At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.
Job Description:
At Parsons, we are shaping the future of transportation through innovative, data-driven solutions that improve safety, mobility, and connectivity for communities across North America. Our transportation professionals partner with public agencies to deliver complex transportation infrastructure projects involving traffic operations, traffic engineering, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), transportation technology, active transportation, transit, and emerging mobility solutions.
Parsons is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager – Traffic Engineering to support and expand our Traffic Engineering practice across Southern California. Reporting within our Traffic Engineering and Planning team, this role offers the opportunity to lead complex traffic engineering projects, manage multidisciplinary teams, cultivate key client relationships, and contribute to business growth while helping agencies solve today's transportation challenges.
As a senior project manager and seller-doer, you will lead traffic engineering and transportation operations projects from planning through implementation, manage project performance, support strategic pursuits, and serve as a trusted advisor to agencies including Caltrans, LA Metro, OCTA, RCTC, SCAG, SANDAG, local cities and counties, transit agencies, airports, ports, and private sector clients. You will collaborate closely with planners, roadway engineers, ITS specialists, data analysts, and engagement professionals while delivering innovative and practical mobility solutions.
The ideal location for this position is Pasadena, California, with hybrid work flexibility. Alternate California office locations include Irvine, Corona, and San Diego.
What Required Skills You'll Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Traffic Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in traffic engineering, transportation operations, or infrastructure consulting.
- Demonstrated experience managing traffic engineering projects involving traffic operations, traffic signal systems, corridor studies, safety analysis, ITS, traffic impact studies, or transportation technology.
- Experience working with Southern California transportation agencies and stakeholders, including Caltrans, regional agencies, local jurisdictions, and transportation partners.
- Proven success managing project scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client expectations.
- Experience supporting business development, proposal preparation, and interview presentations.
- Strong understanding of transportation operations, traffic analysis, signal timing, and multimodal mobility solutions.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and mentor junior staff.
- Strong client relationship and stakeholder engagement skills.
What Desired Skills You'll Bring
- Master's degree in Transportation Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in California or ability to obtain reciprocity.
- PTOE certification or other relevant professional credential.
- Experience with traffic operational analyses using Synchro, HCS, VISSIM, SIDRA, Aimsun, TransModeler, or similar tools.
- Knowledge of California transportation design standards, MUTCD, CA MUTCD, Highway Capacity Manual, and transportation operations practices.
- Experience developing traffic signal plans, transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) strategies, ITS concepts, and corridor management programs.
- Experience supporting federally and state-funded transportation projects.
- Experience coordinating traffic engineering efforts with roadway design, planning, environmental, and public outreach teams.
- Active involvement in professional organizations and industry leadership activities.
What You'll Be Doing
- Manage traffic engineering and transportation operations projects throughout Southern California from project initiation through successful delivery.
- Lead multidisciplinary teams supporting traffic impact studies, corridor operations analyses, signal timing programs, active transportation initiatives, safety studies, TSMO programs, and ITS projects.
- Serve as a primary client contact, maintaining strong relationships and supporting long-term client success.
- Manage project scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, and contract compliance.
- Support business development activities, including identifying opportunities, developing proposals, participating in interviews, and expanding existing client relationships.
- Oversee traffic operations analyses, traffic forecasting, microsimulation modeling, multimodal performance assessments, and operational improvement recommendations.
- Guide development of transportation operations strategies, signal timing programs, complete streets initiatives, safety improvements, and corridor management solutions.
- Coordinate closely with planning, roadway design, environmental, and transportation technology teams to deliver integrated solutions.
- Mentor and develop traffic engineering staff while advancing technical excellence, innovation, and quality.
- Represent Parsons at client meetings, industry conferences, professional organizations, technical committees, and public workshops.
This position offers an exceptional opportunity to lead impactful transportation projects, work with some of Southern California's most important transportation agencies, and help shape the future of mobility, transportation operations, and smart infrastructure while working within a globally recognized infrastructure consulting organization.
Security Clearance Requirement:
NoneThis position is part of our Critical Infrastructure team.For more than 80 years, our experts have designed and delivered the critical infrastructure that connects and protects communities around the world. We work in collaborative teams, both within the company and with our partners and customers, to plan, design, build, and modernize infrastructure. We take special pride in projects and solutions that improve communities as well as people’s quality of life by promoting economic growth, enhancing mobility, and increasing sustainability and resiliency. Powered by our people, we provide the imagination necessary to support our customers’ visions—and to help them see what's next!Salary Range: $134,100.00 - $241,400.00We 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 Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Traffic Engineering, or related discipline.
- 15+ years of progressively responsible experience in traffic engineering, transportation operations, or infrastructure consulting.
- Experience managing traffic engineering projects involving traffic operations, signal systems, corridor studies, safety analysis, ITS, traffic impact studies, or transportation technology.
- Experience working with Southern California transportation agencies and stakeholders (Caltrans, LA Metro, OCTA, RCTC, SCAG, SANDAG, local cities/counties, transit agencies, airports, ports).
- Proven success managing project scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client expectations.
- Experience supporting business development, proposal preparation, and interview presentations.
- Strong understanding of transportation operations, traffic analysis, signal timing, and multimodal mobility solutions.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and mentor junior staff.
- Strong client relationship and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Master's degree in Transportation Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related discipline.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license in California or ability to obtain reciprocity.
- PTOE certification or other relevant professional credential.
- Experience with Synchro, HCS, VISSIM, SIDRA, Aimsun, TransModeler, or similar tools for traffic operational analyses.
- Knowledge of California transportation design standards, MUTCD/CA MUTCD, and Highway Capacity Manual.
- Experience developing traffic signal plans, TSMO strategies, ITS concepts, and corridor management programs.
- Experience supporting federally and state-funded transportation projects.
- Experience coordinating traffic engineering with roadway design, planning, environmental, and public outreach teams.
- Active involvement in professional organizations and industry leadership activities.
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.
