Principal Designer Jobs in Ohio

Job Posting End Date

06-25-2026
Please note the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date.

Job Summary

Manage one or more intermediate or complex projects, within a matrix team environment. Provide leadership, direction, training, coordination, and effective communication to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close projects in a safe, efficient, economical, risk-balanced approach to achieve short and long range goals and to obtain maximum customer satisfaction. Provide project transparency and develop relationships and effectively communicate with all stakeholders including internal customers, external customers, team members, suppliers, contractors, vendors, and industry peers, enabling them to make sound business decisions. Enable and promote team level continuous improvement activities that increase quality and optimize delivery of value.

Job Description

What you’ll do:

• Plan, organize, direct, coordinate and supervise assigned project activities becoming proficient in all aspects. Utilize various project management principles and techniques (Waterfall, Agile) and successfully implement these techniques in project management for the organization.
• Support and hold employees and contractors accountable for the AEP System Safety Process, ensuring a safe working environment focused on Zero Harm.
• Manage, develop, review and coordinate the project/outage plan, schedule, and budget becoming proficient in all aspects. Manage cost and timely reallocation of funding.
• Effectively communicate project details and status updates. Lead planning meetings and project updates including typical stakeholder presentations. Provide clear and concise written and oral reports and other communications.
• Develop and actively manage working relationships with the project team, plant and operating company staff, internal and external customers or partners, contractors, vendors, and suppliers. Foster teamwork and actively pursue customer satisfaction.
• Provide specific guidance, instruction, and training to improve design, systems, procedures, processes, schedules, and costs. Confidently challenge others at a level of informed understanding in all project work.
• Ensure maximum customer satisfaction and demonstrate effective and efficient performance of project work activities at an intermediate project level at a minimum.
• Mentor other project managers. Direct and supervise sub-team project managers as assigned.
• Develop and manage procurement plans for necessary outside resources. Manage contracts for outside services, including developing requests for proposals, evaluating competitive bids, selecting vendors, participating in contract negotiations, overseeing vendor performance/quality, ensuring work is performed in accordance with the contract, etc.
• Conduct and supervise closeout processes, including an analysis of the success of the project with respect to accomplishing the project objectives and realizing project benefits.
• Develop an understanding of the AEP project management organizational standards and assist in the management of projects to those standards.
• Manage programs as assigned.

What we’re looking for:

Project Manager SG7

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, Business, Project Management, Computer Science, or related field of study dependent upon business unit requirements with three (3) years qualified experience,
• Two-year associate’s degree in the same required disciplines with five (5) years of qualified experience,
• Or High School Diploma/GED with seven (7) years qualified experience (see below).

Additional Experience

• Three (3) years of qualified experience as a PROJECT MANAGER ASSOCIATE (Grade 6) as applicable is preferred,
• OR demonstrated competencies, knowledge, and skillset through achieved results in a shorter timeline.
• Qualified experience includes outage management activities, business/financial administration, major construction field experience, project estimating, project controls, project engineering, and/or comparable internal or external experience in a competitive production environment. Knowledge in construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, and quality control would be beneficial. Experience in utilities, commercial nuclear power, and/or IT systems is favorable.
• Experience in utilities, commercial nuclear power, and/or IT systems is favorable.
• PMP certification is preferred but not required.
• Valid state driver's license is required.
• Individuals in this position will be progressively assigned the PM lead role on a project for continued development depending on the level of project management knowledge, experience, and leadership competency including successful completion of certification.

Project Manager Senior SG8

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, Business, Project Management, Computer Science, or related field of study dependent upon business unit requirements with five (5) years qualified experience,
• Or two-year associate’s degree in the same required disciplines with seven (7) years of qualified experience,
• Or High School Diploma/GED with nine (9) years qualified experience (see below).

Additional Experience

• Two (2) years of experience as a PROJECT MANAGER (Grade 7) OR demonstrated competencies, knowledge and skillset through achieved results in a shorter timeline.
• Qualified experience includes work in project management, major construction field experience, project estimating, project controls, project engineering, and/or comparable internal or external experience in a competitive production environment. Experience must exhibit progressively increasing project management and business acumen and responsibility for most of the certifying body knowledge areas.
• Demonstrated preparedness for journey level PM knowledge capability in areas of construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, quality control, risk management, etc.
• Experience in utilities, commercial nuclear power, and/or IT systems is favorable.
• PMP certification is preferred but not required.
• Valid state driver's license is required.

Project Manager Principal SG9

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in construction management, Engineering, Business, Project Management, Computer Science, or related field of study dependent upon business unit requirements with seven (7) years qualified experience, two-year Associate’s degree in the same required disciplines with nine (9) years of qualified experience, or High School Diploma/GED with eleven (11) years qualified experience (see below).

