Senior Project Manager, Practice Builder -… at Kimley-Horn · Chicago

Overview

Kimley-Horn is seeking an entrepreneurial Senior Project Manager, Practice Builder - Electrical MEP to lead and grow our Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) practice in the Chicagoland area. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives at the intersection of client service, business development, technical excellence, and team leadership. This position can be based out of our offices in either Chicago Downtown, Deerfield, or Warrenville, IL.

We use the term "Practice Builder" to describe our best client servers – the men and women who exhibit leadership by winning and doing work, managing projects profitably, and mentoring the next generation.

As a Practice Builder, you will:

• Craft a bold vision for growth.
• Lead business development efforts to win work from new and existing clients.
• Provide high-quality service in a profitable manner.
• Contribute to the professional development of staff.
• Benefit from comprehensive support in accounting, administrative, marketing, recruiting, IT, and production.
• Have the autonomy to build and grow your business with the full backing of a firm consistently recognized as one of the best in the industry.

This role offers the freedom to lead and grow your business, with the rewards of a performance-based environment (including base salary + bonuses), and the potential to advance to ownership.

Responsibilities

• Expand the Electrical offerings of our MEP team's services.
• Define and execute the vision for our MEP practice, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation.
• Apply an entrepreneurial spirit to create a vision for growth in the local MEP practice and beyond.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, positioning our firm as a trusted partner in the industry.
• Drive business development efforts, leveraging industry connections to secure new opportunities and expand market presence.
• Supervise and lead complex MEP design projects, providing technical expertise and strategic oversight.
• Ensuring quality and timeliness of deliverables.
• Responsible for the review and development of design documents and reports, including layouts, equipment schematics etc.
• Daily interaction and collaboration on multi-disciplinary teams, with interaction across Kimley-Horn offices.
• Prepare project specifications, construction cost estimates, and proposals, supporting the growth of MEP engineering service areas in the local market and across the country.
• Coordinate with architects, MEP engineers and other disciplines.
• Lead and mentor a high-performing team, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented work environment.
• Ensure project profitability, resource allocation, and seamless transitions of work to qualified staff.
• Uphold integrity and sound business principles, driving operational excellence and long-term success.
• Our Practice Builders manage their projects profitably, transition work to qualified staff, grow and mentor staff, and act as a positive leader and mentor.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have experience managing project teams and clients in an engineering consulting environment, specifically within Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) projects.

• 10+ years of relevant experience managing MEP projects.
• Bachelor's Degree in electrical engineering, civil engineering or a related field.
• Registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in the state for which you are applying.
• Extensive client contacts and relationships.
• Business development skills, proven ability to win work, and marketing experience including writing proposals, scopes of work, and budgeting for projected work.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects profitably.
• Strong desire and ability to be engaged with clients solving project problems.
• Ability to manage and mentor staff, and direct resources effectively in a positive manner.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and technical skills.
• Strong technical skills with a system modeling software (SKM Power Tools, ETAP, or Easy Power), and a lighting software (AGI32 or Visual).

Applicants must be legally authorized to work for Kimley-Horn in the U.S. without employer sponsorship. We do not typically sponsor H1-B or any other work visa petitions.

Salary Range:

Base Salary $120,000-$180,000 annually. Eligible for Performance Based Bonus Compensation.

Why Kimley-Horn?

At Kimley-Horn, we do things differently. People, clients, and employees are at the forefront of who we are. Clients know we prioritize achieving their goals and growing their success. Employees know our culture and approach to business are built on a desire to provide an environment for everyone to flourish. Our commitment to quality is only as good as the people behind it— that’s why we welcome and develop passionate, hardworking, and proactive employees. We take pride in how our employee retention, robust benefits package, and company values have led to Kimley-Horn’s placement on the Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work” list for 17 years!

Key Benefits at Kimley-Horn

• Exceptional Retirement Plan: 2-to1- company match on up to 4% of eligible compensation (salary + bonus) and additional profit-sharing contribution.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Low-cost medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
• Time Off: Personal leave, flexible scheduling, floating holidays, and half-day Fridays.
• Financial Wellness: Student loan matching in our 401(k), and performance-based bonuses.
• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement and extensive internal training programs.
• Family-Friendly Benefits: New Parent Leave, family building benefits, and childcare resources.