At Rrm Design Group, a Project Manager plays a pivotal role in bringing diverse, community-shaping projects to life. As a multi-disciplinary design firm specializing in architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering, landscape architecture, and planning, Rrm Design Group relies on its project managers to serve as the connective tissue between creative design, technical execution, and client satisfaction. You will not simply be managing timelines; you will be orchestrating complex, sustainable developments that directly impact the built environment across California.

Your influence in this role extends from the initial proposal stage to the final ribbon-cutting ceremony. Whether you are leading a Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or Architecture project team, you will be responsible for managing project budgets, guiding multi-disciplinary design professionals, and navigating complex California regulatory landscapes. Rrm Design Group is highly collaborative, meaning you will frequently coordinate across studios to deliver holistic design solutions for public parks, civic facilities, housing developments, and commercial spaces.

This role is both challenging and deeply rewarding. Because Rrm Design Group is an employee-owned firm, every Project Manager operates with an entrepreneurial mindset, directly contributing to the firm’s financial health and cultural vitality. You will face high expectations regarding project profitability, quality control, and client retention, but you will also have the autonomy to drive meaningful, sustainable design work in communities like Chula Vista, San Juan Capistrano, San Leandro, and Ventura.

To succeed in the interview process, you must be prepared to discuss both the technical execution of your engineering or architectural discipline and the operational aspects of project management. The following questions represent key themes drawn from real-world project management interviews within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry.

Project Operations & Financials

These questions evaluate your ability to keep projects profitable, manage scope, and utilize project management tools effectively.

• How do you handle scope creep when a client requests additional design iterations that fall outside the original contract?
• Describe your experience managing project budgets, labor billing, and schedules using enterprise resource planning (ERP) software like Deltek.

To stand out in the Rrm Design Group interview process, you need to demonstrate a balance of technical credibility and business acumen. Preparation should focus not just on your design portfolio, but on your ability to run a profitable, collaborative project from inception to closeout.

Technical & Regulatory Competence – You must prove that you understand the technical nuances of your specific discipline (Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or Architecture) and can navigate California's rigorous permitting and environmental review processes. Be ready to discuss specific agencies, codes, and submittal challenges you have successfully navigated.

Project & Financial Management – Interviewers will look closely at your financial literacy. You should be comfortable discussing project multipliers, direct labor costs, contract negotiation, and how you manage sub-consultant fees. Familiarity with project management metrics is highly valued.

Client & Stakeholder Relations – Rrm Design Group prides itself on long-term client partnerships and community-driven design. You should demonstrate a track record of clear communication, active listening, and the ability to represent the firm professionally in public forums, city council meetings, and client boardrooms.

Collaborative Leadership – Because RRM houses multiple design disciplines under one roof, you must show that you are a collaborative partner who values input from other studios. Highlight your experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and resolving cross-functional design conflicts.

The interview process at Rrm Design Group is designed to evaluate both your technical capabilities and your alignment with the firm's collaborative, employee-owned culture. The process moves at a deliberate pace, ensuring that you have the opportunity to meet with key leaders from the studios you will be supporting.

Initially, you will undergo a screening conversation to discuss your background, career goals, and general alignment with the role's requirements. This is followed by a deeper technical and management interview with Studio Directors and Principals, where you will dive into your portfolio, past projects, and financial management style. The final stage typically involves a panel presentation or a collaborative interview where you meet with cross-disciplinary peers to assess your communication, leadership, and cultural fit within RRM's unique ESOP structure.

This visual timeline illustrates the typical progression from your initial contact to the final decision. Candidates should use this timeline to pace their preparation, focusing first on high-level career alignment and then shifting toward deep technical, financial, and behavioral scenarios as they approach the panel stage. Note that while the core stages remain consistent, the specific panel composition may vary depending on whether you are interviewing for a Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or Architecture focus.

When interviewing for a Project Manager position at Rrm Design Group, your performance will be evaluated across several core competencies that are critical to project success.

Project Financials & Contract Management

A successful Project Manager at RRM is responsible for the financial health of their projects. You must demonstrate that you can manage budgets proactively rather than reactively.

