectSenior Engineering ManagerEngineering Director
ResponsibilitiesOversees multiple engineering teams, manages project delivery, and mentors managersSets strategic direction, manages multiple departments, and aligns engineering goals with company objectives
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering or related field, 8+ years experience, leadership skillsSimilar credentials, often with 10+ years experience, strategic planning skills
Work EnvironmentHands-on team management within engineering teamsHigh-level strategic planning, cross-department coordination
Industry UsageCommon in tech companies, startups, and large enterprisesTypically found in larger organizations with complex structures

While both roles require strong technical backgrounds and leadership skills, Senior Engineering Managers focus more on team management and project execution, whereas Engineering Directors are responsible for strategic planning and organizational alignment across multiple teams.

What are popular job titles related to Senior Engineering Manager jobs in Chicago, IL?

For Senior Engineering Manager jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Engineering Manager jobs in Chicago, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Engineering Manager jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Senior Engineering Manager jobs?

Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Senior Engineering Manager job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Engineering Manager job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $140,250 per year, or $67.4 per hour.

Senior Engineering Traffic Manager

GAI Consultants Inc.

Lisle, IL • On-site

$150K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


GAI Consultants rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

8th of 452 rated engineering


Job description

Description

GAI Consultants is seeking a Senior Engineering Manager with 15+ years of experience in managing traffic and engineering projects. Join GAI and make your mark among a team of engineering, planning, and environmental consultants who provide innovative solutions to energy, transportation, development, government, and industrial clients worldwide. GAI is the right place for talented and motivated individuals who seek to distinguish themselves in a company poised for unlimited growth. This position will be on-site or hybrid at any of our Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, or West Virginia Offices and will be eligible for a sign-on bonus.

Qualifications:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience working with State Agencies is required; additional state and local government experience, as well as Design-Build expertise, is preferred.
  • The successful candidate will be responsible for the oversight of engineers in the development of plans, financial monitoring, and acting as GAI's client representative.
  • PE Registration is required with ability to attain PE in additional surrounding states.

General Characteristics

  • Uses creativity, foresight, and mature judgment to anticipate and solve new problems.
  • Practice activities and culture.
  • Sets priorities and reconciles directions from competing interests.
  • Leads projects with complex features with work performed directly, or by others.
  • Integrates engineering economics and risk analysis into the solutions of complex engineering problems.
  • Integrates solutions to complex problems across specialty areas.
  • Demonstrates leadership.

Minimum Years of Experience

  • 15+ Years

Education

  • B.S. or M.S. Engineering, Master's Degree or Equivalent Experience Preferred

Certification/Licensure

  • Professional Engineer (P.E.) License, reciprocity in multiple states.

Technical Responsibilities

  • Frequently develops standards and guidelines.
  • Leads a project in the practice in their area of specialization.
  • Frequently develops appropriate design alternatives for complex engineering projects that consider realistic requirements, constraints, community input, permitting, and other regulatory constraints.
  • Integrates advanced concepts, including sustainability, to solve complex problems.

Project and Task Management

  • Frequently oversees technical, legal, and financial issues of an entire project.
  • Recommends facilities, personnel, and funds required to carry out projects.
  • Integrates these components into a complete project management plan for a complex engineering project.
  • Implements effective teamwork and leadership principles into solutions for engineering problems.
  • Determines project objectives and requirements.
  • May serve as the Project Manager for certain projects with prior approval from GAI's President up to $150,000 per year.

Management Responsibility

  • Supervises a major practice segment or several teams.
  • Receives administrative supervision with assignments given in terms of broad general objectives and limits.
  • Implements staff development plans within their practice segment, including technical, management, and leadership skills.
  • Evaluates the effectiveness of leaders and teams.

Communication Skills

  • Possesses exceptional oral and written communication skills, including negotiation of critical issues.
  • Integrates different forms of effective and persuasive communication to technical and nontechnical audiences.
  • Demonstrates financial acumen and familiarity with legal issues related to engineering practice.
  • Initiates and maintains extensive contacts with key engineers and officials.

Why GAI?

GAI offers an exceptional place to do meaningful work, grow your career, and make a real impact in communities nationwide. You'll join a collaborative, multidisciplinary firm bringing together engineering, planning, and environmental expertise to deliver projects across transportation, infrastructure, power, and energy markets. Working alongside accomplished colleagues, you'll help move projects from vision through construction, creating solutions that keep people moving, power essential systems, and support responsible development.

At GAI, you'll work in a team-driven environment grounded in integrity, respect, and shared success, with the flexibility, resources, and career support that reflect a real and lasting commitment to our people. That commitment includes comprehensive benefits, wellness programs, and employee discounts. With opportunities across the U.S., GAI offers the collaboration and client focus of regional teams, supported by the stability, resources, and career-development opportunities of an established and growing firm.

Benefits To Working at GAI Include:

Competitive Pay & Recognition

  • Market based, competitive compensation
  • Performance driven recognition and development bonuses

Comprehensive Health & Wellness

  • Medical, dental, and vision plans
  • Company-paid short-term and long-term disability
  • Company-paid life insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources

Meaningful Work-Life Balance

  • Generous paid time off + 7 paid holidays
  • An additional floating holiday-use it for what matters to you
  • Paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave

Growth, Learning & Financial Security

  • 401(k) with company match
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Support and rewards for professional development and certifications

#GAI

    Qualifications

    Education
    Bachelors of Engineering (required)

    Experience
    15 years: Related Experience (required)

    Licenses & Certifications
    Driver's License (required)
    Professional Engineer (required)

    Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
    This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.


    What GAI Consultants employees say

    Pay

    Benefits

    Hours and flexibility

    Workplace

    Get the full story on Breakroom


    GAI Consultants logo

    About GAI Consultants

    Sourced by ZipRecruiter

    GAI Consultants is an employee-owned corporation offering comprehensive engineering, planning, and environmental consulting services to diverse industry sectors, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The company operates in the field of engineering consulting and provides sustainable and economically-viable solutions to clients ranging from bridge design, community planning, to industrial facilities, ecological studies, and more. GAI Consultants was founded in 1958 and, over more than six decades, has grown significantly with a strong commitment to advancing clients' projects and contributing to community development. The firm operates on the core values of integrity, client satisfaction, quality, and workforce development, all of which raises the bar on client service and project excellence, ultimately contributing to the company’s mission, which is 'to create and deliver superior, innovative consulting solutions that enrich the lives of our people and enhance the world we live in.'

    Industry

    Civil engineering construction

    Company size

    501 - 1,000 Employees

    Headquarters location

    Pittsburgh, PA, US

    Year founded

    1958

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