German Speaking Senior Project Engineer – Municipal Infrastructure (Hybrid)

Location: Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany (Hybrid model with 1–2 home-office days per week; fully remote arrangements possible by agreement)

Position Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Compensation: €65,000 – €78,000 gross annual base salary

Travel Requirements: None (all projects are local and located within city limits)

Language Requirement: Native / C2 German (Mandatory)

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Engineer to assume a pivotal client-representation role (Bauherrenvertretung) in driving complex municipal and regional infrastructure initiatives.

Operating at the intersection of public authority, engineering execution, and strategic urban development, you will lead high-impact civil engineering and equipment projects from initial planning and permitting through execution and completion. In this role, you will take full ownership of key trade groups along major traffic arterial corridors—such as federal road B44 and cross-Rhine bridge connections—ensuring that all initiatives are executed cleanly, cost-effectively, and on schedule.

This position is tailored for a structured, assertive engineering professional who thrives in managing multi-stakeholder landscapes and takes pride in building tangible, sustainable infrastructure for the local community.

Core Responsibilities & Accountabilities

1. Technical Trade Steering & Coordination

• Take primary responsibility for steering and managing all equipment, technical, and operational trades along key municipal corridors (e.g., federal road B44).
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of technical equipment measures, including public street lighting, light signal systems (traffic lights), road markings, traffic management/guidance systems, and winter service integration.
• Ensure all technical implementations comply strictly with local standards, safety codes, and environmental regulations.

2. Client Representation & Stakeholder Management

• Act as the direct representative of the project owner (Bauherrenvertretung) in all internal and external project steering committees, technical task forces, and site meetings.
• Build and maintain productive, collaborative working relationships with external planning offices, specialist engineers, municipal authorities, public utility providers, and general contractors.
• Drive alignment and transparent communication across diverse stakeholder groups with varying priorities.

3. Project Control, Governance & Reporting

• Maintain a complete macro and micro overview across numerous parallel workstreams, sub-projects, and individual measures simultaneously.
• Safeguard compliance with strict project constraints across cost control, timeline adherence, scope verification, and quality assurance.
• Conduct regular site reviews and progress assessments to ensure contractors fulfill contractual obligations.

4. Risk Mitigation & Decision Support

• Implement proactive risk identification protocols to spot planning bottlenecks, technical conflicts, or budget overruns at an early stage.
• Formulate concrete, technical, and commercially sound mitigation strategies to minimize operational disruptions.
• Prepare clear, data-backed decision memos, briefing documentation, and technical recommendations for project leadership.

5. Procurement, Tendering & Permitting Support

• Actively support the preparation of tender documents, technical specifications, and contract packages in collaboration with procurement teams.
• Guide technical proposals through official approval, permitting, and regulatory procedures with relevant government bodies.
• Supervise the transition of projects from planning approvals into seamless execution on-site.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile

Requirements (Must-Haves)

• Academic Background: Master's degree (or equivalent diploma) in Civil Engineering (Bauingenieurwesen), Industrial Engineering with a focus on Project Management (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen), Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Professional Experience: Minimum of 5 years of proven, hands-on project management experience leading complex technical, infrastructural, or civil engineering projects.
• Language Proficiency: Native-level fluency in written and spoken German (C2 level minimum) to comfortably negotiate with authorities, draft official documentation, and lead technical meetings.
• Core Competencies: Outstanding organizational talent, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and a highly structured, self-directed work ethic.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional communication skills, diplomacy, and the assertiveness needed to represent client interests firm-yet-fairly in multi-stakeholder environments.

Desirable Attributes (Nice-to-Haves)

• Formal project management certifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, or IPMA).
• Prior hands-on experience in public-sector construction, municipal road networks, or municipal authority coordination.
• Familiarity with local infrastructure frameworks, HOAI, or German public procurement and building laws (VOB/VOL).

Key Benefits & What We Offer

• Attractive Compensation & Pension: Competitive base salary (€65,000 – €78,000 gross p.a.) coupled with a permanent employment contract (unbefristeter Arbeitsvertrag). Includes an exceptionally generous employer-funded pension plan, where the company contributes nearly an entire additional monthly salary per year.
• Flexible Work & Work-Life Balance: 30 paid annual vacation days plus additional special leave days. Enjoy flexible core working hours and a balanced hybrid setup (1–2 days per week home office, with potential for further remote flexibility by agreement).
• Zero Travel & Local Impact: No business travel required beyond city limits—all projects and sites are centrally located in Ludwigshafen am Rhein.
• Mobility Package: Comprehensive mobility support including a mobility/Deutschlandticket allowance, attractive bike-leasing schemes (JobRad), and discounted employee parking options.
• Career Development & Onboarding: Structured onboarding program featuring a dedicated buddy to get you up to speed quickly, paired with continuous professional development through internal talent programs, e-learning platforms, and specialized technical training.
• Empowered Team Culture: Work within a lean, dynamic team of roughly 50 to 100 professionals with short decision-making paths, high individual autonomy, and a clear mandate to shape the regional landscape.