Additional Experience

• Two (2) years of experience as a PROJECT MANAGER SENIOR (Grade 8) is preferred, OR demonstrated competencies, knowledge and skillset through achieved results in a shorter timeline.
• Qualified experience includes work in project management, major construction field experience, project estimating, project controls, project engineering, and/or comparable internal or external experience in a competitive production environment. Experience must include a demonstrated level of successful project management duties, business acumen, and prior responsibility for ALL of the certifying body knowledge areas.
• Demonstrated preparedness for specialist level PM knowledge capability in areas of construction safety, negotiations, scope development and control, cost estimating, construction contracting, project controls and reporting, quality control, risk management, etc.
• Experience in utilities, commercial nuclear power, and/or IT systems is favorable.
• PMP certification is preferred but not required.
• Valid state driver's license.

In addition:

• Provide effective leadership, team building and meeting management skills as outlined by the certifying body and the AEP leadership competencies and values. Develop a high level of confidence in the ability, and demonstrate the motivation and attitude, to lead a team and a project to successful conclusions.
• Lead with effective and compelling communication, including the use of effective listening, with all stakeholders including team members, sponsors, management and senior management.
• Apply economic analysis techniques and an acumen for the business and profession in project decision making and ensure alignment of project and company financial goals.
• Influence the engineering and design, Procurement, Contracting, Estimating, and Construction procedures and processes to optimize project execution. Ensure the project team utilizes the latest business unit guidelines and requirements. Identify opportunities for business process improvement within project scope.
• Apply working knowledge of the certifying body Project Management tools and techniques.
• Provide strategic thinking, planning, risk assessment and prioritization of project activities. Globally view the project from all angles such as safety, constructability, sequence, changing conditions, contingencies, contractual, predictability, level of priority, sense of direction and sense of productivity to quickly identify and to avoid or to mitigate project risks. Also, demonstrates sound decision-making practices.
• Provide organization of project activities, delegate project task assignments, confidently set team requirements and expectations to manage deliverables and hold team members accountable. Provide constructive feedback to team members.
• Effectively prioritize and manage conflict to provide solutions to issues that maximize synergies with an overriding goal to do the “right thing” for the company. Take timely independent action and know when to elevate an issue.
• Proficient in scope management, evolution of technical options, and project risk factors and mitigation methods.
• Proficient in contract development and management with acceptable allocation of risks within the terms of the contract.
• Act with integrity by demonstrating accountability for project assignments.
• Promote continuous improvement and maintain a strong questioning attitude. Ask intrusive questions and challenge assumptions. Seek input from Subject Matter Experts by asking questions for understanding and compare with one’s own knowledge base.
• Lead the evaluation and determination of the skill sets and capabilities of team members and then make recommendations to ensure project success.
• Safely and effectively perform light physical duties. Duties can involve construction site walkdown on unstable surfaces, climbing ladders, and awareness of hazardous site conditions.
• Perform work at various AEP locations in varying conditions. Work sites will include home, office, power plants (including nuclear), and construction sites for Distribution, Transmission, Generation, and Telecom infrastructure. Work performed at nuclear power sites may involve work in hazardous areas and possible radiation exposure within the limits prescribed by the NRC.
• Travel is typically 25% or less however greater travel may be required in support of specific assignments.
• Understand and support the policies, values, principles, structure and behavior of AEP.

Where you’ll work:

This role sits on site in New Albany, Ohio.

What you’ll get:

Project Manager SG7 ($87,633-$109,544)

Project Manager Senior SG8 ($98,993-$128,689)

Project Manager Principal SG9 ($116,255-$151,132)

In addition to competitive compensation, AEP offers a unique comprehensive benefits package that aims to support and enhance the overall well-being of our employees.

Where Putting the Customer First Powers Everything We Do

At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company — we’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you.

American Electric Power (On-Site)

$87K- $128K / Year

#LI-Onsite

#AEPCareers

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Compensation Data

Compensation Grade: SP20-008
Compensation Range: $87,633.00 - $151,132.50

The Physical Demand Level for this job is: L – Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or 10 to 12 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 5-6 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for sedentary work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated Light Work: (1) When it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting most of the time, but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or (3) when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible. NOTE: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.

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It is hereby reaffirmed that it is the policy of American Electric Power (AEP) to provide Equal Employment Opportunity in all respects of the employer-employee relationship including recruiting, hiring, upgrading and promotion, conditions and privileges of employment, company sponsored training programs, educational assistance, social and recreational programs, compensation, benefits, transfers, discipline, layoffs and termination of employment to all employees and applicants without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, veteran or military status, disability, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. When required by law, we might record certain information or applicants for employment may be invited to voluntarily disclose protected characteristics.