Principal Project Manager

About the role

AECOM is seeking a highly motivated Principal Project Manager to support mine tailings storage facility and heavy civil infrastructure design and analysis as part of the Mining group in Denver, CO, Salt Lake City, Utah, or Phoenix, Arizona.

Job Summary/ Responsibilities

• Provide leadership on large-scale tailings storage facility (TSF) projects, overseeing planning, design, and construction in accordance with international best practices (e.g. GISTM).
• Serve as the primary client interface, building and maintaining strong relationships with mining clients, regulators, and stakeholders while guiding strategic project delivery and providing alignment with business objectives.
• Direct multi-disciplinary teams of geotechnical, civil, structural, and environmental engineers in developing design solutions for tailings storage facilities, underflow sand embankments, cyclone stations, tailings pipelines, seepage control systems, and water management infrastructure.
• Champion a culture of health, safety, and environmental excellence across all project phases, integrate risk management practices into design and construction.
• Navigate and resolve conflicts within the project team and with clients, demonstrating professionalism, diplomacy, and the ability to stand firm on technical and contractual requirements while maintaining positive relationships.
• Lead project financial management, including preparation and negotiation of contracts, project budgets, schedules, and change management to deliver on time and within scope.
• Implement earned value management (EVM) processes to track project cost and schedule performance, identify variances, and proactively mitigate risks to meet project objectives.
• Generate and interpret EVM reports to provide actionable insights for project stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making and continuous performance improvement.
• Mentor and develop engineering leads, deputy project managers, and project control team members, provide technical guidance, career development support, and fostering a culture of innovation, quality, and accountability within the team.
• Support business development efforts by leading proposal preparation, developing capture strategies, and positioning AECOM for future TSF and mining infrastructure projects globally.

Minimum Requirements

• BA/BS + 10 years of relevant experience or demonstrated equivalency of experience and/or education, including 2 years of leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• MA/MS Civil Engineering with Geotechnical Emphasis
• 20 years of relevant experience
• Professional Engineer (PE) License
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment

Additional Information

• Relocation is available for this position.
• Sponsorship is not available for this role.
• Project site travel required (up to 30%)

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.