How to apply for T&D Project Manager (Remote U.S.)

About AECOM

AECOM describes itself as building sustainable legacies through innovative infrastructure and environmental solutions. It has a large energy practice that supports electric utilities, including transmission and distribution work. The role is remote within the U.S., so you would work from home while coordinating with teams across the world.

About the role

This project manager role plans, directs, and executes moderate to large transmission and distribution projects for electric utilities. You would manage the full life cycle of substation or transmission projects, including design, permitting, construction, community engagement, and critical milestones. You would also help win work by writing proposals, determining fees, leading client presentations, and negotiating contracts.

A typical day

A typical day might include checking in with your project team on design, permitting, or construction progress, updating critical milestones, and coordinating with colleagues in other time zones. You might also review a proposal, prepare for a client presentation, or work on a go/no-go decision for a new opportunity. The job posting does not describe a fixed daily routine, so ask about typical schedules and travel expectations in the interview.

Who AECOM is looking for

• Has strong working knowledge of transmission electric utilities and has managed substation or transmission projects through design, permitting, and construction.
• Can manage the full project life cycle and establish and achieve critical milestones for moderate to large projects.
• Has strong interpersonal, organizational, and creative problem-solving skills to lead project stakeholders and coordinate with team members across the world.
• Is comfortable with business development tasks such as identifying opportunities, go/no-go decisions, proposal writing, fee determination, client presentations, and contract negotiation.

Tips for this application

• In your resume, list specific transmission or substation projects you managed, including project size, scope, and your role in design, permitting, construction, and community engagement.
• Show that you can handle both delivery and business development. Give examples of proposals you wrote, fees you determined, or client presentations you led.
• Since the role is remote, state clearly that you have experience managing distributed teams and coordinating with team members in different time zones.
• Use the job description language in your application where it matches your experience, such as full life cycle, critical project milestones, and go/no-go decisions.
• Check the AECOM careers site for the exact job number and any additional location or travel requirements before you apply, because the posting here is cut off.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on your direct experience managing transmission or substation projects from design through construction. Describe how you set and met critical project milestones and handled permitting and community engagement. Give one or two examples of business development work, such as writing proposals, determining fees, or leading client presentations. Mention your ability to lead project teams and coordinate with colleagues across the world in a remote setting.

Research before applying

• Read AECOM's energy practice pages and any recent press releases about transmission and distribution projects to understand the types of clients and work they do.
• Look up AECOM's sustainability and infrastructure reports to see how they describe their approach to electric utility projects.
• Find the full job posting on AECOM's careers site to get the complete requirements and any details about travel, team structure, or project types.
• Check LinkedIn for people at AECOM with the title Project Manager – Transmission & Distribution to see their backgrounds and typical career paths.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a transmission or substation project you managed from start to finish. What were the critical milestones and how did you meet them?
• How do you handle permitting and community engagement on a transmission project? Give a specific example.
• Describe a time you made a go/no-go decision on a project opportunity. What factors did you consider?
• How do you coordinate a project team that is spread across different locations or time zones?
• Tell us about a proposal you wrote or a client presentation you led. What was the outcome?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not submit a generic project management resume without mentioning transmission, substation, or electric utility projects. This role requires specific industry knowledge.
• Do not ignore the business development part of the job. Candidates who only talk about project delivery miss half the role.
• Do not assume the remote setup means you can work independently without coordinating across teams. The job description explicitly mentions coordination with team members across the world.