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Job Description:
The Federal Design Manager leads the design execution process from project startup through final design, construction support, commissioning, and closeout, as applicable. The role integrates contract requirements, federal criteria, client direction, design-basis information, discipline work, specialty studies, vendor and subconsultant inputs, quality records, schedule commitments, and change-control evidence into a coordinated delivery approach.
The Design Manager operates as part of a project design-leadership triad with the Project Manager and the Project Engineer / Senior Project Engineer. The Design Manager owns design integration, readiness discipline, action visibility, and evidence-based closure. The Project Manager retains authority for contract performance, cost, schedule, client commitments, commercial position, and formal changes. The Project Engineer / Senior Project Engineer validates material technical direction, design basis, quality expectations, and engineering-execution risk. Discipline Leads and Engineers of Record retain responsibility for discipline technical content and professional judgment.
A successful candidate will be able to explain, at any point in execution, what design actions and decisions are open; who owns them; when they are due; what deliverables or milestones are affected; what evidence supports closure; and what unresolved conditions may affect scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, security, constructability, commissioning, client acceptance, or contractual entitlement.
- The Federal Design Manager leads the design execution process from project startup through final design, construction support, commissioning, and closeout, as applicable. The role integrates contract requirements, federal criteria, client direction, design-basis information, discipline work, specialty studies, vendor and subconsultant inputs, quality records, schedule commitments, and change-control evidence into a coordinated delivery approach.
- The Design Manager operates as part of a project design-leadership triad with the Project Manager and the Project Engineer / Senior Project Engineer. The Design Manager owns design integration, readiness discipline, action visibility, and evidence-based closure. The Project Manager retains authority for contract performance, cost, schedule, client commitments, commercial position, and formal changes. The Project Engineer / Senior Project Engineer validates material technical direction, design basis, quality expectations, and engineering-execution risk. Discipline Leads and Engineers of Record retain responsibility for discipline technical content and professional judgment.
- A successful candidate will be able to explain, at any point in execution, what design actions and decisions are open; who owns them; when they are due; what deliverables or milestones are affected; what evidence supports closure; and what unresolved conditions may affect scope, cost, schedule, quality, safety, security, constructability, commissioning, client acceptance, or contractual entitlement.
Position Requirements
- •Education. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in engineering, architecture, construction management, or a closely related technical discipline.
- Professional experience. Fifteen or more years of progressive design, engineering, architecture, or project-delivery experience, including substantial responsibility for multidisciplinary design coordination and formal deliverables.
- Design-management leadership. Demonstrated experience leading or serving in a senior design-management role on complex, high-profile, regulated, mission-critical, infrastructure, facility, or federal projects.
- Project lifecycle experience. Experience supporting projects from startup and design planning through intermediate and final design, issue for construction, construction support, commissioning, and closeout.
- Requirements and design basis. Working knowledge of contract requirements, codes and criteria, requirements traceability, basis-of-design control, assumptions, technical decisions, and change screening.
- Quality and readiness. Experience planning and coordinating design reviews, interdisciplinary checks, QA/QC interfaces, comment disposition, package-readiness reviews, and documented exceptions
- Professional registration. Active Professional Engineer or Registered Architect license; registration may be required for specific assignments.
- Project-management credentials. PMP, DBIA, CCM, or other relevant project, design-build, construction, quality, or safety credential.
- Federal delivery experience. Experience with U.S. federal agencies, defense or civilian programs, secure facilities, complex infrastructure, or mission-critical environments.
- Alternative delivery. Experience with design-build, engineer-procure-construct, integrated delivery, progressive design-build, or other delivery methods requiring close design-construction integration.
- Technical breadth. Strong understanding of multidisciplinary building, site, utility, infrastructure, systems, digital-delivery, constructability, procurement, and commissioning interfaces.
- • Commercial awareness. Experience supporting design budgets, labor forecasts, change documentation, scope clarification, entitlement protection, and recovery planning.
- External contributor management. Experience integrating subconsultants, specialty consultants, vendors, utilities, reviewers, authorities having jurisdiction, and construction teams.
- Team development. Demonstrated success coaching, mentoring, and developing design managers, discipline leads, and emerging project leaders in a matrixed organization.
