Jason Rowley, P.E., is a senior project manager in Hanson’s Indianapolis office who serves infrastructure clients in Indiana and across the U.S.Fortunately for Jason Rowley, P.E., his teachers and parents helped encourage and guide him toward a career in engineering. And that encouragement and guidance is something he’s grateful for and willing to share with others, including students and young engineers.
Designing roadways and pathways is an important part of Jason’s job as a senior project manager, serving Hanson’s infrastructure clients from the company’s office in Indianapolis. Jason helps clients deliver their transportation projects to meet the needs of their communities. He says that one of the favorite parts of his job is seeing a team work together to successfully design and build infrastructure projects.
Jason joined Hanson in 2016 and has 23 years of experience working on engineering projects. He is a licensed professional engineer in Indiana, a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Indiana’s Education Committee and a former member of the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Americans with Disabilities Act advisory group. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University.
“There’s almost always a sweet spot in every design where the client and the engineer agree. The challenge, and ultimately the solution, is finding the right design to fit each client.”
— Jason Rowley, P.E.
Senior project manager
Here, Jason talks more about his career and what drives him at work and in his life.
What led me to pursue this career?
Growing up in a small town in central Michigan, a kid isn’t exposed to a lot of different professions. I was fortunate to take a drafting class in eighth grade and have the same engineering teacher in ninth through 12th grade. I didn’t know any “engineers” throughout high school, so I took a leap of faith that this profession was the right path for me, mostly because of one great teacher. I was also fortunate to have wonderful parents who helped to guide me along my early path. We forget how moldable we were in high school until we look back and realize how our teachers and family lifted us and directed us to where we are today. Because of their mentoring and guidance, I’m committed to helping others find their career path.
What I do on a typical day on the job:
My daily routine as a project manager involves managing projects for the Indiana Department of Transportation and other cities and counties in Indiana. I am responsible for helping my clients deliver their projects to meet the needs of their communities. I meet with our clients then work with our infrastructure team in our Indiana office. I also work with Hanson staff outside Indiana on our projects in Indiana and across the country.
Jason was the project manager for the Wildcat Creek Walk of Excellence in Kokomo, Indiana. Hanson worked with the city of Kokomo to create a pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly recreational trail along the north and south sides of Wildcat Creek through the heart of downtown Kokomo. The project team received a Merit Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Indiana in 2020.
My favorite part of my job:
The favorite part of my job has evolved over my 23-year career. I still enjoy designing projects with CAD and different design programs, then overseeing those design documents during construction. Nowadays, the favorite part of my job is seeing a team of designers, environmental scientists, subconsultants and our clients all work together to design and build infrastructure projects.
The biggest challenge I have faced on the job:
During my career, I’ve found that it can be easy to design “something,” but challenging to design exactly what the client envisioned and what the engineer feels is the right option. There’s almost always a sweet spot in every design where the client and the engineer agree. The challenge, and ultimately the solution, is finding the right design to fit each client.
Jason managed the design team for the $300 million U.S. 31 highway and bridge project in central Indiana.
Notable projects I have worked on:
I’ve worked on large and small projects during my career. One of my first projects was a sanitary sewer system for a new campground. I also spent about 15 years working on large projects that ranged in construction size from $200 million to $800 million. I consider my most notable project a $300 million, U.S. 31 highway and bridge project in central Indiana that I managed the design team for seven years. This project opened my eyes to community involvement, value engineering during design and construction and how to accelerate project delivery while maintaining quality. I had the opportunity to see the teamwork required to deliver a project of this size while working with a lot of great engineers, environmental scientists and local and state officials.
What I like to do when I’m not working:
Jason and his family enjoy exploring new places and trying new things.Outside of work, I like to spend time with my family and friends. We try to travel to new places and experience new things as often as possible. My wife and I also enjoy remodeling and renting real estate property around Indianapolis.