Senior Project Manager - Marine Structures

Overview

Join us as we Rise to the Challenge

At KCI, we’re building an enduring community that provides unparalleled value to our employee-owners. We make our mark designing and delivering our world-class solutions, so we invest deeply in supporting and developing our team. We reward integrity and commitment, and when we do well, you do well. Our employee’s have the freedom to innovate, unlimited growth, a voice that matters, a lifestyle that works, and skin in the game. Achievements are shared and celebrated. As a team, we are motivated to better ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

THE COMPANY

KCI Technologies, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned engineering, consulting and construction firm serving clients throughout the United States. KCI is recognized as an industry leader, employing cutting-edge technologies, management practices and strategic growth initiatives. Employee ownership fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, encourages technical expertise, and shapes strategic planning.

KCI is currently ranked #53 on Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 500 design firms in the nation.

KCI BENEFITS INFORMATION

We offer a competitive compensation package, family friendly benefits, a collaborative working environment, and the training, mentoring and resources you need to advance in your career.

We understand that you have choices, and we know that together we will make a great team!

KCI is committed to building a diverse and inclusive staff, and we encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities to apply.

KCI Technologies, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Duties, Responsibilities & Other

The Senior Project Manager represents the highest level in KCI's Project Management career path. This role provides strategic leadership and technical oversight for complex condition assessment, failure investigation, and rehabilitation programs across piers, wharves, bulkheads, seawalls, breakwaters, dolphins, mooring systems, and other coastal and waterfront structures.

This position plays a critical role in expanding KCI's marine inspection practice, strengthening client relationships across public and private maritime markets, and guiding teams to deliver defensible, technically rigorous assessments that owners can act on. The Senior Project Manager ensures seamless coordination among inspection teams, dive crews, engineers, laboratories, contractors, and stakeholders while managing the safety and logistical demands of overwater and underwater work.

Project Management Leadership and Execution

• Lead and manage marine inspection and forensic engineering projects, including above-water and underwater condition assessments, routine and special inspections, damage investigations, load ratings, and remaining service life evaluations.
• Direct multidisciplinary teams consisting of engineer-divers, marine structural engineers, geotechnical and coastal engineers, NDT technicians, surveyors, and materials specialists.
• Develop and communicate comprehensive inspection work plans, defining scope, level of effort, access methods, documentation standards, dive safety requirements, and reporting deliverables.
• Manage project scope and change control, particularly when field findings expand the investigation beyond the original scope.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, proactively identifying risks related to tides, currents, water clarity, weather windows, vessel traffic, and facility operations.
• Oversee project budgets and cash flow, with attention to inspection-specific cost drivers such as dive spreads, vessel and barge support, specialty testing, and laboratory work.
• Serve as the primary client liaison for port authorities, municipalities, state DOTs, USACE, NAVFAC, USCG, private terminal operators, and facility owners.
• Apply deep knowledge of marine deterioration mechanisms — corrosion and section loss, marine borer attack, timber decay, concrete spalling and delamination, chloride intrusion, fatigue, scour and undermining, vessel impact, and overload — to interpret findings and advise clients.

Forensic Investigation and Failure Analysis

• Lead forensic investigations of marine structural failures, distress, and damage events, including vessel allisions, storm and surge damage, collapse, and progressive deterioration.
• Establish root cause through field observation, materials testing, structural analysis, review of design and construction records, and reconstruction of loading conditions.
• Prepare clear, defensible forensic reports suitable for owners, insurers, and legal proceedings.
• Provide expert witness and litigation support, including depositions, testimony, and technical rebuttal, as needed.
• Advise clients on emergency response, interim stabilization, and load restrictions following damage events.

Training, Development, and Compliance

• Mentor and develop Project Managers, engineers, and engineer-divers within the Marine group, strengthening KCI's internal inspection and forensic expertise.
• Ensure compliance with KCI policies, the Quality Management System (QMS), and marine inspection best practices.
• Lead development and implementation of dive and overwater safety plans, including compliance with ADCI Consensus Standards, OSHA commercial diving regulations (29 CFR 1910 Subpart T), and USCG requirements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable Federal, state, and local regulations and inspection protocols, including USACE, NAVFAC UFC waterfront inspection criteria, NBIS requirements for underwater bridge inspection, and state and port authority standards.

Financial Management and Reporting

• Negotiate contracts, scopes, and fees with clients, subconsultants, dive contractors, and testing laboratories.
• Prepare and manage client and subconsultant contracts.
• Achieve or exceed utilization targets (typically 70–80%) while supporting practice growth.
• Track and report project performance metrics, budgets, WIP, AR, and cash flow monthly.
• Prepare monthly project progress and completion reports and present results at Project Review Meetings.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through improved inspection technology, data collection methods, and reporting workflows.

Business Development and Market Growth

• Serve as a key leader in growing KCI's marine inspection and forensic practice, identifying opportunities in asset management programs, multi-year inspection contracts, resiliency assessments, and post-event response work.
• Participate in go/no-go decisions, teaming strategies, and preparation of inspection-focused proposals and SOQs.
• Lead and support client presentations, pursuit strategies, and interviews.
• Strengthen relationships with port authorities, coastal municipalities, maritime agencies, insurers, and facility owners.
• Support marketing efforts through project write-ups, photography, technical thought leadership, and conference participation.
• Actively participate in at least one marine, maritime, coastal, or industry organization (e.g., PIANC, ASCE Coasts, Oceans, Ports & Rivers Institute, AMPP, ADCI, CMAA).

Technical Oversight and Field Execution

• Provide full oversight of inspection, assessment, and forensic deliverables required by contract.
• Conduct and oversee site visits, underwater and above-water inspections, and field assessments in active waterfront and marine environments.
• Oversee application of inspection and testing methods, including Level I/II/III underwater inspection, ultrasonic thickness testing, half-cell potential and corrosion surveys, concrete coring and chloride sampling, timber probing and boring, GPR, sonar and hydrographic survey, and photogrammetry or LiDAR documentation.
• Review and interpret construction drawings, specifications, geotechnical reports, hydrographic surveys, and historical inspection records to establish baseline conditions.
• Compare field conditions and inspection data to original design assumptions and identify deviations, deficiencies, and rates of deterioration.
• Lead or oversee preparation of condition assessment reports, structural evaluations, load ratings, repair and rehabilitation plans, and prioritized capital planning recommendations.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable codes and standards, including ASCE Waterfront Facilities Inspection and Assessment, AASHTO, ACI, AISC, USACE Engineer Manuals, UFC criteria, PIANC guidance, and ASTM testing standards.

Qualifications

Education and/or Skills Required: • Bachelor’s Degree in related field (AEC Industry) and minimum of 6 years of related professional experience, or 10 years of equivalent professional experience.• Experience should include a track record of expanding project management duties.• Proven experience in project management roles, with a focus on managing larger-scale projects or programs.• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously.• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with clients, team members, and stakeholders.• Proficiency in project management software and tools, with the ability to develop and maintain comprehensive project plans and documentation.• Knowledge of industry standards and best practices related to project management, quality assurance, and safety protocols.• Effective problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and implement solutions in a fast-paced environment.• Strong negotiation skills to manage contracts, scope changes, and stakeholder agreements effectively. • Strong understanding of accounting principles to effectively manage project budgets, financial reporting, and resource allocation.

Education and/or Work Experience Preferred:• Master’s Degree in related field (AEC Industry)

Certificates, Licenses, and/or Registrations Required:• Ability to complete the KCI PM Training and Contract Risk Training along with passing the PM Board within 6 months of start date.

Pre-employment drug screening and background check are conditions of employment. Motor vehicle checks may be required based upon position.