Engineering Manager

At Mac Kay, we believe great people are the foundation of our growth and success. We are in an exciting phase of expansion, creating new opportunities for our employees to take on meaningful work, collaborate across disciplines, and build long-term careers. Whether your role is technical or part of our support services team, you play an important role in delivering high-quality work and helping our projects succeed.

We’re seeking a skilled and hands-on Engineering Manager to join our team in Chicago, Illinois. In this role, you’ll serve as a technical resource and mentor for our engineering staff: the person people come to when a design problem gets tricky, a calculation needs a second set of eyes, or an associate has landed on a few possible approaches and wants to talk through which path makes the most sense.

You’ll help tackle daily engineering challenges alongside staff members, guide them toward confident, independent problem-solving, and lead our office’s project deliverables through QA/QC to ensure everything that goes out the door meets our standards for quality and accuracy. This position is ideal for a senior engineer with direct experience in transportation-related projects who genuinely enjoys teaching and troubleshooting and measures success by how much stronger the team becomes around them.

This is a hybrid role based in our downtown Chicago office, which is conveniently located and easily accessible via public transit. The office features several gathering spaces, a workout space, a cafe, and a food truck, with lobby events geared toward mingling and networking. We hope you will check us out!

• Serve as a go-to technical resource for engineering staff, providing day-to-day mentorship and hands-on support in solving design and delivery challenges pertaining to primary transportation related projects.
• Coach and develop project engineers and design technicians, empowering them to build the skills and confidence to work through problems independently.
• Lead QA/QC review of project engineering deliverables: studies, reports, plans, specifications, calculations, and construction documents: ensuring technical accuracy and adherence to engineering standards.
• Troubleshoot complex technical problems and help resolve project bottlenecks in real time.
• Review and provide guidance on roadway, stormwater, and grading design to ensure buildable, high-quality solutions.
• Partner with project managers to keep technical work aligned with scope, schedule, and budget.
• Help set and reinforce office-wide design standards and best practices.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, knowledge-sharing, and technical excellence within the engineering team.

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering or related field
• Registered PE in the state of Illinois (or ability to obtain reciprocity)
• 10+ years of experience in transportation engineering, including roadway, stormwater, and grading projects
• Demonstrated experience mentoring engineers and design technicians
• Strong QA/QC background with an eye for detail and technical rigor
• Proficiency in Bentley Open Roads Designer and AutoCAD Civil 3D preferred
• A genuine enthusiasm for teaching, coaching, and solving problems collaboratively

A people-first culture

At Mac Kay, we put people first. We are committed to creating an environment where employees can grow, contribute, and do their best work. We support well-being, encourage balance, and create space for people to succeed both professionally and personally.

Meaningful work and real impact

Our teams take on complex infrastructure and environmental challenges that support critical systems and shape the places where people live and work. Every role contributes to delivering that work and making it successful.

Growth and opportunity

We are in an exciting phase of growth, expanding across geographies, services, and markets. That growth creates opportunities for our employees to take on new challenges, build their careers, and contribute in new ways as the company evolves.

A strong and trusted foundation

Built on more than 50 years of experience, Mac Kay has developed a reputation for quality work,…