Design Manager Jobs in Jacksonville, FL

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Wharton-Smith, Inc. is seeking an experienced Design Manager or Project Manager to support municipal water and wastewater projects from early pursuit through GMP development. Based in the Jacksonville, Florida area, this hybrid role supports projects ranging from $4M to $500M and is well suited for an experienced Water/Wastewater Project Manager transitioning from daily project execution into a strategic preconstruction and collaborative delivery role.
The Design Manager leads planning, coordination, budgeting, risk analysis, and stakeholder engagement during the pursuit and preconstruction phases. This role focuses on early project strategy, design collaboration, constructability reviews, cost development, and owner engagement, working closely with estimating and operations teams to support successful project delivery.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Support proposal development, RFQs, and RFP responses.
• Participate in client interviews and presentations.
• Establish and maintain strong municipal owner and engineer relationships.
• Lead coordination between engineering and estimating teams during design phase.
• Review drawings, geotechnical reports, and specifications for constructability.
• Identify and mitigate project risks early in the design process.
• Provide structured and meaningful constructability comments.
• Solicit and coordinate subcontractor and supplier participation.
• Develop and coordinate GMP budgets and bid packages.
• Maintain preconstruction schedules in P6 and align with operations for construction planning.
• Lead milestone and stakeholder coordination meetings.
• Track preconstruction financials, including internal and external costs.
• Provide innovation and value engineering solutions to maintain budget and objectives.
• Ensure understanding and compliance with municipal funding requirements.
• Partner with operations to ensure a seamless transition into construction.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Formal Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, Engineering, or a related field required.
• Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Continued professional development in estimating, collaborative delivery methods, and project controls is encouraged.

Work Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in municipal Water/Wastewater construction or design.
• Prior experience as a Project Manager on municipal Water/Wastewater projects.
• Experience developing or supporting GMP pricing.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with owners, engineers, and operations teams.

Job-Related Knowledge:

• Strong understanding of municipal Water/Wastewater construction practices.
• Experience with CMAR, Progressive Design-Build, or other collaborative delivery models.
• Ability to identify scope gaps and cost exposures.
• Proficiency with scheduling software (P6 preferred) and cost management systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Position Type/ Expected

• Full-time, exempt position. Valid Driver License required.

Hours of Work:

• Standard work schedule is Monday through Friday (hybrid/remote schedules available), with flexibility required to meet project deadlines and client needs.
• Up to 25% travel is required, including travel outside the geographic region for client meetings, engineer coordination, job site visits, and travel to corporate or regional offices.
• Extended or evening hours may be required periodically based on workload, proposal deadlines, or project milestones.

OTHER DUTIES
The above statements are intended to describe general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties required of those in this position.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disability
Wharton-Smith provides equal opportunity to qualified disabled veterans, Pre-JVA special disabled veterans and individuals with disabilities to online application systems by making reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access for submitting to job openings. (i.e., wheelchair accessibility, website accessibility, etc).
RECRUITER POLICY
Our recruiting process is centralized and managed exclusively by the HR Department. We do not pay agency fees for unsolicited resumes. An unsolicited resume is defined as any resume submitted by a recruiter who has not been pre-approved by HR, has not signed our recruiting agreement, and has not been engaged by HR to fill a specific position.