Find & Apply For Project Manager Jobs in Columbia, Illinois

State and Local Government/Education (SLED) Market Lead meaningful projects. Build lasting client relationships. Make your mark. Prairie Engineers is seeking a Project Manager in our SLED Market to guide work for state agencies, local governments, and K-12 and higher education clients. The heart of this role is leading delivery for existing clients and projects; connecting technical teams with client priorities and keeping scope, schedule, budget, and quality aligned from planning through completion. Salary range $108,000 - $166,000 per year, based on qualifications and experience, and internal and external equity.

What You'll Do:

Lead project delivery. Plan and guide scope, schedules, budgets, quality, and successful completion. Connect the team. Coordinate engineers, surveyors, scientists, technicians, and other specialists around client goals. Build client trust. Understand priorities, communicate clearly, and deliver responsive service across established relationships. Keep work moving. Anticipate challenges, solve problems, manage project changes, and maintain focus on deadlines. Represent Prairie. Work with publicsector clients and stakeholders at project meetings as needed.

What You'll Bring:

Project leadership. At least five years of relevant project management or project leadership experience. Publicsector context. Experience with government, education, public facilities, capital improvements, infrastructure, or related projects. Delivery skills. Experience coordinating teams and managing project scope, schedules, budgets, contracts, or procurement. Communication and judgment. Strong organization, clear communication, initiative, and a collaborative approach. Education and travel. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience; willingness to travel in the U.S. as projects require. You don't have to be an engineer to be a great project manager. We welcome experienced candidates from construction, facilities, public administration, and other related fields. A PE, PLS, or PMP is welcome, but not required. We value a people-focused culture, a "can-do" attitude, and responsiveness. Why Prairie? Meaningful public projects, varied clients, a supportive and capable internal team, mentoring and career development, flexible remote, hybrid, or office arrangements, and benefits that include 401(k), medical insurance, and generous paid time off. Ready to make your mark? Submit your resume, references, and letter of interest. Prairie Engineers is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information (including family medical history), or any other legally protected characteristic. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are not able to sponsor current or future visas for this position. About Prairie Engineers Prairie Engineers is a full services engineering, geospatial, and environmental science firm with a goal of delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions and maintaining our natural and built environment. We are a woman-owned firm with offices in Columbia, Hillsboro, Washington, Champaign, and Springfield, Illinois; Keokuk, Iowa; Lenexa, Kansas; Hannibal and Hazelwood, Missouri; and Vicksburg, Mississippi. We provide services to federal, state, and local governments, utilities and industries with capabilities and experience with planning; program management; civil and structural engineering; water resources, transportation, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; topographic, hydrographic, and land surveying; natural resources management; and construction management. We are committed to providing interesting work opportunities to our team members, to offering flexible work arrangements, and to recognizing personal and professional accomplishments.