Transportation Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

BKF is a multi-service infrastructure consulting firm providing civil engineering and surveying services across California, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. With offices throughout California and the Portland area, BKF has served transportation, water resources, land development, government, and federal clients for over 110 years.

At BKF, you’ll find a unique opportunity to grow your career with intention. Our culture values professional autonomy, innovation, and meaningful collaboration across offices. We are proud to have received the Great Place to Work certification for the second year in a row.

We are seeking a Regional Lead of Transportation Design Services to join our team. The Regional Lead is responsible for leading and managing operations, client relationships, and team development across the Bay Area.

With a deep understanding of regional transportation markets, public agency needs, funding and regulatory environments, and capital delivery processes, the Regional Lead ensures excellence in project delivery, client service, talent development, and financial performance. This role requires extensive experience delivering transportation planning and design services for public agencies and fostering collaboration across disciplines and offices. The Regional Lead serves as a key connector between regional teams and firmwide transportation leadership.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of the firm’s Transportation strategic plan and translate practice-level priorities into actionable regional initiatives.
• Identify and pursue growth opportunities within the region, including new transportation clients, delivery methods, service offerings, and geographic expansion.
• Align regional efforts with statewide, regional, and federal transportation priorities and funding programs.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing regional transportation design team.
• Support succession planning, recruiting, and staff development in alignment with practice and firmwide goals.
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Foster interdisciplinary coordination across roadway, transit, active transportation, traffic, drainage, and environmental teams.

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for key regional transportation clients, including state DOTs, counties, cities, transit agencies, and regional transportation authorities.
• Represent the firm at transportation industry events, conferences, stakeholder meetings, and public agency forums.
• Collaborate with Business Development and Marketing to shape go-to-market strategies, pursuit positioning, and major proposal efforts.
• Play a leading role in identifying, developing, and securing new transportation projects and on-call contracts.
• Contribute to achieving overall Transportation Practice sales, bookings, and backlog goals.

• Provide leadership and oversight on transportation planning and design projects to ensure quality, schedule adherence, and client satisfaction.
• Support project teams in navigating complex technical, regulatory, and stakeholder challenges, including CEQA/NEPA coordination and agency design standards.
• Drive consistency in project delivery through best practices, standardized tools, and quality management processes.
• Serve as Project Manager on large, complex transportation projects or oversee a portfolio of transportation clients within the region.

• Support development of the regional transportation business plan and budget in coordination with the Transportation Practice Lead and firm leadership.
• Monitor regional backlog, revenue, utilization, and project profitability.
• Track performance metrics and implement corrective actions to meet or exceed established KPIs.
• Optimize staffing and resource allocation to ensure operational efficiency and successful project delivery.

Requirements

• Minimum of 8–10 years of experience delivering transportation planning and design services for public-sector clients, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary transportation teams and manage complex infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of regional transportation markets, agency delivery models, and regulatory frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in business development, client relationship management, and major pursuits.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Highly organized, analytical, and results oriented.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven consulting environment.
• Willingness to travel as needed to support regional offices, project sites, and client engagements.
• Ability to work collaboratively with firm leadership and key internal stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Construction or closely related field is required.
• PE license in California

Physical Demands: Must be able to regularly talk, hear and operate a computer, keyboard and mouse and occasionally lift, pull/push and carry up to 20 pounds with accommodations.

Work Conditions: Exposure to constant or intermittent sounds at a low or moderate level consistent with an office setting. Exposure to high-stress, fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. Travel to other BKF locations and client sites may be required.

Benefits

• The typical base salary range for this position is $195,000 - $240,000 annualized, depending upon skills, experience, education, and geographical location. This is a salary position paid biweekly.
• Competitive salaries, end of year bonuses, profit sharing, and 401k.
• Generous paid time off packages.
• 9 Paid Holidays.
• Education reimbursement, Paid annual dues for professional and societal organizations.
• BKF offers competitive and award-winning benefits and perks. To learn more click here.

BKF Engineers provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

BKF Engineers does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement and a specific solicitation for the position or other approved engagement request for the position with BKF Engineers, BKF Engineers reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited submittals are done at the risk of the recruiter.

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