Security Clearance Requirement:
An active Secret security clearance is required for this position.This position is part of our Federal Solutions team.The Federal Solutions segment delivers resources to our US government customers that ensure the success of missions around the globe. Our intelligent employees drive the state of the art as they provide services and solutions in the areas of defense, security, intelligence, infrastructure, and environmental. We promote a culture of excellence and close-knit teams that take pride in delivering, protecting, and sustaining our nation's most critical assets, from Earth to cyberspace. Throughout the company, our people are anticipating what’s next to deliver the solutions our customers need now.Salary Range: $125,100.00 - $225,200.00We value our employees and want our employees to take care of their overall wellbeing, which is why we offer best-in-class benefits such as medical, dental, vision, paid time off, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), 401(k), life insurance, flexible work schedules, and holidays to fit your busy lifestyle!This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will continue to be posted for an average of 30 days until a qualified applicant is selected or the position has been cancelled.Parsons is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other protected status.We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars! Imagine next and join the Parsons quest—APPLY TODAY!Parsons is aware of fraudulent recruitment practices. To learn more about recruitment fraud and how to report it, please refer to https://www.parsons.com/fraudulent-recruitment/.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, or closely related technical discipline
- Fifteen or more years of progressive design, engineering, architecture, or project-delivery experience
- Demonstrated experience leading or serving in senior design-management role on complex, regulated, mission-critical or federal projects
- Experience supporting projects from startup through final design, issue for construction, construction support, commissioning, and closeout
- Working knowledge of contract requirements, codes and criteria, requirements traceability, and basis-of-design control
- Experience planning and coordinating design reviews, interdisciplinary checks, QA/QC interfaces, comment disposition, and package-readiness reviews
- Active Secret security clearance
- Active Professional Engineer or Registered Architect license
- Project-management credentials (PMP, DBIA, CCM, or similar)
- Experience with U.S. federal agencies, defense or civilian programs, secure facilities, or mission-critical environments
- Experience with alternative delivery methods (design-build, EPC, integrated delivery)
- Strong multidisciplinary technical breadth across building, site, utility, infrastructure, systems, constructability, procurement, and commissioning interfaces
- Experience supporting design budgets, labor forecasts, change documentation, scope clarification, and recovery planning
- Experience integrating subconsultants, specialty consultants, vendors, utilities, reviewers, and construction teams
- Demonstrated success coaching, mentoring, and developing design managers and discipline leads in a matrixed organization
Parsons Corporation Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Parsons Corporation and has not been reviewed or approved by Parsons Corporation.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are framed as a major value driver, with an ESOP alongside a 401(k) match and additional stock-purchase options contributing meaningfully to total rewards. This structure is positioned as especially attractive for employees who value long-term wealth-building over immediate cash.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as broad and choice-rich, with multiple plan types (PPO, HDHP, and some HMO networks) plus dental, vision, EAP, and wellness resources. The availability of different plan designs and national-carrier coverage supports varied employee needs.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off offerings are portrayed as competitive, including PTO, holidays, flexible schedules such as a 9/80 option for eligible roles, and floating holidays in the U.S. Paid parental leave of 160 hours is also highlighted as a meaningful component of the overall package.
Parsons Corporation Insights
What We Do
Parsons is a digitally enabled solutions provider with a focus on making the world safer, smarter, healthier, more sustainable, and more connected. Founded in 1944, Parsons primarily serves the defense, security, and infrastructure markets. Uniquely qualified to deliver cyber/converged security, technology-based intellectual property, and other innovative services, the corporation delivers state-of-the-art solutions to federal, regional, and local government agencies as well as to private industrial customers worldwide. Parsons has a reputation for inclusion and diversity and has been named to the Ethisphere Institute’s list of World’s Most Ethical Companies for 10 consecutive years. Parsons facilitates a culture of innovation by encouraging collaboration among its employees and providing opportunities for career growth. With offices around the globe, people of varied talents and backgrounds, and a wide range of exciting projects, the possibilities at Parsons are endless. For more about Parsons, visit www.parsons.com. Mission: Delivering innovative infrastructure, defense, and security solutions to enable a more sustainable, safer, smarter, and more connected world.
