Principal Civil Project Manager (Industrial Wastewater Focus)

Southern California | Primarily On‑Site

Why This Role Exists

Most senior civil engineers reach a point where their work becomes one of two things:

• Oversight without real technical influence
• Hands‑on work without leadership or growth

This role was created for engineers who don’t want to choose.

A privately held civil & environmental consulting firm in Southern California is strengthening its senior technical bench to support a growing portfolio of industrial wastewater and pretreatment projects. The work is steady, infrastructure‑driven, and complex — and the team needs a principal‑level engineer who still enjoys being close to the engineering.

This is not a “sit back and review” PM role.

It’s a seat at the table for someone who wants real technical ownership and long‑term influence.

What You’d Be Doing

You’d step into a senior technical leadership role where you’ll:

• Lead and deliver industrial wastewater / pretreatment projects from concept through construction support
• Provide QA/QC oversight and, if applicable, stamp civil deliverables
• Stay 50–80% hands‑on depending on project needs — design, review, problem‑solving
• Serve as a technical mentor and sounding board for engineers across civil, environmental, and process disciplines
• Work closely with clients as a trusted engineering advisor, not just a project administrator
• Help shape how work gets done — standards, workflows, and technical direction

You’ll be part of a small, experienced team where decisions are made locally and good ideas don’t get buried in layers of approval.

A Note on “Perfect Fit”

This role requires a rare mix of skills — and the firm is realistic about that.

The business ultimately needs coverage across:

• Civil PE / stamping & QA/QC
• Industrial wastewater / pretreatment experience
• senior‑level project leadership
• Hands‑on technical execution

Those capabilities do not all have to live in one person on day one.

Strong candidates may come from different angles, including:

• A principal‑level Civil PE with leadership and stamping authority
• A deeply experienced industrial wastewater or process engineer (10–15 years) without a PE, where complementary leadership or PE coverage can be layered in

Experience, judgment, and technical depth matter more than checking every box.

What Typically Makes Someone Successful Here

• You enjoy being technically involved, not just managing schedules
• You’re comfortable making decisions and standing behind your engineering
• You prefer a private‑sector consulting environment over municipal or pension‑driven roles
• You value collaboration, visibility, and influence over hierarchy
• You want a role that’s stable, but not stagnant

Work Environment

• Primarily in‑office role (Southern California)
• Limited flexibility (1–2 remote days) may be considered case‑by‑case for senior hires
• Fully remote or near‑remote arrangements are not aligned with this position
• Occasional travel to client sites as needed

What This Role Is — and Is Not

This role is:

• Hands‑on
• Technically influential
• Built for long‑term impact

This role is not:

• Oversight‑only program management
• A municipal or pension‑oriented position
• A fully remote role



Why Engineers Stay

• Real ownership without big‑firm bureaucracy
• Complex, meaningful infrastructure work
• A team that values experience and judgment
• A leadership path that doesn’t require giving up engineering

If this sounds like a role you’d want to learn about quietly and confidentially, that’s exactly how the conversation can start.

This is a Permanent position based out of Orange, CA.

The pay range for this position is $160000.00 - $180000.00/yr.

Health and Wellness Medical, Dental, and Vision: Standard health coverage, with some employees reporting that the company covers 75% to 100% of individual premiums. Life and Disability Insurance: Full-time staff are eligible for life insurance and long-term disability. Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Options for pre-tax spending on eligible healthcare and dependent care costs. Financial and Retirement 401(k) Plan: Includes a company match, typically around 4%. Profit Sharing & Bonuses: The company has a profit-sharing plan and a discretionary bonus program, which includes performance-based annual bonuses and referral bonuses. Competitive Salary: Employees generally rate compensation highly (averaging 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor), though actual pay depends heavily on the ability to negotiate effectively. Time Off and Culture Paid Time Off (PTO): Employees typically accrue 15 days of PTO annually in their first year. Paid Holidays: The company observes 10 to 11 paid holidays per year. Company Culture: Reviews highlight a "family-like" atmosphere with social events, including happy hours, office outings, and birthday celebrations.

This is a fully onsite position in Orange,CA.

This position is anticipated to close on Apr 24, 2026.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Actalent, diversity and inclusion are a bridge towards the equity and success of our people. DE&I is embedded into our culture through:

• Hiring diverse talent
• Maintaining an inclusive environment through persistent self-reflection
• Building a culture of care, engagement, and recognition with clear outcomes
• Ensuring growth opportunities for our people

Actalent is an equal opportunity employer.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services. For more than 40 years, we’ve helped visionary companies advance their goals. Headquartered in the United States, our teams span 150 offices across North America, EMEA, and APAC—with four delivery centers in India led by 1,000 extraordinary employees who connect their passion with purpose every day.

Our Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chennai delivery centers are hubs of engineering expertise, with core capabilities in mechanical and electrical engineering, systems and software, and manufacturing engineering. Our teams deliver work across multiple industries including transportation, consumer and industrial products, and life sciences. We serve more than 4,500 clients, including many Fortune 500 brands. Learn more about how we can work together at actalentservices.com.

Salary : $160,000 - $180,000