TD Thornton
TD Thornton is a premier consulting firm specializing in project management and project controls solutions. We provide strong onboarding and ongoing support to help our people succeed. We welcome applicants from engineering, construction management, project management, business analytics, scheduling, and anyone who thrives in a collaborative environment.
Job OverviewTitle: Project Manager
Sector: Transmission & Substation
Seniority: Mid-Senior
Location: Sacramento, CA
Job Type: Hybrid
As a Project Manager, you will lead the planning, engineering, construction, and commissioning of high-voltage transmission and substation capital projects across California. Working as an owner's representative, you will oversee projects from initial scope development through energization and closeout, ensuring they are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with utility standards.
This role requires experience managing electric utility infrastructure projects, coordinating engineering and construction teams, and driving project execution across multiple stakeholders. You'll play a key role in delivering critical transmission and substation improvements that enhance grid reliability and support long-term infrastructure investment.
Your Day-to-Day Activities- Lead the execution of transmission line, substation, switchyard, and high-voltage utility infrastructure projects ranging from approximately $500K-$25M.
- Manage projects through the full lifecycle, including planning, engineering, permitting, procurement, construction, commissioning, energization, and project closeout.
- Develop and maintain integrated project schedules, identifying critical path activities, dependencies, and project milestones.
- Manage project budgets, forecasts, cash flow, and cost performance while identifying risks and implementing corrective actions.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams including engineering, environmental, real estate, construction management, project controls, and field operations.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for internal stakeholders, contractors, consultants, and utility partners.
- Lead project meetings and communicate schedule, budget, risk, and status updates to senior leadership.
- Review engineering deliverables, construction progress, change orders, contracts, and contractor performance.
- Support permitting activities, environmental compliance, land rights, and agency coordination as needed.
- Identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies to maintain safe, reliable project execution.
- Mentor junior project managers and support continuous improvement initiatives across the project organization.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or a related field.
- 5+ years of project management experience supporting electric utility transmission and/or substation capital projects.
- Experience managing projects involving high-voltage substations, transmission lines, switchyards, or other T&D infrastructure.
- Strong understanding of utility project lifecycle management, including engineering, construction, commissioning, and energization.
- Experience developing and managing detailed project schedules.
- Working knowledge of project budgeting, forecasting, cost controls, and integrated schedule management.
- Experience managing contractors, engineering consultants, and multiple project stakeholders.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to provide updates to senior leadership.
- Proven experience managing projects from initiation through closeout.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
- Experience working as an Owner's Representative on utility capital projects.
- Proficiency with Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, SAP, or similar project controls tools.
- Familiarity with transmission planning, relay protection, substation equipment, commissioning, and energization activities.
- Strong leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
- $130,000-$165,000 annual salary
- Paid holiday, sick, and vacation time
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
- 401(k) with Company Match
- Annual Bonus
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Paid Parental Leave
- Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or related field
- 5+ years project management experience supporting electric utility transmission and/or substation capital projects
- Experience managing projects involving high-voltage substations, transmission lines, switchyards, or other T&D infrastructure
- Proven experience managing projects from initiation through closeout, including commissioning and energization
- Experience managing projects in the $500K-$25M range
- Experience developing and maintaining integrated project schedules and identifying critical path activities
- Working knowledge of project budgeting, forecasting, cost controls, and integrated schedule management
- Experience managing contractors, engineering consultants, and multiple project stakeholders
- Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams (engineering, environmental, real estate, construction management, project controls, field operations)
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with ability to provide updates to senior leadership
What We Do
Founded in 2005, TD Thornton is a specialized consulting firm that helps our clients bridge any organizational gaps that might be holding them back. We offer a wide spectrum of project management services—from project controls, scheduling and estimating, to program management and software implementation—all designed to overcome business obstacles, enable better strategic decisions, and create smooth, efficient processes. When we team up with a client to move their project forward, we bring a passion for success and a deep bench of professionals who know how to move the needle. We are looking for enthusiastic, high-energy people with a passion for problem solving, teamwork and having fun. We believe in a company culture that fosters creativity, fearlessness, adventurous learning, personal growth and balance. Our employees enjoy the opportunity to work for Fortune 500 clients and alongside many of the top consulting firms in the world. TD Thornton provides a fast-paced, start-up environment where ingenuity, excellence and leadership are encouraged and rewarded
