Senior Design Manager

This role provides executive-level oversight of complex horizontal and vertical utility systems, including electrical distribution, substations, emergency power, chilled water generation and distribution, domestic water, sanitary sewer, stormwater systems, fuel infrastructure, telecommunications duct banks, and other critical backbone systems supporting terminal, airfield, landside, and support facilities.

The position works closely with Facilities, Maintenance, Operations, Planning, Environmental, Finance, and external stakeholders to ensure system reliability, resiliency, operational continuity, and lifecycle sustainability within a 24/7 operational environment. Work involves major technical decision-making, independent judgment, and portfolio-level accountability within established City, State, and Federal guidelines. Performance is evaluated based on infrastructure reliability, CIP execution, stakeholder alignment, cost management, and long-term asset performance.

The Senior Design Manager – Campus Wide Utilities provides strategic leadership, portfolio oversight, and organizational management for campus-wide utility infrastructure systems at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). This position manages the Utilities Project Portfolio within the Airport’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and ensures alignment of infrastructure investments with the Airport’s short-, medium-, and long-term development objectives. This position also leads a team of subject matter experts (SMEs) who serve as Design Managers on individual capital projects.

This role provides executive-level oversight of complex horizontal and vertical utility systems, including electrical distribution, substations, emergency power, chilled water generation and distribution, domestic water, sanitary sewer, stormwater systems, fuel infrastructure, telecommunications duct banks, and other critical backbone systems supporting terminal, airfield, landside, and support facilities.

The position works closely with Facilities, Maintenance, Operations, Planning, Environmental, Finance, and external stakeholders to ensure system reliability, resiliency, operational continuity, and lifecycle sustainability within a 24/7 operational environment. Work involves major technical decision-making, independent judgment, and portfolio-level accountability within established City, State, and Federal guidelines. Performance is evaluated based on supervisory skills, infrastructure reliability, CIP execution, stakeholder alignment, cost management, and long-term asset performance.

• Manages and develops a team of utility subject matter experts who serve as Design Managers across multiple capital projects.
• Establishes performance expectations, workload allocation, and professional development plans for team members.
• Provides technical mentorship and ensures consistency in design review processes.
• Serves as the final authority for utility design decisions and conflict resolution across projects.

• Develops, maintains, and governs airport-wide utility design standards and technical criteria.
• Ensures all capital projects adhere to established specifications, resiliency requirements, and lifecycle performance objectives.
• Standardizes design review procedures and quality assurance protocols.
• Coordinates updates to standards based on operational feedback, regulatory changes, and industry best practices.

• Oversees planning, prioritization, and execution of the Utilities capital portfolio.
• Develops multi-year capital forecasts aligned with asset lifecycle replacement and system expansion needs.
• Balances renewal, capacity growth, and resiliency investments using risk-based prioritization.
• Partners with Finance and Program Controls to ensure fiscal stewardship and accurate forecasting.

• Provides executive-level oversight for design of electrical distribution, substations, emergency power systems, chilled water plants and distribution,…