Be ready to go over:

• Fee Estimation – How you build bottom-up fee proposals based on historical data and scope complexity.
• Scope Control – Your strategy for identifying out-of-scope requests and successfully negotiating change orders with clients.
• Earned Value Management – How you track project progress against budget spend to identify potential overruns early.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Multi-layered contract structures, managing complex sub-consultant agreements, and optimizing utilization rates across multi-disciplinary project teams.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would handle a public agency client who demands additional design revisions but refuses to sign a contract amendment."
• "How do you manage your project's staffing plan when your team's actual hours are trending higher than the budgeted project milestones?"

Agency Coordination & Permitting

In California, project success is often dictated by how efficiently a team can secure regulatory approvals. RRM looks for PMs who can navigate these hurdles with minimal friction.

Be ready to go over:

• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) – Your experience coordinating with environmental consultants and navigating CEQA clearance.
• Local Municipal Codes – How you research and interpret zoning ordinances, design guidelines, and building codes across different California jurisdictions.
• Agency Relationships – Your approach to building productive, professional relationships with city engineers, planning staff, and water board officials.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time you encountered a major zoning roadblock during a project's discretionary approval phase. How did you resolve it?"
• "What is your strategy for preparing a comprehensive submittal package to minimize the number of plan check correction cycles?"

Multidisciplinary Collaboration

RRM's core strength is its integrated design approach. PMs must be adept at breaking down silos and ensuring that civil, structural, architectural, and landscape elements are fully coordinated.

Be ready to go over:

• BIM & CAD Coordination – How you leverage technology (such as Revit or Civil 3D) to facilitate cross-discipline coordination and clash detection.
• Interdisciplinary Communication – Your methods for ensuring that changes made by one design studio are immediately communicated to and accommodated by other studios.
• Conflict Resolution – How you handle design conflicts where different disciplines have competing priorities (e.g., structural requirements impacting architectural aesthetics).

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Give me an example of a project where a lack of coordination between design disciplines caused an issue, and how you corrected it."
• "How do you run an effective interdisciplinary design coordination meeting?"

As a Project Manager at Rrm Design Group, your daily responsibilities will blend technical oversight, business operations, and team leadership.

You will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of your projects. This begins with business development support, where you will assist in writing proposals, defining scopes of work, and establishing realistic project budgets. Once a project is secured, you will draft contracts, build project schedules, and allocate staff resources to ensure design production runs smoothly.

On a day-to-day basis, you will lead design production teams, providing guidance and mentorship to junior engineers, architects, and drafters. You will conduct regular design reviews and enforce strict QA/QC standards to ensure all deliverables are accurate, code-compliant, and aligned with the client’s vision.

Additionally, you will serve as the primary point of contact for clients, sub-consultants, and public agency staff. This includes leading project progress meetings, presenting designs at public hearings, coordinating with city and county plan checkers, and overseeing construction administration activities, such as responding to RFIs and reviewing submittals.

To be competitive for a Project Manager position at Rrm Design Group, you must possess a strong combination of technical credentials, regional experience, and leadership skills.

• Must-have skills:

  • For Civil Engineering PMs: A valid California Professional Engineer (PE) license and extensive experience with grading, drainage, and utility design.
  • For Structural Engineering PMs: A valid California Structural Engineer (SE) or Professional Engineer (PE) license with a focus on building systems.
  • For Architecture PMs: A valid California Licensed Architect credential (AIA membership preferred).
  • Proven experience managing project financials, including budgeting, scheduling, and contract management.
  • Strong familiarity with California building codes, CEQA, and municipal permitting processes.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting to public bodies and clients.

• Nice-to-have skills:

  • Experience using Deltek Vantagepoint or similar AEC-specific project management software.
  • LEED AP credential or experience with sustainable design frameworks.
  • Active participation in professional organizations such as ASCE, SEAOC, AIA, or APWA.
  • For Civil PMs: QSD/QSP (Qualified SWPPP Developer/Practitioner) certification.